Mavericks set to host bumbling Grizzlies on second night of back-to-back

The Dallas Mavericks picked up their fifth win of the season on Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, but it was a tight one. There were 17 lead changes and 14 ties on Friday night, and 9 of those lead changes came in the fourth quarter.

They're back at it on Saturday night, playing on a back-to-back against the Memphis Grizzlies. It's the second time this season that they're playing the Grizzlies the game after playing the Pelicans, which is odd from the schedule makers. But that's where we are.

Cooper Flagg had arguably his best game as a pro on Friday night, two days after he missed his first career game on Wednesday against the Knicks due to an illness. He had 29 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals on an efficient 12/19 shooting, even if he missed all four of his three-pointers.

Nov 21, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

There's still kind of the feeling that he's not getting involved in the natural flow of the offense. 5 of his 12 field goals were assisted, but three of them came from Daniel Gafford and Moussa Cisse. If it wasn't clear before, he's arguably the face of the franchise already. The sooner they give him more freedom (and not by putting him at point guard), the better the future will be.

P.J. Washington and Max Christie both had great games, as well. They combined for 47 points on 10/17 three-point shooting. The rest of the team was 6/26 from three, and that's something that they'll try to work on for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, Memphis dominated the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, which is about the same as an NBA team dominating a local YMCA team, because the Kings are AWFUL. Four of the five wins for the Grizzlies have come against the Pelicans, Pacers, Mavericks, and Kings, who are a combined 12-53.

The Grizzlies got unlikely contributions, as Santi Aldama led the team in scoring with 29 points, and then Jock Landale came off the bench to give them 21 points. Zach Edey is back in the lineup after missing the first 13 games of the season, but Ja Morant has been in and out of the lineup, as usual.