Mavs and Grizzlies dealing with injuries entering Monday’s game

MEMPHIS – Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. wanted to make one point perfectly clear to those who were listening. Injuries are a part of the game, Jones said, and the games will continue despite those injuries.

“You can’t go out there and try to change the game plan just because one player isn’t there,” Jones told Mavs.com. “You underestimate players and you’ll lose.

“We’re just going to play the game like we need to play. We’re going to play our game the right way, and that’s how we’ve got to do it.”

Both the Mavs and Memphis Grizzlies will be without key players when the two teams collide on Monday at 7 p.m. at FedEx Forum. The Mavs will be without guard Kyrie Irving (right heel contusion), forward Grant Williams (right knee soreness), guard Josh Green (right elbow sprain) and forward Maxi Kleber (right small toe dislocation).

Before the season even started, Grizzlies center Steven Adams underwent season-ending right knee surgery. And his backup, Brandon Clarke, has missed the first 21 games so he could repair his injured left Achilles tendon. Also, Memphis guard Marcus Smart missed the last 10 games because of a left foot sprain.

But the biggest loss of them all for the Grizzlies has been the absence of All-Star point guard Ja Morant, who the NBA suspended for the first 25 games this season for conduct detrimental to the league. Morant is slated to return to the lineup on Dec. 19 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

“Both teams are different,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “Both teams have injuries and guys who are not playing, so you’ve got to play with the group that you have.

“(Grizzles coach Taylor) Jenkins does a great job of having his teams ready and playing hard.”

The Mavs are 2-0 against the Grizzlies this season. Luka Doncic registered a triple-double – 35 points., 12 rebounds and 12 assists – as the Mavs defeated the Grizzlies, 125-110 on Oct. 30 in Memphis.

And when the two squads faced off in Dallas on Dec. 1 in a game Doncic missed after the birth of his daughter, Jones and Williams poured in 16 points apiece to help the Mavs to a 108-94 victory.

Jones said there is no advantage for the Mavs against Memphis, despite already having scored two victories over the Grizzlies this season.

“It’s about who wants it more,” Jones said. “You just got to go out there and work for it and go get it.

“Both teams have players down, so at the end of the day you got to go out there and play the game like it’s meant to be played. You can’t go out there and ease you way into it.”

*This is the first leg of a back-to-back for the Mavs – and the finale of a short two-game road trip — for before they open a two-game homestand Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavs opened this road trip with Friday’s 125-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

*The Grizzlies dropped the opener of this two-game homestand on Friday to Minnesota, 127-103, in a game Memphis turned the ball over just nine times. After Monday’s game, the Grizzlies play in Houston on Wednesday.

*Luka Doncic has continued to be one of the most efficient players in the NBA. Doncic is second in the league in scoring (31.9), third in three-pointers made (3.9), fifth in assists (8.6), and also averages 8.4 rpg and 1.3 spg.

*Former TCU standout Desmond Bane is averaging career-highs in points (24.6) and three-pointers made (3.3) for the Grizzlies. He also leads Memphis in scoring and is averaging 5.1 apg and 1.3 spg.

*After losing five of seven games, the Mavs are riding a two-game winning streak. In addition to the victory over the Blazers, the Mavs humbled the Utah Jazz last Wednesday, 147-97.

*Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart played prep basketball at Flower Mound Marcus High School, and was a Boston Celtic teammate with Mavs forward Grant Williams from 2019-23.

*The Mavs are currently the only division leader with a better road record (7-4) than home record (6-4).

*In the past three games, Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr. is averaging 27.3 ppg in 33 mpg. Overall, Jackson averages 19.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 1.8 bpg.

DALLAS MAVERICKS (13-8) at MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (6-15)

When: 7 p.m., Monday

Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis

TV: BSSW, NBA TV

Radio: 97.1 FM The Freak; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)

X: @DwainPrice