The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 on Monday night. Brandon Clarke was the best man for Memphis, scoring 17 points in a very balanced performance. Jaden Hardy scored 21 points and had nine assists for the Mavericks in the loss.

With the Dallas Mavericks missing several players from their regular roster (Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson and PJ Washington, to name a few), it would have been understandable for Dallas to have one against a Grizzlies team that was all playing healthy would have shown below-average performance. The Mavericks were ready to play in front of an active home crowd and had a strong performance against Memphis. The two teams remained within a few baskets of each other for most of the game, although Memphis held an 11-point lead in the first half.

The Mavericks rested the rest of the top part of their rotation after strong performances from Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford in the first half. That gave Jaden Hardy, Jaz Gortman, Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Emanuel Miller a chance to shine against a competitive Grizzlies squad. The final quarter was lively and neither team was able to pull away. But after an O-Max dunk, Memphis went on a 6-0 run that effectively put the game out of reach, although Dallas made several attempts to end the game. Dallas lost to Memphis 121-116 in the opening preseason contest.

The Dereck Lively revolution is being televised

We are witnessing something truly amazing. Despite being the “other” big man in his class with Victor Wembanyama, Lively let the world know he is a force to be reckoned with in his 2024 playoff run. Although Lively was very raw at the start of the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League, he developed into his later form as a contributor to an NBA Finals team.

Tonight he played 14 minutes, scored 12 points, grabbed three rebounds, dished out two helpers and had two steals. We should be familiar with the defense, but Lively has real feel on offense. He had a finish in the first half, a fast-paced, turning finish that I’ll be thinking about for some time.

The Mavericks are deep, y’all

This is nothing you didn’t already know, but I’m the kind of nutcase who has spent years complaining about teams like the Grizzlies who overturn every stone to find good players. They are a strong and talented team with many interesting players.

And guess what? This also applies to the Dallas Mavericks. Tonight’s active roster missed so many guys (see above) and played an entertaining game that made me start to feel sorry for some of the playing time decisions Jason Kidd has to make early in the season. It’s a lot of fun watching Jaden Hardy and deep training camp guys like Jaz Gortman put on shows. This type of preseason game makes me long for the regular season, and I think that’s the whole point.