March 12, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) dunks against Memphis Grizzlies guard Rayan Rupert (32) at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Image Khris Middleton scored 22 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter and Daniel Gafford added 22 points and 14 rebounds to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 120-112 on Thursday night and snap an eight-game losing streak against the Dallas Mavericks.
Middleton, who came off the bench, opened the fourth quarter by scoring 24 points in the second half, the Mavericks’ first 11 points. His explosion turned a two-point lead into an 11-point Mavericks advantage, 97-86, as Dallas entered the final quarter. Memphis, on a six-game losing streak, never tried again.
Middleton shot 10-of-17 shooting and 8-of-10 on 3-pointers.
Cooper Flagg contributed 13 points and seven assists for the Mavericks, while Max Christie also had 13 points. PJ Washington finished with 12 points and 10 boards and Brandon Williams finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds.
Jaylen Wells led the Grizzlies with 23 points, GG Jackson had 20 points and Javon Small finished with 19 points and nine assists.
Dallas, playing the final game of a six-game road trip, had lost 18 of its previous 20 games. The Mavericks also lost their previous three games against the Grizzlies this season.
The Mavericks dominated the boards. They outshot Memphis 60-38 and finished with 21 offensive boards.
The Grizzlies only had eight players available for the game, including Taylor Burton, who signed a 10-day hardship contract early Thursday.
Memphis played without rookie starter Cedric Coward (knee) and guards Walter Clayton Jr. (ankle) and Ty Jerome (calf) due to injury or injury management.
The Mavericks built a 20-point lead in the second quarter behind Gafford, who had 17 points and eight rebounds before halftime.
Memphis fought back in the third quarter and closed the first half on a 13-4 run. The Grizzlies tied the game at 84-84 heading into the quarter on Small’s two free throws with 1:05 left. Dallas failed to score a field goal at 3 minutes and 59 seconds in the bottom of the third.
Dallas outscored Memphis 42-16 in the paint in the first half and 65-54 at halftime.
–Field level media
