By: Daniel Carp, Grizzlies.com Contributor
Dallas Mavericks
Record: 44-25
Standings: Sixth in Western Conference, third in Southwest Division
Starting Five: PG Rajon Rondo, SG Monta Ellis, SF Chandler Parsons, PF Dirk Nowitzki, C Tyson Chandler
Head Coach: Rick Carlisle (seventh season with team)
Last time out
The Mavericks survived a late collapse to hold on to beat Orlando 107-102 after squandering a 22-point lead in the second half. Shooting guard Elfrid Payton had a chance to put the Magic in the lead with 30 seconds left, but missed a pull-up jumper. Dallas did not hit another field goal for the remainder of the game, but late free throws kept the Mavericks from dropping a game to a team that has won just 21 games.
Power forward Dirk Nowitzki scored a game-high 25 points and added eight rebounds for the Mavericks. Payton recorded a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Dallas has now won three consecutive games.
Last time versus Memphis
The last time the Grizzlies and Mavericks squared off was Jan. 27, when hot shooting from power forward Zach Randolph guided Memphis to a 109-90 victory. Randolph hit 10-of-15 from the field en route to 22 points and 10 rebounds, recording his 15th double-double in the Grizzlies' last 16 games. Many of those points came in the form of high-arching jumpers over Dallas center Tyson Chandler, who is one of the NBA's premier defenders.
A second-quarter surge gave Memphis a 54-44 halftime lead, and the Grizzlies did not look back from there. After trailing by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, the Mavericks were able to cut their deficit to nine points late in the period before Randolph knocked down a 20-footer to get his team back on track.
Chandler Parsons and Monta Ellis each tallied 19 points for Dallas. Center Marc Gasol notched a team-high six assists for Memphis and added 15 points.
Key matchup
The Mavericks and Grizzlies match up well at all five positions, but the battle to watch will be at the small forward spot between Chandler Parsons and Jeff Green. Parsons helps Dallas spread the floor and at 6-foot-9 is one of the team's most dynamic weapons. Green is fresh off a 21-point performance against the Pistons, but will he be able to provide the same scoring punch with such a tough defensive assignment? An intriguing matchup between two athletic wings could play a major factor in Friday's contest.
MISC. NOTES
Playoff push
Dallas is currently tied with the Clippers for fifth place in the Western Conference, but Los Angeles holds a tiebreaker. The Mavericks lead seventh-place San Antonio by one game in the standings. Memphis holds a 1.5 game lead on Houston for the second seed in the West.
One obscure stat
The Mavericks do not have a single rookie or second-year player on their roster.