The Memphis Grizzlies will be taking on the Dallas Mavericks tonight. NBA fans will be aware that Ja Morant has not been playing for the team after his suspension following his off-court antics. Nonetheless, his team has still been playing quite well and currently holds a record of 43 wins and 27 losses.
They will be facing off against the Mavericks, who acquired Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets before the NBA trade deadline. Despite the acquisition of Irving, the Mavs are still somewhat struggling and hold a record of 36 wins and 35 losses.
As both these teams get ready to play tonight, NBA fans should undoubtedly want to know the availability status of the main stars on both sides. That will help in understanding the expected rosters for each side and in making a prediction for this game.
Ja Morant will not be available for the Memphis Grizzlies vs Dallas Mavericks game tonight
Unfortunately for Grizzlies fans, Morant is not expected to suit up for his team tonight against the Dallas Mavericks. This is because his suspension from the league was recently increased to 8 games when it was initially supposed to only be for 4 games. While some feel that this punishment is too severe, others feel it is not severe enough and that he should be suspended for the remainder of the season.
That would certainly be disastrous for Memphis as Morant is still the best player and young talent on the roster. This season, he has been averaging 27.1 points, 6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists while shooting 46.3% from the field and 31.6% from the three-point line.
However, it can’t be helped if he is not allowed to play against the Mavs tonight. The rest of his team will have to step up and get the job done in his absence. With that being said, here are the injury reports and expected rosters for the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks.
Memphis Grizzlies injury report
- Ja Morant (out)
- Brandon Clarke (out)
- Steven Adams (out)
- Vince Williams Jr (out)
- Jaren Jackson Jr (questionable)
Memphis Grizzlies expected roster
- Dillon Brooks
- Desmond Bane
- Tyus Jones
- Luke Kennard
- Jaren Jackson Jr
Dallas Mavericks injury report
- Luka Doncic (out)
- Kyrie Irving (questionable)
- Markieff Morris (questionable)
Dallas Mavericks expected roster
- Kyrie Irving
- Reggie Bullock
- Maxi Kleber
- Dwight Powell
- Christian Wood
As we can tell, both of the best players from either side, Luka Doncic and Ja Morant are unexpected to play tonight. Therefore, this game won’t really be indicative of how both these teams match up. Nonetheless, here are the expert predicitions for this game.
The Mavericks are slightly favored over the Grizzlies tonight
While this is still expected to be a very close game between two talented teams in the Western Conference, we have the Dallas Mavericks winning tonight. Although Kyrie is listed as questionable, we still expect him to play tonight for his team and to be the best player on the court.
The Grizzlies might have a better record. However, far too many of their major starters don’t look healthy for this game. Their chances of keeping the momentum going will eventually die down. Especially if Jaren Jackson Jr does not play alongside Ja Morant and the others. It is still possible for Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane to carry their team, past the Mavs. Be that as it may, they will be considered the underdogs for tonight’s game.
