NBA Showdown Tonight: Memphis Grizzlies vs Dallas Mavericks – Live Score, Highlights & How to Watch

Tip-off time, TV and streaming options The Memphis Grizzlies visit the Dallas Mavericks at 8:30 p.m. CT on Friday, February 27, in American Airlines Center. Fans can watch on KFAA-TV in the Dallas market or stream the matchup via NBA League Pass nationwide. Why this game matters • Season series: Memphis leads 2-0 and can clinch the four-game set with another road win. • Standings impact: Both clubs are clinging to faint Play-In hopes at 21-36 (Grizzlies) and 21-37 (Mavs); the loser could tumble to 13th in the West. • Streak watch: Dallas has dropped four straight at home, while Memphis is 1-4 in its last five overall. Projected starters Grizzlies: Cam Spencer, Ty Jerome*, Vince Williams Jr., GG Jackson II, Trey Jemison Mavericks: Ryan Nembhard, Jaden Hardy, Josh Green, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford *Jerome is day-to-day with a thigh contusion. Key injuries to monitor Memphis: F Santi Aldama (knee) and F Brandon Clarke (calf) are out. Dallas: F Cooper Flagg (foot) and F P.J. Washington (ankle) headline a lengthy inactive list; veteran Klay Thompson is resting. Stat trends • Points per game: MEM 115.4 | DAL 114.5 • Defensive rating: MEM allows 118.1, DAL 117.9. • Three-point swing: Dallas hits 38.6 % from deep at home; Memphis concedes 37.9 % on the road. Expect a perimeter shootout. Betting line & prediction Sportsbooks opened Dallas as a 4.5-point favorite with a 240.5 over/under. Given the Mavs’ home skid, the Grizzlies’ 2-0 edge, and both defenses ranking bottom-10, the play is: • Pick: Grizzlies +4.5 • Lean: Over 240.5 Projected final: Grizzlies 123, Mavericks 118. How Memphis can win 1. Push pace behind rookie guard Cam Spencer, who averages 5.6 assists and rarely turns the ball over. 2. Collapse the paint on drives—Dallas lacks its top scorer Cooper Flagg and could stagnate offensively. 3. Dominate second-chance points; Trey Jemison grabs 3.1 offensive boards per 36 minutes. How Dallas can respond 1. Unleash Jaden Hardy as a volume scorer; he’s averaged 24.2 PPG over his last three starts. 2. Feed rim-runner Dereck Lively II against Memphis’ undersized frontline. 3. Win the turnover battle—Grizzlies cough it up 14.7 times per night, fourth-worst in the league. Bottom line With both teams desperate to keep postseason dreams alive, Friday’s showdown doubles as a measuring stick for two retooling franchises. Expect a high-tempo contest where whichever backcourt catches fire first should walk away with a morale-boosting victory.