The Grizzlies got the defensive battle they expected against Dallas on Friday, but failed to get their offense going in a 91-76 loss.
The Grizzlies (4-8) shot only 37 percent from the floor and finished with their lowest point total since scoring 67 points in a loss last December. The usual suspects contributed for the Grizzlies as O.J. Mayo led the way with 19 points and Mike Conley and Rudy Gay each chipped in 14. Conley's output was his best of the season.
But the Grizzlies hurt themselves by not rebounding and by taking bad shots. Shot selection seems to be a consistent problem for this team. On many possessions, the ball gets passed around for 20 seconds before someone is forced to throw up an awkward, often contested shot. The Grizzlies just don't manage the shot clock responsibly and don't seem to have an established plan. I know Coach Iavaroni must call some plays in the course of all the timeouts he takes. Why can't the players run them effectively?
The Mavericks (6-7) played the game without Jerry Stackhouse and Josh Howard, but the Grizzlies still had their hands full with Dirk Nowitzki (25 points, 10 rebounds) and Jason Kidd (18 points, 13 rebounds).
The Grizzlies return to action tonight when they host the Utah Jazz at 7 p.m.
Keywords: Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo
