Dallas Mavericks breeze past the Memphis Grizzlies on course to a 106-91 win; Jason Terry stars
The last time these two sides played in Dallas on Oct 29, the Mavericks crumbled under pressure in the dying moments of the game and bestowed Memphis their first win of the season. The Dallas Mavericks were determined not to give
the Grizzlies even a sniff this time around as they clinically outplayed them to script a 106-91 win and go 5-2 in the season.
Prominent players
Six players featured in double figures for the Dallas Mavericks. It was Jason Terry who grasped the FedEx Forum court and topped with 25 points shooting 11 of his 18. Shawn Marion started his first game of the season in place of
injured Caron Butler and made it count as he scored 20 points and 7 boards. Dirk Nowitzki sprained his ankle in the first half but he was still able to net in 12 points and 10 rebounds. Jason Kidd had a match-high 12 assists.
Zach Randolph led the Memphis Grizzlies at the other end. He chipped in with 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Rudy g*y had nine boards and 18 points, making this his first game in the season in which he has not scored
20 points or more, while Marc Gasol was the only other Grizzlies player in double figures with 10 points.
The Stats
The Grizzlies, who entered the game leading the league in steals (12.5), forced turnovers (22) and points off turnovers, failed to live up to their reputation, recording only 4 steals and forced only 10 turnovers as compared to
19 by the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks shot at 46-for-85 at an impressive 54.1 percent.
Turning Point
The Memphis Grizzlies, trailing by 13 points, rallied back to reduce a 13-point deficit to just five at half time. But the Mavericks began the second half with a bang and reeled off an 18-5 run to go up, 73-55.
Match Story
Dirk Nowitzki sprained his left ankle in the first half but the Dallas Mavericks had enough firepower to overcome the Memphis Grizzlies, who failed to respond as the Mavericks turned the heat on.
The Mavericks caught the Grizzlies offense off guard as they entered the match in an aggressive mood. They forced the Grizzlies out of their comfort zone and gave them a very few uncontested shots as the Grizzlies slumped to under
40 percent shooting in the first half. The Memphis coach Lionel Hollins was not impressed by his team’s attitude.
"Even if you are shooting 20 percent, you can still compete by playing defence, rebounding and make the other team have one less point than you," he said. "You can't just quit and not compete."
The Mavericks got into the lead with a Jason Kidd three point shot in the second minute of the match and they never looked back after that. The Mavericks kept the Grizzlies at bay in the first quarter, holding them to at least
a 3 point deficit and finished it with 27-21.
The Dallas Mavericks were in the groove as they entered the second quarter shooting above 50 percent, and they continued their momentum to take a 13-point lead six minutes into the period. The Grizzlies rallied back as Rudy g*y
nailed in a three pointer to start a 10-4 run reducing the Mavericks lead to four points. The Mavericks, though, halted the Memphis run and carried a 5 point advantage into the half time at 55-50.
Jason Terry scored 15 of his 25 points in the first half to set the tone for the Mavericks. Zach Randolph and Rudy g*y shouldered the burden for the Grizzlies with 15 and 14 points respectively, before
the break.
Dallas continued to tighten its grip on the match and sprinted to 18-5 run to bust open an 18 point lead at 73-55. The Mavericks continued their pinpoint shooting after the break and at the same time
slashed the Grizzlies scoring courtesy an aggressive defence. The Mavericks outscored the Grizzlies 31-19 in the third quarter to enter the last quarter with the score poised at 86-69.
The Mavericks continued to press hard for the win going into the fourth quarter and outplayed the Grizzlies completely to stamp an imposing 106-91 win.
Quotable Quotes
"It's just one in 82 (games)," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said of his Memphis effort. "You try to win as many as you can. You try not to have a whole lot of these stinkers.
"That's what this was. A stinker."
Tags: