Dallas Mavericks: 5 takeaways from home win over Grizzlies

The Dallas Mavericks are finally back in action. Severe weather forced them to postpone two games. They had not played since Feb. 14 coming into Monday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Superstar Luka Doncic was looking to continue his hot streak. He had scored 25 or more points in a franchise-record 14 straight games. The Mavericks offense was returning to an elite level with everyone healthy, but their defense has been questionable.

Dallas had one of their best team performances of the season as they topped the Grizzlies on Monday night. Four players scored in double-figures in the 102-92 victory. Here is a look at the top takeaways for fans from the team’s 14th win of the season.

5 takeaways from the Dallas Mavericks home win over the Memphis Grizzlies

The Mavs were without Kristaps Porzingis on Feb. 22. He was ruled out before tipoff with a back injury. Coach Rick Carlisle inserted Dwight Powell into the starting five. He and Willie Cauley-Stein played the center minutes versus Memphis. Neither stood out, and the Mavericks could be facing an issue in the frontcourt after Maxi Kleber suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter. Keep an eye on the status of both KP and Kleber for Tuesday’s game versus the Celtics.

The Mavs needed someone to step with Porzingis out, and three players did just that. It was one of the many bright spots for Dallas on Feb. 22. Here are five takeaways from the Dallas Mavericks home win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Next: No. 5

Takeaway from Dallas Mavericks win over Grizzlies: 5. Defense

The Mavs were giving fans ulcers with their defense. Things were rocky when the team had multiple players in the health and safety protocols, but supporters assumed the issues would be solved when their starters were healthy. That was not the case. Dallas had allowed 116 or more points in seven straight games.

The Mavericks came out and dominated the Grizzlies with defense on Monday night. They held Memphis to 13 first-quarter points, which tied a season-low for Dallas. Ja Morant had 22, but nobody else got going as the Grizzlies finished with just 92 in the game. It was a poor shooting night as they finished below 40 percent from the field and made just six of 31 3-pointers.

The Mavs forced tough shots and created 13 turnovers on Feb. 22. Memphis had multiple players on the sidelines, but it was still an impressive performance. It was only the fifth time this season that Dallas held the opposition under 100 points. Fans can bet coach Carlisle emphasized defense in practice during their week off, and it paid dividends versus Memphis.

The defense has looked better without Kristaps Porzingis this season. That trend continued on Monday night. Hopefully, fans see the best version of KP when he returns from this injury, but it is something to watch going forward.

Next: No. 4

Takeaway from Dallas Mavericks win over Grizzlies: 4. Brunson stands out

Jalen Brunson continued his career-year on Monday night. The Villanova product finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 28 minutes of action. He was seven of 11 from the field including hitting two 3-pointers.

The Mavs needed scoring punch with KP out, and Brunson delivered. He ran the second unit and played next to Luka. If Dallas is going to take full advantage of his breakout season, they will need to start giving him additional run playing alongside Doncic. Coach Carlisle is slowly becoming more comfortable with that backcourt pairing.

Brunson got the Mavericks out in transition on multiple occasions. They outscored the Grizzlies 24 to two in fast-break points on Monday night. JB adds that element to the team. Luka is comfortable bringing the ball up slowly and getting the Mavs into their sets. Brunson is never afraid to push as he looks to create an easy bucket.

The 24-year-old point guard is shooting over 50 percent from the field and continues improving. It was a fantastic performance versus Memphis, but the best is still yet to come. Brunson was aggressive on the glass too. Expect him to continue playing at this level.

Next: No. 3

Takeaway from Dallas Mavericks win over Grizzlies: 3. JRich is finding his groove

Josh Richardson was the catalyst behind the Mavs dominating the first quarter. He hit four of his first five shots including three 3-pointers.

JRich had 11 first-quarter points and was playing fantastic perimeter defense. The Grizzlies finished the opening period with 13 points as Dallas jumped out to a double-digit lead.

Richardson finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 35 minutes versus Memphis. The Mavericks are putting the ball in his hands more and letting him make plays. JRich had five turnovers on Feb. 22 but is slowly getting comfortable with the team. His incredibly fast hands were on full display in both steals too.

The best is still yet to come for Josh Richardson in a Dallas Mavericks uniform. Fans should expect more scoring, playmaking, and defense from the 27-year-old wing. The Mavs have won four of the six games where Richardson scored 17 or more points. That should come as no surprise because they need a tertiary scorer to feast off the attention drawn by their two stars.

More performances like this are on the horizon for Josh Richardson. He will be an important piece if the Mavericks plan on making a deep postseason run.

Next: No. 2

Takeaway from Dallas Mavericks win over Grizzlies: 2. THJ does not miss

Somebody throw a bucket of water on Tim Hardaway Jr. because he is on fire. The 28-year-old had 20 points in the first half against Memphis including nailing five 3-pointers.

Hardaway Jr. is a blast to watch when he gets rolling. Fans think he is never going to miss again during his hot stretches. The 6’5 wing finished with 29 points and four rebounds in 28 minutes of action. He was nine of 14 from the field including hitting seven 3-pointers. THJ showed off his range on Feb. 22.

When Hardaway Jr. scores the Mavericks win. They have won six of the seven games this season when he nets 20-plus. Part of the success has to do with 3-point shooting. The Mavs offense is unstoppable when they are hitting jumpers. Hardaway Jr. makes his triples when he scores 20 or more. Getting him going gives the team energy too.

Fans know Tim Hardaway Jr. can get buckets. The Mavericks need to find ways to get him rolling because he has been inconsistent so far this season. Expect a bunch more 20-plus point games from THJ. Hopefully, the Dallas Mavericks maintain their winning percentage in those contests.

Next: No. 1

Takeaway from Dallas Mavericks win over Grizzlies: 1. Luka leads the way

Luka Doncic snapped his streak of 14 consecutive games with 25-plus points on Monday night, but the superstar still showed off his basketball brilliance. He finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block. There were plenty of incredible highlights in the performance too.

The bad of the night was Doncic made just two of his nine free-throw attempts. He sat at 79.5 percent on the season coming into the game. Hopefully, it was just an off night and does not carry over. Luka’s improvements from the line have been impressive, so it is something to watch moving forward.

Doncic’s defense was on display versus Memphis. He had a key block late in the fourth quarter as the Grizzlies attempted to make one final push. The 21-year-old has made significant strides on that end of the floor and will continue to improve there. He is not going to be a lockdown option, but Luka becoming average would be massive for the Mavericks.

The Dallas Mavericks are back in action on Tuesday night versus the Boston Celtics. Expect Luka Doncic to stay hot as his team looks to get back to .500 for the first time since Jan. 23. Fans will not want to miss it.