Instant Reactions: Mavericks Naji Marshall takes scary hit in loss to Grizzlies

The crowd at American Airlines Center fell silent as Naji Marshall lay writhing on the floor following a hard collision in the second quarter.

Marshall drew an offensive foul on the play and slowly walked to the locker room before later returning. But the Mavericks never regained their rhythm, and eight players scored in double figures for the Memphis Grizzlies in a 124-105 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

Coming off a career-high 36 points in 42 minutes against Sacramento, Marshall struggled after re-entering the game, and Dallas’ offense stalled without its usual spark. Marshall finished with just four points in 23 minutes. The Mavericks shot just 25% in the first quarter and were outscored 76–48 across their last two opening periods, digging holes they could not escape.

The loss was Dallas’ second straight and closed its four-game “Tankathon series” at 2–2. The Mavericks dropped games to Memphis and Sacramento while beating Indiana and Brooklyn, finishing the stretch at 21-38 and seventh in the draft lottery standings.

Memphis played without Ja Morant and Zach Edey, while Dallas was shorthanded by injuries and rest, including absences from Cooper Flagg, Marvin Bagley III, Klay Thompson, Caleb Martin and P.J. Washington.