Sidelined stars and turnovers sink the Mavericks, extending a frustrating home losing streak as the Grizzlies dominate from tip-off.
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks lost their seventh consecutive home game Friday night, falling 124-105 to the Memphis Grizzlies as a depleted roster ran out of answers against a Memphis team that controlled the game from the opening tip.
Shorthanded without Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Marvin Bagley III, and Caleb Martin, Dallas never led and trailed by as many as 34 points in the third quarter before a 35-23 fourth quarter trimmed the final margin. The American Airlines Center crowd never got a real run to latch onto.
"That's been part of our season," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "When we do take care of the ball, make or miss, we get good looks. Tonight we turned it over 20 times. And also, we're just not shooting the ball straight. Look at 28 percent from the three and 60-something from the free-throw line."
Brandon Williams led Dallas with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists, his fourth consecutive game with at least 15 points. Daniel Gafford added 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting, and Dwight Powell finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds for the 24th double-double of his career. AJ Johnson added 12 points, his second straight double-figure game and the first consecutive double-digit scoring performances of his career as a Maverick.
"It's pretty tough just trying to gel with each other in a short amount of time," Williams said. "It's on us as point guards to take on that responsibility."
Dallas' 20 turnovers turned into 36 Grizzlies points, repeatedly short-circuiting any chance to build momentum. The Mavericks shot 42% from the field and 28% from three, yet still crossed 100 points for the 41st consecutive game, the third-longest such streak in franchise history.
The seventh straight home loss is Dallas' longest since the 1997-98 season and underscored the strain on a roster stitched together with minimal practice time and even less continuity. Most of the teaching is happening in live action.
"Maybe one practice in the last two weeks," Kidd said. "We've got to do it during the game. You've got to find a way. Bodies in, bodies out, next-man-up mentality. We've got to figure it out in games."
Powell, who has become a steadying presence on a shorthanded roster, drew strong praise from Kidd postgame.
"DP has been a pro for a long time," Kidd said. "He plays one way, he plays hard, he cheers hard. He does everything at a high level. He's the blueprint of having a long career in this league."
Flagg, who missed his sixth consecutive game with a left midfoot sprain, is expected to sit out at least two more contests, including Sunday's home game against Oklahoma City and Tuesday's road trip to Charlotte. The rookie must appear in at least 65 games to remain eligible for postseason awards, including Rookie of the Year, and missing the next two would put him at 12 absences with only five more games to spare. Charlotte's Kon Knueppel, his former Duke teammate, has emerged as his primary competition for the award.
"He's all about his teammates and helping the team win, even if he's not in uniform," Kidd said of Flagg. "He's been very consistent with that."
For Memphis, Cam Spencer scored 25 points off the bench, the second-highest total of his career, and was a plus-16 in his minutes. Olivier-Maxence Prosper posted the first double-double of his career with 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against his former team. Scotty Pippen Jr. added 15 points, while Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson each finished with 12 as eight Grizzlies reached double figures.
Prosper spent parts of three seasons with Dallas, averaging 3.5 points per game before being waived last August. Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo pointed to the 23-year-old forward's work throughout the year.
"He's really improved his shot throughout the season," Iisalo said. "And his defense and versatility have really helped us, too."
Memphis improved to 22-36, snapping a three-game slide. The Mavericks fell to 21-38 and host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.