Dallas won by 18 at New Orleans Sunday night. Now (let's say it together), on the "back end of back-to-backs", they host Memphis. The Mavericks led by 14 at the end of the first quarter, and fought off a pesky Hornets' team. A couple of neat things happened for Dallas in that game. One, Dirk Nowitzki passed the 25,000-point level in his career. He's proven to be one of the all-time greats.
Two, the Mavericks reached the .500 level, record-wise. Recently, the team decided to forego shaving until they reached the break-even mark. There was a measure of attention and even celebration at reaching that mark.
Given all that, I suspect Dallas will be distracted on some level.
Nowitzki is still the "top gun" in that lineup. Shawn Marion and Chris Kaman are capable front-court players as well. That front line will give Memphis fits. O.J. Mayo is a good player, but Allen can win that match-up Mike James started at PG Sunday, and Conley can win that match-up as well.
Vince Carter and Darren Collison get key minutes off Dallas' bench. Carter his half of his 10 shots Sunday night, which could mean he's due for one of those "3/11 FG/A" nights.
On games like this, you never know how these play out. Dallas' last home game for this season may be one where every Maverick on the roster gets playing time. Or, they may shorten the rotation to win one last time in front of the home fans. It could be a circus, or a slog with playoff intensity. Guys who normally don't get many shots may get trigger-happy.
My guess: Memphis 92, Dallas 88. I have no confidence in this guess. I do know Memphis has a mathematical chance to still gain the home court in the first round. The Grizzlies still have some incentive to win this game and the Wednesday night home game against Utah. I expect them to go for it, to finish the season strong.
As usual my guesses aren't meant for gaming purposes. Given the results, it should be obvious.
After the Game: Memphis 103, Dallas 97. In the first half, the Grizzlies looked disinterested. It wasn't fun to watch at all. The team was settling for jump shots, when they weren't turning the ball over. Coach Hollins went through 12 guys in the first half, looking for a spark. Vince Carter was making plays all over the floor for Dallas - hitting deep threes, getting to the rim for layups, blocking shots. Memphis was down 46-38 at the half. I turned away to news.
Second half, Memphis got after it. Nowitzki got 26, Carter finished with 22 and Mike James scored 14. Otherwise, Memphis pretty much shut down everyone else. The remaining eight Dallas players combined for 13/37 FG/A during the game.
For Memphis, it was 38 field goals, 24 assists, 16 turnovers and 10 steals. Bayless led the team with 19 off the bench. Ed Davis added 11 points, 11 rebs. Keyon Dooling scored 13, and is starting to refine his timing with this team. No starter played over 24 minutes. Prince led the starters with 12 points.
For Dallas, it was 34 field goals, 18 assists, 15 turnovers and 7 steals. One odd thing was Memphis outrebounding Dallas 50-36, and doubling up Dallas' offensive rebounds 16-8. Lately, Memphis had been hurt by giving up offensive rebounds to opponents, so it's a relief to see the Grizzlies take care of that issue in this game.
The season-ending games are coming. On Wednesday the Grizzlies host Utah, who are one game behind the Lakers for the 8th/last playoff slot in the Western Conference. The Lakers host Houston on Wednesday night. Utah needs the win, and I wonder if Coach Hollins will rest starters. If so, how will that be perceived from a competition sense? Does it look like Memphis wants to favor Utah/hurt the Lakers? I wonder if the media will jump on Memphis' role in the clinching of the 8th slot.
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