Dirk Nowitski leads Mavs past Grizzlies, closer to playoffs

DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points and the Dallas Mavericks overcame an injury to sparkplug J.J. Barea while moving to the brink of another playoff spot with a 103-93 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

The Mavericks, who had already slowed their pace considerably because of injuries, had to reconfigure their offense again when Barea left with a right groin strain in the first half.

Dallas got contributions from several unlikely sources, including a career-high 19 points from rookie Justin Anderson, while matching a season best with a sixth straight win.

The Mavericks will make the postseason for the 15th time in 16 seasons with a win or Houston loss in the final three games.

Tony Allen scored 25 points to lead the injury-riddled Grizzlies, who lost for the seventh time in eight games a night after clinching a playoff spot when the Rockets lost at home to Phoenix.

Memphis (42-37) dropped a half-game behind Portland for the fifth seed, and the Mavericks (41-38) still have a chance to get that high because they hold the tiebreakers with both teams. The Grizzlies play Golden State twice in their final three games and are at the Los Angeles Clippers in the other.

Barea, the team's leading scorer for the first five wins in the streak after the offensive pace changed, was injured midway through the first quarter when he was fouled on a drive by Jordan Farmar. He returned in the second quarter, but was slowed significantly and went to the locker room for good about 3 minutes after coming back in.

The diminutive veteran has been starting in place of Deron Williams, who missed his eighth straight game with a left abdominal strain. Versatile forward Chandler Parsons is out for the season after right knee surgery.

Harris was the start of the solution in the second half, when he scored all 16 of his points. He had 12 straight for Dallas across the third and fourth quarters before Felton, who had a season-high 14 assists and scored 11 points, found Anderson on a right-wing 3 for the first double-digit lead for either team at 81-71 with 10 minutes remaining.

Anderson hit another 3 with the shot clock about to expire before another rookie, 7-foot-2 Tunisian center Salah Mejri, scored six straight points to finish a 28-8 run going back to third quarter for a 90-73 Dallas lead.

Memphis made it interesting in the final minutes, getting within five before Nowitzki missed a 3-pointer. But Anderson got the offensive rebound on the way to his first career double-double with 10 boards.

TIP-INS

Grizzlies: Allen scored at least 20 points for the fourth time in 17 games after not hitting that mark in any of the previous 275 games. ... Zach Randolph scored 13 points, but was held to 6-of-20 shooting. Matt Barnes and Farmar scored 11 apiece.

Mavericks: Wesley Matthews had two big 3-pointers in the second half and three overall to finish with 11 points. ... The Dallas bench outscored Memphis reserves 46-30.

UP NEXT

Grizzlies: Host Golden State on Saturday.

Mavericks: At LA Clippers on Sunday.