Mavericks rally late to beat Grizzlies 121-116 and advance to NBA Cup quarterfinals

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 37 points and 12 rebounds, Spencer Dinwiddie and P.J. Washington Jr. hit clutch 3-pointers in the final two minutes, and the Dallas Mavericks overcame a 15-point deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 on Tuesday night and advance to the NBA Cup quarterfinals.

The Mavericks needed a win and help on the final night of group play to earn the West wild-card spot. They will face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dallas trailed 111-103 with 3:34 to play and went on a 16-3 run capped by two 3-pointers from Dinwiddie and one from Washington.

Washington scored 18 points, Dereck Lively II had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Dinwiddie scored 16 for the Mavericks, who have won a season-high five consecutive games and nine of their last 10.

Ja Morant scored a season-high 31 points, 15 in the fourth period, for the Grizzlies. They had a season-high, six-game winning streak snapped and were eliminated from the Cup race.

Desmond Bane added 19 points while Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 14 of his 16 in the first half.

After Dallas took a 60-57 lead into the second half, the Grizzlies dominated the third period 38-22. The Mavericks answered back in the fourth, 39-21.

Grizzlies: Morant didn’t take a shot until 10:07 was left in the first half and finished the half with five points.

Mavericks: They committed a season-high 25 turnovers but were only outscored on turnover points 27-26 because Memphis committed 19.

The first of Dinwiddie’s back-to-back 3s, pulling up on a fast break, put Dallas ahead for good 113-111 with 1:40 left.

Dallas shot a season-high 44 free throws (making 30) to Memphis' 14 (making 13). In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks were 18 of 26 from the line while the Grizzlies were 3 of 3.

The Grizzlies will host the Sacramento Kings on Thursday. The Mavericks will begin a two-game Eastern Conference road trip on Thursday against the Washington Wizards.

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Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) shoots against Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (7) during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots against Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart (36) during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Dallas. The Mavericks won 121-116. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart (36) shoots against Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Dallas. The Mavericks won 121-116. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington reacts after scoring a basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Dallas. The Mavericks won 121-116. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins reacts during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins reacts during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd looks on during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game after the game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) goes up for a basket against Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II reacts after a basket after the game during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, right, is pressured by Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (3) during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Milwaukee and New York are back in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, just like they were a year ago.

The other six remaining Cup contenders — Oklahoma City, Golden State, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Orlando — are heading there for the first time.

Group play in the NBA Cup is over and next week's quarterfinal matchups are set: Orlando goes to Milwaukee and Atlanta will visit New York on the Eastern Conference side of the bracket next week, while Oklahoma City will host to Dallas and Houston will host Golden State in the Western Conference quarters.

Milwaukee (4-0) clinched its berth by beating Detroit to win East Group B on Tuesday, while New York (4-0) beat Orlando (3-1) to win East Group A. The Magic wound up as the East's wild-card by winning a point-differential tiebreaker over Boston. Atlanta (3-1) had previously wrapped up East Group C, largely because of a one-point win over the Celtics on Nov. 12.

Oklahoma City's win over Utah wound up giving the Thunder the West Group B title, and the Thunder joined Houston (West Group A) and Golden State (West Group C) as qualifiers; the Rockets and Warriors had clinched before Tuesday night. And Dallas rallied from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Memphis and clinch the West wild-card spot.

“I like this Cup,” Mavericks star Luka Doncic said.

The four quarterfinal winners will meet in the semifinals at Las Vegas on Dec. 14, and the title game is there on Dec. 17.

“They put a tournament in front of us and we want to win it. And we said that early on,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “We’re 4-0 but we still have a lot of work to do, but the bottom line is, we earned a chance to play at home — I think.”

Even in Year 2 of the event, some still aren’t clear on all the rules. Yes, Doc, you’ll be at home for the quarters.

All the Magic had to do to clinch the wild-card spot was not lose by more than 37 points in order to stay ahead of Boston in the point-differential race. They found them trailing by — you guessed it — 37 points at New York late in the third quarter.

The Magic outscored the Knicks 40-18 the rest of the way, losing by 15 on the scoreboard but winning over the Celtics in the wild-card race.

“We earned our way into the quarterfinal," Magic forward Franz Wagner said. "Obviously, not our best game today but that’s why you play every minute in the other games. It feels weird after a game like this to advance, but that’s just part of it.”

The Magic got through thanks to the point differential. The Thunder edged Phoenix for the West Group B title on a head-to-head tiebreaker — both went 3-1 in group play, but the Suns' loss was to Oklahoma City — and point differential wound up making OKC the top seed out West over Houston.

“I don't really know much about the Cup and how it works and everything,” Thunder guard Cason Wallace said. “I just know I want to win.”

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Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun, left, drives past Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, congratulates guard Brandin Podziemski after he made a basket and drew a foul shot against the Denver Nuggets in the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) dunks as Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, left, and forward John Collins (20) watch during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

New York Knicks center Ariel Hukporti, left, and Orlando Magic center Moritz Wagner, right, hug following the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in New York, N.Y. The Knicks won 121-106. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Orlando Magic head coach Jamaal Mosley looks on from the sideline during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game against the New York Knicks, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in New York, N.Y. The Knicks won 121-106. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers argues a call with referee Kevin Scott (24) during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington reacts after scoring a basket against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Dallas. The Mavericks won 121-116. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)