The Dallas Mavericks were on the second night of a back-to-back on Saturday night as they hosted the Memphis Grizzlies. It was their 18th game of the year, but their 13th home game already. Both teams were without their All-Star point guards and power forwards (Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis for Dallas, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. for Memphis), so it was mostly an even playing field.
And this looked like a game missing stars, because the offenses were a BRUTAL watch. The Mavs led 47-43 at halftime, but both teams were shooting poorly from the floor. That’s what happens when the only point guards available for the Mavs are Brandon Williams and Jaden Hardy. And both teams really only had one true center available, as Dereck Lively II missed the game for injury management reasons, and Memphis’ Jock Landale was dealing with neck soreness and left the game.
P.J. Washington and Brandon Williams were doing most of the heavy lifting, but Klay Thompson came off the bench and gave the team a nice lift; he’s done well in his bench role. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies were getting a lot of second-chance point opportunities. Zach Edey was devouring offensive rebounds, and that allowed the Grizzlies to claw back in the game and even take a 9-point lead in the third quarter because of it, and with some strong play from Santi Aldama.
The game got chippy in the second half. Aldama drew a flagrant and a transition take foul after tripping Cooper Flagg while he was on the ground, which got a few people upset, including Jason Kidd and Klay Thompson. Thompson then got into it with Vince Williams Jr. in the fourth quarter, which ended up being double-technical fouls.
That gave Dallas some momentum, but it wasn’t until free throws by Brandon Williams and a three by Cooper Flagg to tie the game with about five minutes to go that it felt like they could climb that mountain.
The final two minutes saw some tough buckets. Cooper Flagg had a putback dunk to tie the game, Cam Spencer and Daniel Gafford traded baskets, then Santi Aldama hit a layup while falling down to give the Grizzlies a lead in the final minute. Gafford was blocked at the rim by Zach Edey, but Cedric Coward split a pair of free throws to give the Mavs some life. But Klay Thompson chucked one from the logo with plenty of time on the clock, which felt odd.
Cedric Coward went 1/2 at the line again, but Zach Edey batted the offensive rebound out, and the Grizzlies were able to ice it from there, going on to beat the Mavericks 102-96.
Here are three overreactions from Saturday’s loss.
READ MORE: Mavericks set to host bumbling Grizzlies on second night of back-to-back
1. Klay Thompson is Better Off The Bench
Nov 22, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) brings the ball up court against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
It was a brutal start to the season for Klay Thompson. He’s always been a vibes guy, and the vibes were horrific in American Airlines Center because of the fanbase’s hatred of Nico Harrison. So, before he moved to the bench, he was averaging just 8.1 PPG on 26.2% from three.
Since then, he’s averaging 10.3 PPG while shooting 32.5% from three, and if you take out his first three games off the bench, where he was clearly still adjusting, he’s up to 12.7 PPG on 33.9% 3PT shooting. He’s not the player he once was, but he is better off the bench. Although his last shot was questionable, he still had 22 points tonight.
2. The Offensive Rebounding Was a Concern
Nov 20, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) reacts with Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (7) during the second quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Daniel Gafford is giving up a lot of height to Zach Edey, but letting him get seven offensive rebounds and letting the Grizzlies get 23 offensive boards as a team is a massive concern. Especially when those lead to 29 second-chance points. That’s the biggest difference in this game.
3. P.J. Washington Leaving Late With Injury is a Bad Sign
Nov 21, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) celebrates after he dunks the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
P.J. Washington was rock-solid all game, finishing with 15 points and 8 rebounds, but he left late after going for a dunk, getting blocked, which led to a jump-ball, and he came down holding his side/lower back. The Mavericks are already beaten down with injuries, and they can’t afford someone like P.J. getting hurt.
READ MORE: 3 overreactions as Mavericks escape with close win over Pelicans
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