Mavericks break 19-year-old curse with gutsy win over Grizzlies

Noah Weber

Dallas Mavericks v Memphis Grizzlies / Justin Ford/GettyImages

With Monday night's 125-120 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Dallas Mavericks have done something that they haven't done since 2004.

The Mavs have started 3-0.

The last time they did that was during the 2004-05 season, and they have finally had a solid start after many years of slow starts out of the gates.

Mavericks break 19-year-old curse with gutsy win over Grizzlies

Even without Kyrie Irving, Dallas hung a 15-point win on the Grizzlies and climbed into the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference (pending the result from the Nuggets vs. Jazz game).

Once again, Luka Doncic dominated down the stretch. He has looked dominant in all three of Dallas' games and finished with 35 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, one steal, and one block. Doncic couldn't be stopped offensively, and his efficient 3-point shooting continued.

Doncic shot 6-12 from downtown and was hitting increasingly difficult shots as the game progressed. No one on the Grizzlies' roster could stop him.

Not even the 2023 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Jaren Jackson Jr.

Along with Doncic's performance, Dallas also had strong games from Derrick Jones Jr. and Grant Williams. Jones Jr. was dialed in from distance, as he shot 4-6, finally breaking through the funk that he had in the first two games.

Williams continues to prove that he is indispensable on the defensive end and a deadly shooter on offense as he shot 4-8 from three and used his physicality to bump the Grizzlies off their spots on defense. He is clearly one of the most valuable players on this team, and his 3-and-D capabilities prove that the trade Dallas made for him was worth it.

Jaden Hardy also got his first action of the regular season on Monday night, pouring in two 3-pointers off the catch. This wasn't his best game, as he didn't look comfortable offensively, but hopefully, some more playing time can help him get into a groove.

Dallas' next game is on Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls.

For all the latest news on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, stay tuned.

Noah Weber

Noah Weber is the Site Expert for The Smoking Cuban, covering the Dallas Mavericks as a credentialed media member since the 2022-23 season. With a Bachelor of Science in Sports Media from Oklahoma State University, Noah has worked in sports journalism since 2019. While he's covered the Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma State Cowboys, he has now established himself as a go-to voice for Mavericks coverage. Noah's expertise includes in-depth game analysis, social media content creation, and offering unique perspectives through his reporting. His work has been featured on major platforms such as ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Overtime. During his time at Oklahoma State, Noah won first place in the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association Awards for a show he co-produced. Outside of covering the Mavs, Noah enjoys working out, playing basketball and Spikeball, and spending quality time with friends and family.