MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Trey Burke scored the most points for the Dallas Mavericks, but Salah Mejri’s were the most important.
Mejri made the final basket of regulation and scored the first seven points in overtime en route to a career-high 19 as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 129-127 on Sunday night.
He delivered those nine crucial points in a 2:22 span. Mejri also finished with nine rebounds and a season-best four blocks. His scoring burst early in the extra period was enough that - despite a couple of late rallies - the Grizzlies were unable to overtake Dallas in overtime. Burke finished with 24 points, 14 in the fourth quarter and OT.
Mejri’s rebound layup with 1.5 seconds left in regulation came after four Mavericks misses as Memphis futilely tried to corral the rebound. In the extra period, Mejri scored on a pair of dunks and then a 3-pointer to give Dallas an early lead. He also registered a block and a dunk during that time.
“(Mejri) was great. He did almost everything,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said of the 7-foot-2 center. “He protected the rim, and he got rebounds. He got putbacks. He hit 3s. He drove a dunk and he made a couple of nice passes. He showed us the package.”
Memphis still had a chance to win, but Delon Wright’s 3-point attempt as the horn sounded was short. That was a tough ending for Wright, who posted his second consecutive triple-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists.
“Give our guys credit,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, noting the Grizzlies were “able to battle back, give themselves an opportunity to win the game.”
Justin Holiday led the Grizzlies with a career-high 30 points. Eight of the nine Memphis players who appeared in the game reached double figures.
“It was very tough,” said guard Tyler Dorsey, who scored 15 points. “The ball just didn’t bounce our way. We could have come up (with) the rebound in regulation, but they ended up getting it and sending it into overtime.”
The play at times was sloppy - the type expected between teams jockeying for position at the bottom of the standings rather than playoff seeding. Carlisle sat his starters for the fourth quarter and overtime, leaving the game in the hands of the subs after Dallas faced a 15-point deficit in the third.
Dallas had cut into the Memphis lead and trailed 88-83 entering the fourth. Mejri scored 16 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Burke had 14 points over those two periods.
“(Burke) did a great job in the fourth, scrambled around on defense well,” Carlisle said.
Mejri noted that the game seemed to be about his norm before the fourth quarter. There was a block late in the third that got him going.
“I got the tip-in to tie the game (at the end of regulation), and I got hot. I love pressure. I’m a pressure guy.
“Whenever there’s pressure and there’s the game on the line, I love that feeling. I guess that what turned me on.”
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki, who only played in the first half, has appeared in 76 games against the Grizzlies - the most regular-season games against the franchise by any NBA player. He is also second in scoring against the Grizzlies behind Kobe Bryant. … Nowitzki grabbed his 10,000th defensive rebound in the first quarter, becoming the fifth NBA player to reach that milestone. … Dallas rookie Luka Doncic missed his fourth game in the last five with a variety of injuries, most notably a bruised right thigh. . Rookie guard Jalen Brunson had 12 points and a career-high 10 assists for his second double-double of the season. … Seven players scored in double figures for Dallas.
Grizzlies: A 3-pointer in the second quarter set a franchise record for 3s in a season with 768. The previous mark of 767 was set in 2016-17. … Bruno Caboclo had a career-high 17 rebounds. His previous best was 13 on March 27 against Golden State. … Holiday’s 30 points marked the 19th different player to lead Memphis in scoring in a game this season. Memphis already had broken the previous NBA record of 16 different leading scorers by the New York Knicks in 2014-15.
UP NEXT
Mavericks: Host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in their final home game of the season.
Grizzlies: Play at Detroit on Tuesday in their last road game.
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