Grizzlies at Mavericks
The Memphis Grizzlies have been floundering a bit under first-year coach David Fizdale but may have notched the type of victory to get the team moving in the right direction. Memphis dropped the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers in its last game and attempts to keep the momentum going when it visits the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.
Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley matched his season high of 30 points and added eight assists and center Marc Gasol knocked down the go-ahead 3-pointer as Memphis outplayed Los Angeles down the stretch in the 111-107 victory. "We're a team that feels like we can make a deep run in the playoffs and contend late in the year," Conley said after the victory. "Thankfully, we played a great game and we're starting to build and we just have to keep this progress going." Dallas has lost three consecutive games during a poor start and point guards Deron Williams and J.J. Barea both suffered calf injuries during Wednesday's 90-83 loss to the Boston Celtics. Small forward Harrison Barnes scored 28 points and has been a bright spot with five consecutive 20-point outings and six overall.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Memphis), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (6-5): Conley matched his career high of seven 3-pointers in the win over the Clippers as Memphis made a season-best 15 from behind the arc. Gasol scored a season-high 26 points and continued his stunning emergence as an outside shooter as the decisive 3-pointer was his fourth of the game and 16th of the season. Gasol had previously been a force with his mid-range game but made just 12 3-pointers over his first eight NBA seasons.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (2-8): Williams won't be sidelined long but Barea will undergo an MRI exam to determine the severity of his injury. Coach Rick Carlisle said that Barea "will be out for a while" and is hoping the injury won't be as serious as Barea fears. "Hopefully I don't need surgery or anything, just got to wait," Barea told reporters. "Never felt that feeling before, so hopefully it's not that bad. Feels like you got shot or you're trying to run and get shot in the leg. That's how you feel for a second."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Mavericks won the past three meetings after the Grizzlies won the previous three.
2. Dallas PF Dirk Nowitzki (Achilles) will miss his sixth straight game.
3. Memphis SF Chandler Parsons had just four points against the Clippers and reached double digits just once in five games this season.