Mavs trample Grizzlies in Dallas

At halftime it was apparent the Dallas Mavericks were far superior to their opponent, the Memphis Grizzlies, on Saturday evening.

Mavs forward Harrison Barnes headed into halftime 10-of-11 from the free-throw line, leading the Mavs in scoring with 14 points. On the other end, Memphis managed 10 total attempts from the charity stripe as a team. Barnes finished with 25 points and 7 rebounds in the win.

11 FTA for Barnes is a new season-high and is the third-most in a game in his career. His record for a game is 14. https://t.co/Oabr33IoWV

— Bobby Karalla (@bobbykaralla) March 11, 2018

Dallas played without its rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. who sat out Saturday’s victory due to knee soreness. Smith Jr. is expected to return for Sunday’s contest against Houston.

Instead the Mavs were led by J.J. Barea at point guard. Barea finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Mavs center Salah Mejri joined Smith Jr. on the bench for the game after suffering an apparent lower leg injury prior to halftime. Mejri collided with Chandler Parsons and Deyonte Davis and did not return to the contest.

Head coach Rick Carlisle categorized Mejri’s status for Sunday’s game against the Rockets as ‘doubtful’ following the win.

“I don’t know,” responded Carlisle when asked if Mejri would be able to play. “I’m guessing it would be doubtful. But we’ll see.”

Although Mejri may likely be out, Smith Jr. is expected to return against Houston.

Dallas demonstrated a formidable offensive performance against Memphis. The Mavericks shot 48 percent from the field as three players emerged with at least 20 points including forward Doug McDermott.

McDermott displayed an impressive performance off the bench. In 25 minutes of action the forward managed 20 points on 7-of-10 shot attempts.

Mavs center Dwight Powell finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Powell’s versatility was on full display after adding 4 assists and a pair of steals to his final stat line, earning praise from his head coach.

“Dwight’s always going to give great energy,” Carlisle said. “It’s a broken record [speaking about Powell], it’s the same thing every night. He’s going to give you [great energy], keeps possessions alive, goes and gets offensive rebounds, stuff like that, good job of finishing. So, you know, he’s doing [really] well.”

Dwight with authority! 🔨 pic.twitter.com/Wi3jTbO7aP

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 11, 2018

Memphis failed to establish any continuity in its offense. The Grizzlies shot 35 percent from the field as Saturday’s result in Dallas marks 17 consecutive losses.