Shootaround report: Mayo, Mavs seek revenge vs. Memphis for December loss

Earl K. Sneed reports from the Dallas Mavericks' Saturday morning shootaround, where leading scorer O.J. Mayo broke down what it will take to help the Mavs end Memphis' four-game winning streak.

Shootaround: Grizzlies (24-10) at Mavericks (14-23)
Mayo, Mavs seek revenge vs. Memphis for December loss

DALLAS — After struggling in the first game against his former team while scoring just 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting during a 92-82 road loss in Memphis back on Dec. 21, perhaps no other Dallas Maverick wants to get revenge on the Grizzlies as much as leading scorer O.J. Mayo.

At the center of the Grizzlies’ defensive game plan in that first meeting, Mayo struggled to shake himself free of defensive specialist Tony Allen while the Mavericks’ offense sputtered as well. But after Mayo’s 24-point, 10-rebound and five-assist night helped lead the Mavericks (14-23) to a come-from-behind 117-112 overtime win Thursday in Sacramento, the sharpshooter will head into Saturday night’s showdown against his former ballclub with some momentum as the Dallas squad kick-starts a four-game homestand.

He'll also try to help the Mavericks win consecutive outings for the first time since a three-game winning streak from Dec. 6-10.

“We’ve just got to do a good job of getting to the rim and attacking, instead of settling for jump shots all night,” Mayo said as the Mavs prepare to end the Grizzlies’ four-game winning streak. “They’re the No. 1 defensive team in the league, so they’re going to do whatever they feel is best for them to get the win tonight.

“We’ve got to have a lot of energy and play well, no matter if they were on a back-to-back or coming in here with a few days off. We need the win, so we’ve got to come in here and play. … Obviously we’ve got some days here at home to get some rest and play in front of our home crowd and try to catch back up. We’ve got to make a big push right here.”

Catching the Grizzlies (24-10) on the second night of a back-to-back after Memphis’ 101-98 overtime home win over San Antonio late Friday, the Mavericks will undoubtedly look to push the pace in front of their home crowd. More importantly, they’ll try to do so without turning the ball over, much like Saturday night while rallying from a 17-point second-half deficit, hoping to cut down on the miscues that led to 24 giveaways for 29 Memphis points in the first matchup between the two teams.

“You know, we’ve been doing better with turnovers,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle explained. “Our numbers have really come down in that area, which is a very positive sign, and we’ve just got to continue with the understanding that tonight we’re playing against a team that’s the very best in basketball at making you make those mistakes. So we’ve got to be ball tough, our ball security has got to be good, we’ve got to play with tempo and we’ve got to play with flow.

“One game at a time,” he added. “We can’t be looking at it saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got to win a chunk of games here.’ We’ve got to go minute to minute with the way we’re going right now. We’re in no position to be looking forward. We’ve got to take it really one game at a time and one possession at a time.”

Note: The Mavericks return to the American Airlines Center for the start of a four-game homestand Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Mavs hope to avenge a 92-82 road loss in Memphis back on Dec. 21. The game will air locally at 8 p.m. CT on Fox Sports Southwest. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS (6287) or by visiting Mavs.com.