Field Level Media
Mar 10, 2018
Harrison Barnes scored 25 points, and J.J. Barea and Doug McDermott added 20 apiece as the host Dallas Mavericks dumped the hapless Memphis Grizzlies 114-80 on Saturday at the American Airlines Center.
Dallas, which played without guard Dennis Smith Jr. and forward Nerlens Noel (both inactive), won consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 9-10. Since then, the Mavericks are 6-17.
Memphis has lost 17 consecutive games, the most for the team since it moved from Vancouver after the 2000-01 season and the third-longest losing streak in franchise history. It is the longest losing streak by any NBA team this season.
Dwight Powell added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Mavericks, who outshot Memphis 48.1 percent to 35.7 percent and owned a 52-41 rebounding edge.
Dillon Brooks led the toothless Grizzlies with 17 points. JaMichael Green added 14 points and 10 rebounds, Jarell Martin had 13 points and Ben McLemore scored 10 for Memphis.
The Grizzlies, who played without guard Tyreke Evans (right rib injury) for a ninth straight game, have also lost 14 road games in a row, dating back to a win at Sacramento on Dec. 31. Memphis was also without forward Marc Gasol and Mario Chalmers, who were inactive for the contest.
Dallas led by 18 at the end of the first quarter and kept pouring it on in the second, taking a 56-30 advantage into halftime. Barnes paced all scorers with 14 points in the half while Barea, starting instead of Smith at the point, added 10 points in the first two quarters.
If Memphis was going to get back into the game, it needed to so something big early in the third quarter, and that didn't happen. The Grizzlies did score more points in the third quarter (33) then they did in the first half but also surrendered 28, and they trailed 84-63 heading into the final period.
The Mavericks have a quick, and daunting, turnaround as they host the league-leading Houston Rockets on Sunday. Memphis heads home to play the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.
--Field Level Media