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The Dallas Mavericks are set to take on the Memphis Grizzlies in an important road showdown. The Mavericks, however, will have to get the job done without star point guard Kyrie Irving. A lumbar back sprain has sent Irving to the injury report along with start guard Luka Doncic. Irving did not play in the Mavericks' loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.
Having to play an important road game without your two best players is never a situation a team wants to find itself in. That will be the unfortunate reality for the Mavericks on Monday night, the fourth time this season they have been missing their two most important players on the same night.
“Mavericks 0-3 in games without Luka and Kyrie this season. Won't have either of them tomorrow in Memphis,” Christian Clark of The Athletic reported.
Doncic picked up a left calf strain in the Mavericks' Christmas Day loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and is not expected to return until Feb. 2. Irving is expected to return after the Mavericks' game against the Grizzlies.
How can the Mavericks beat the Grizzlies?
The Grizzlies have been a difficult team to stop so far this season. Their 23-13 record has them tied with the Houston Rockets for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, seven games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Star Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is listed as questionable. If he is unable to go, that would make things easier for the short-handed Mavericks. Memphis will still have star power forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who leads the team in points, steals and blocks per game with 22.3, 1.4 and 1.6, respectively.
Finding a way to slow Jackson down will be essential for the Mavericks, particularly since they will have less firepower than usual, making it difficult for them to keep pace with a talented Grizzlies team.
Additionally, the Mavericks' backcourt, led by P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, needs to limit Grizzlies center Zach Edey's impact on the glass.
