MEMPHIS — Look at the positive, Mavericks fans:
Superstar guard Kyrie Irving appeared to have little lingering effects from a right ankle injury he suffered midway through Dallas’ 112-108 loss Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Though he lay on the court in pain when trash-talking, bully-ball defender Dillon Brooks stepped on the back of his foot, Irving finished the game after coach Jason Kidd and All-Star teammate Luka Doncic checked on him, and led another steady offensive performance with 28 points in 33 minutes.
Now for the bad news: The Mavericks remained shorthanded without Doncic (left thigh strain) for a fifth consecutive game and ended a road trip featuring redemption with a fourth-quarter dud.
Dallas blew a 16-point lead over the last 13 minutes in FedExForum, failed to seal their first three-game winning streak since early February and missed a crucial opportunity to maintain their top-six Western Conference playoff standing with just 10 regular-season games remaining.
The Mavericks, who shot 3 of 21 from the field in the fourth quarter, did not make a field goal after rookie Jaden Hardy hit a jumper with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. They missed their last 10 shot attempts, as Christian Wood’s five free throws down the stretch represented their lone scoring production.
Without superstar Ja Morant, the Grizzlies answered the Mavericks’ 10-point scoring advantage in the third quarter (36-26) with a 29-12 fourth-quarter burst.
Looking for hope as the Mavericks prepare to face the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday in American Airlines Center, likely Dallas’ most pivotal single game yet with the teams tied in the West standings in between a guaranteed playoff seed and the play-in tournament?
Doncic appears on track to return then.
Though Doncic said last week he hoped to play in Memphis, the Mavericks ruled him out just after shootaround ended Tuesday morning, confirming his fifth consecutive absence with his left thigh strain.
Still, the 24-year-old superstar participated in the team’s morning walkthrough and remained at the arena for an extra workout after coaches and teammates returned to the hotel — just as he did before the Lakers game Friday.
The extended behind-the-scenes work is likely a product of the Mavericks medical and training staff’s effort to ramp up Doncic’s conditioning and test his pain tolerance with the hope he can return during the upcoming homestand — Wednesday against Warriors and Friday against the Charlotte Hornets.
“He’s doing everything rehab on the court and off,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s going in the right direction, so hopefully soon. Again, day to day, but I think these last couple days have been really, really good, so we’ll see how he feels [Tuesday]. Continue to keep working … he’s going to play in one of those home games.”
An unintended bonus of Doncic’s absence Monday: He remained dressed in sweats on the bench, at a distance from crew chief Tony Brothers, who whistled Doncic for his suspension-triggering, later-rescinded 16th technical foul last season. Doncic’s count this year remains at 15 with 10 games remaining.
Doncic’s most extensive involvement with officiating came midway through the third quarter, when Brooks followed a dunk with a dance to taunt the Mavericks’ bench and Brothers’ crew called Brooks for his a technical foul, his 18th of the regular-season that will trigger another one-game suspension if not prescribed.
Doncic grinned and laughed about Brooks’ infraction then, and no doubt will be just as happy if the Mavericks returned to full strength this week. Dallas has not played with a fully healthy rotation since Reggie Bullock left the March 7 win over the Utah Jazz with a quad contusion and Doncic and Irving (right foot soreness) suffered their respective ailments one night later in New Orleans.
Until then: major playoff-focused concern.
Though questionable to play because of ongoing pain in his right big toe, Irving showed little signs of discomfort as he took Brooks, who lamented missing the opportunity to “see what he’s all about” when Irving missed the Mavericks’ consecutive losses to the Grizzlies March 11-13.
The soon-to-be 31-year-old guard entered the game averaging 27.5 points in 15 career outings against the Grizzlies, his top scoring mark against any single opponent.
He surpassed that average six minutes into the third quarter.
Irving’s instincts to play fast and structure-free on offense allowed Dallas’ supporting cast to keep the Grizzlies’ defense off balance early. Hardy tallied 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, while helping run the offense in the third quarter and the Mavericks’ led 96-83 entering the fourth.
Despite a 2-1 record on this three-game road trip, Dallas failed to establish confidence and force against top opponents.
They needed overtime to survive major blunders against the tanking San Antonio last Wednesday and then game-winning heroics from Irving and forward Maxi Kleber two nights later against the Lakers.
Despite avoiding superstar Ja Morant — who returned to the Grizzlies on Monday from an eight-game suspension — for a third consecutive matchup against Memphis since March 11, the Mavericks lost their regular-season series against the Grizzlies 3-1 and now face another West playoff standings scramble.
