Memphis Grizzlies vs. Dallas Mavericks: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Zach Randolph tallied a game-high 22 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies punished the Dallas Mavericks 109-90 Tuesday night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Though Memphis was without Mike Conley and Tony Allen, its bench exploded for 43 points to deny Dallas coach Rick Carlisle his 600th career victory.
Monta Ellis led the Mavericks with 19 points, but the team converted on a meager 26.9 percent of its attempts from long distance.
Dallas committed 14 first-half turnovers, allowing the Grizz to build a 10-point lead at the break it couldn't overcome. Plus, the Mavs were unable to contain Memphis late in the shot clock.
The Grizzlies launched 21 three-pointers but connected on 10, their second-most in a single game this season.
After Memphis built a 100-79 lead with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Carlisle pulled his starters to rest for the latter end of a back-to-back.
| Marc Gasol | B+ |
| Zach Randolph | A |
| Jeff Green | B- |
| Courtney Lee | B |
| Rest of Team | A- |
| Monta Ellis | C+ |
| Rajon Rondo | C |
| Dirk Nowitzki | C- |
| Chandler Parsons | C |
| Rest of Team | D |
Memphis Grizzlies
Marc Gasol: B+
Fresh off of his starting nod to the All-Star game, Marc Gasol had yet another productive night. He nabbed a season-low two rebounds but racked up six assists from his high-post position. Gasol drained seven of his 13 attempts for 15 points.
Zach Randolph: A
There aren't many nights when Zach Randolph faces an equally physical big, but Tyson Chandler certainly is one of them. However, Z-Bo was the best player on the court offensively.
Randolph hoisted eight jumpers from 17 to 21 feet, knocking down an astonishing seven. He turned in his 10th straight double-double, tallying 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Jeff Green: B-
Jeff Green played a supporting role, but his limited impact was more a product of everyone else stepping up. Though Green was picked on defensively early, he didn't make negative headlines during his final 25 minutes.
The small forward ended his showing with eight points, five rebounds and two assists, dropping in a pair of triples.
Courtney Lee: B
The shooting guard occupied some of Tony Allen's vacated minutes and filled an important defensive role, matching up with Ellis or Rajon Rondo. Lee hit a few timely shots—including a trio of three-pointers—to tally 13 points and bury any hopes Dallas had of a comeback.
Rest of Team: A-
Without Conley and Allen, Memphis needed a backup to shine—and one definitely did. Nick Calathes poured in a season-high 13 points and five rebounds, even causing a Mavericks assistant coach to roll his eyes during a halftime interview.
Vince Carter consistently misfired from distance, clanking six of his seven triples. The veteran did, however, finish with 12 points and a team-best plus-20 rating. Jordan Adams contributed quality defensive minutes in the backcourt.
Dallas Mavericks
Monta Ellis: C+
The Mavericks tried to pull shot-blocker Marc Gasol away from the rim by sending Dirk Nowitzki out of the lane, but the strategy resulted in too many isolation drives from Monta Ellis.
While Ellis was at his best in transition, the Grizzlies controlled the pace of the game and didn't let Dallas run the fast break very often. He managed 19 points and one assist.
Rajon Rondo: C
Memphis went under every screen, which forced Rajon Rondo into a few uncharacteristic mistakes. He did produce a highlight-reel play that didn't involve a pass—real or fake.
Could the slam have been whistled for basket interference? Probably, but Rondo hasn't done this in a while, so the rarity can be appreciated, regardless.
Rondo filled the box score as per usual, chipping in seven points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. However, he was 3-of-8, ceded possession three times and ended with a team-worst minus-14 rating.
Dirk Nowitzki: C-
Nowitzki never really carved out an offensive role in this one. He opened the night as a facilitator, dishing three assists before taking a seat. Then, Dirk netted six points in the second frame.
But during the latter half, the 7-footer went 2-of-6 from the field largely due to Memphis' rotations not granting open looks. Nowitzki finished with 11 points and four assists.
Chandler Parsons: C
Not to be outdone by high school teammate Calathes, Chandler Parsons buried his first five attempts for 12 points. After that hot start, though, the small forward wasn't much of a factor, scoring just seven more.
Additionally, Parsons again had a limited impact on the glass, snagging two boards. The 6'9" forward has grabbed a mere four rebounds during the Mavericks' three-game losing skid despite logging exactly 100 minutes.
Rest of Team: D
Tyson Chandler had his moments—particularly finishing easy dunks—but Randolph negated the 7-footer's interior defense by knocking down 18-foot jumpers.
"ZBo crushed Tyson for three quarters on MLK Day, then Tyson got him at the end, cost Memphis that game. ZBo forgives, does not forget.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) January 28, 2015"
Al-Farouq Aminu was stellar in the third quarter, sparking an otherwise defeated Dallas squad with his defense—even against Gasol. However, his energy unfortunately came too late, and the Mavericks' reserves were ineffective as a whole.
What's Next?
Memphis (33-12) welcomes the Denver Nuggets (18-27) to FedEx Forum on Thursday, Jan. 29. TSOH will televise the Western Conference matchup at 8 p.m. ET.
Dallas (30-16) opens a three-game road stint starting with the Houston Rockets (31-14) Wednesday, Jan. 28. Fox Sports Southwest will broadcast the in-state tilt, which is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m ET.
Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR
