On Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks kicked off their preseason with a 121-116 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies at the American Airlines Center, starting their exhibition slate at 0-1. Despite the loss, Jaden Hardy shined, leading the Mavericks with 21 points, three rebounds, and nine assists in 34 minutes of play.
The Mavericks are looking for a fresh start this season after struggling with consistency last year, largely due to injuries that kept key players off the court. Dallas finished strong, winning 16 of their final 20 regular-season games behind the NBA’s second-best defense over that span. However, their momentum was halted in the 2024 NBA Finals, where they were outmatched by the Boston Celtics, who contained Dallas’ supporting cast. For this game, the Mavericks were without four starters, including Klay Thompson, who was a notable absence despite not being injured.