February 25, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Taylor Hendrix (22) dunks while Golden State Warriors center Quinten Post (21) defends during the fourth quarter at the FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Image With just over a month left in the season, the Memphis Grizzlies are doing their best to persevere as their best players recover and losses mount.
Star guard Ja Morant will miss his 16th straight game when the Grizzlies visit the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. Morant has been sidelined with a left elbow injury and hasn’t played on the court since January 21.
Big man Zach Edey remains sidelined with an ankle injury, and rookie Cedric Coward has not played since the All-Star break due to a knee injury.
Due to the situation, the Grizzlies are struggling to put together a cohesive unit. And the loss of Edey, in addition to the recent trades for 6-foot-10 Jaren Jackson Jr. and 6-11 Jock Landale, has left the Grizzlies ineffective on the boards as well.
After being outrebounded 48-34 in Wednesday’s 133-112 home loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Grizzlies have been outrebounded 150-106 in their last three games, losing all of them.
Memphis has lost seven of its last eight games, and disparity on the glass has been a factor.
“Of course.” Grizzlies coach Tuomas Isalo said. “With the size disadvantage we have, we have to be able to put a little bit of friction on the ball, a little bit of ball pressure and not allow the attackers to get to the spots where they want to get the ball.
“We gave up too easily (in the last three games). We don’t have a primary rim protector, and we don’t have a secondary rim protector right now to erase those mistakes.”
The Grizzlies looked to resolve the situation on Thursday, signing 40-year-old free agent forward/center Taj Gibson to a two-year deal. Gibson, a 16-year NBA veteran who has played in 1,002 games, is 6 feet 9 inches tall.
His most recent NBA action was last season with the Charlotte Hornets, where he appeared in 37 games and averaged 2.9 points and 3.2 rebounds.
Taylor Hendrix, a recent trade acquisition from the Utah Jazz, spent significant time at center, which is not his natural position, on Wednesday and finished with 14 points and six rebounds.
“He was in a tough situation (against Golden State).” Iisalo said. “(Kyle) Anderson came on late to the game. Taylor had very little time with the team and then moved into a new position. I thought he did a good job because he never practiced there.”
Dallas has also faced injury problems. Rookie of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg has missed the last five games due to a foot sprain and likely will not play against Memphis. The Mavericks, playing their second game of a straight set, have dropped 11 of their last 13 contests.
Dallas fell 130-121 to the visiting Sacramento Kings on Thursday despite Najee Marshall scoring a season-high 36 points with 10 rebounds and six assists. Khris Middleton led the way with 17 points.
Brandon Williams added 16 points and four assists off the bench. On Tuesday, Williams added 19 points and 10 assists in a win over the Brooklyn Nets.
“I think you can see that (Brandon) has reached a turning point where he can start making plays for other people,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “(He) uses his speed to get into the paint and always makes plays for other people rather than looking to score.
“He made some big shots for us, and I thought he played pretty good defense. I think you can see him getting more used to running the team.”
–Field level media
