The Dallas Mavericks fell to 2-7 in this 2025-26 NBA season following a 118-104 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum on Friday in the NBA Cup. This was a fourth straight loss for the Mavericks, who trailed by as many as 35 points on the night.
With Anthony Davis yet again absent, the Mavericks were led by Max Christie, who finished with 18 points (7-12 FG), one rebound, one assist, and one block. As for No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, he put up 12 points (5-10 FG), six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. Flagg had his second 20-point game in the NBA last time out against the New Orleans Pelicans, but neither he nor any of his teammates got to that number here.
The Grizzlies, meanwhile, were led by Ja Morant, who recorded 21 points (7-20 FG), five rebounds, 13 assists, and three steals. The Grizzlies had come into this contest on the back of four straight defeats, but there was never a point in this game when it felt like that streak was going to extend to five.
This was a comfortable win for a struggling Grizzlies team, which has now improved to 4-6, and that is damning for the Mavericks. Let’s take a deeper look at what exactly happened in this game.
A Disastrous Defensive Showing In The First Half By The Mavericks
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison has often spoken about how defense wins championships since Luka Doncic was traded, and you’d imagine he was horrified by what he saw in the first half. The Grizzlies had racked up 74 points by halftime to build a 23-point lead.
The Mavericks allowed the Grizzlies to go 25-47 (53.2%) from the field and 10-21 (47.6%) from beyond the arc in the first half. The Grizzlies also went 14-15 from the line, and you’re not going to win too many games where your opponent has that much success offensively in a half.
That’s especially the case for a Mavericks team that isn’t great offensively. Their 103.2 offensive rating is the worst in the NBA by a fair bit. They have only managed to score more than 110 points in a game once this season, and you knew there was no way back for them once the Grizzlies got off to that hot start.
Ja Morant Shows Signs Of His Best Self
Morant recently claimed to have lost his joy playing basketball, but you’d imagine he had a lot of fun against the Mavericks in the first half. The two-time All-Star had 12 points and 10 assists at halftime, and it was the best we had seen him play in quite some time.
Morant wasn’t able to keep it up, though, as he struggled post the break. The 26-year-old went 3-11 from the field and had five turnovers in the second half. Fortunately for the Grizzlies, they had put the game beyond reach in the third quarter, so their star’s struggles didn’t cost them.
While Morant’s play in the second half was concerning, the Grizzlies can take a lot of positives from what they saw from him in the first half. When the guard shines as both a scorer and playmaker, as he did here, they are a very tough team to beat. The question, though, is just how much longer is he going to be there?
Trade rumors are flying around at present, and it will be interesting to see if Morant ends this season with the Grizzlies.
Klay Thompson Continues To Struggle
While Morant showed signs of life here, Klay Thompson certainly did not. Thompson failed to score even a single point against the Grizzlies, going 0-6 from the field and 0-5 from three. All he had to show for the night was one rebound, three assists, and one steal.
To say Thompson has struggled so far this season might be an understatement. The 35-year-old is now averaging 7.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game while shooting 31.6% from the field and 26.4% from beyond the arc.
The Mavericks recently decided to have Thompson come off the bench, but he isn’t impressing in this new role either. You do start wondering if a parting of ways is on the cards here. Thompson hasn’t looked all too happy lately, and the four-time NBA champion certainly would prefer to be on a team that can compete for the title.
Cedric Coward Outperforms Cooper Flagg In The Battle Of Rookies
This clash between the Mavericks and Grizzlies saw two contenders for Rookie of the Year face off in Flagg and Cedric Coward. The former had been the clear favorite for the award coming into this season, but the latter has played better this season and came out on top in this matchup.
Coward had 21 points (7-10 FG), seven rebounds, nine assists, and four steals against the Mavericks. You could actually argue he was the best player on the court on the night.
Coward, the 11th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, is now averaging 15.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 2025-26. He has been remarkably efficient for a rookie, too, shooting 55.4% from the field and 43.6% from beyond the arc.
Flagg, meanwhile, has struggled with efficiency. He’s putting up 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game, while shooting 40.4% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc.
Now, to be fair to Flagg, he garners a lot more attention from defenses than Coward. If he’s struggling to this extent once Davis and Kyrie Irving are back, then there would be reasons to be a little bit concerned.
We’ll see Flagg in action next against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on Saturday at 7 PM ET. The Wizards are currently 1-8 this season, and it would be a complete disaster if the Mavericks, who handed them their only win earlier this season, fail to beat them again.
As for the Grizzlies, they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at FedExForum on Sunday at 6 PM ET.
