NBA: Mavericks squeak out victory over lowly Grizzlies

Khris Middleton scored 22 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, and Daniel Gafford added 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead the visiting Dallas Mavericks to a 120-112 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night, snapping an eight-game losing streak.

Coming off the bench, Middleton scored 24 points in the second half and opened the fourth quarter with the Mavericks’ first 11 points. His scoring spree turned a two-point Dallas lead entering the final period into an 11-point advantage at 97-86. Memphis, which lost its sixth straight game, never regained control.

Middleton finished 10-of-17 from the field and 8-of-10 from three-point range. Cooper Flagg contributed 13 points and seven assists, while Max Christie added 13 points for Dallas. For the Grizzlies, P.J. Washington posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Brandon Williams had 12 points and eight boards. Jaylen Wells led Memphis with 23 points, GG Jackson scored 20, and Javon Small added 19 points with nine assists.

Dallas, playing the final game of a six-game road trip, had lost 18 of its previous 20 games and dropped the last three meetings against Memphis this season. The Mavericks dominated the boards, outrebounding the Grizzlies 60-38, including 21 offensive rebounds.

Memphis was limited to just eight available players, including Taylor Burton, who was signed Thursday to a 10-day hardship contract. The Grizzlies also played without rookie starter Cedric Coward (knee) and guards Walter Clayton Jr. (ankle) and Ty Jerome (calf) due to injuries or injury management.

Gafford helped Dallas build a 20-point lead in the second quarter, scoring 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds before halftime. Memphis rallied in the third quarter, closing on a 13-4 run to tie the game at 84-84 with 1:05 remaining in the period. Dallas, however, did not make a field goal in the final 3:59 of the third quarter.

Despite Memphis’ fightback, Dallas outscored the Grizzlies 42-16 in the paint during the first half and led 65-54 at halftime.

-Field Level Media/Reuters