The Memphis Grizzlies enter tonight's game at Dallas with a rare opportunity to leapfrog the Mavericks in the Southwest Division standings. The Mavericks, who have been one of the better teams in the West over the last few years, have started slowly under new head coach Rick Carlisle. The two teams play similar styles built around tough defense, and the Mavs are in the midst of a stretch in which they have held opponents to 40 percent shooting in five straight games, the last three of which have been wins. If the Grizzlies are on top of their defensive game tonight, neither team may reach 90 points. I think whoever does get to that mark will win the game.
Once again, the theme of the Grizzlies' season seems to be their third quarter performance. That period has been the difference in the team's last 11 games. The Grizzlies are 4-1 when they win the third quarter and 0-6 when they don't. So, they need to buckle down after halftime and get their focus back on beating the Mavericks. In Tuesday's game, they matched Sacramento pretty much shot for shot in the third. If the game is within reach or if they are ahead, as they were in that game, holding steady in the third isn't bad. They just need to avoid a major letdown.
The Grizzlies have lost 11 straight at Dallas and have won there only once since relocating to Memphis. The key throughout the game will be rebounds. The Grizzlies need to do their best to compete with the Mavs on the boards. Dallas is third in the league in rebounding, averaging 47.3 per game.
Keywords: Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies
