Frustratingly Futile Efforts! Mavericks’ Big Three Absent & Hardy’s Vain Performance

On the morning of October 8, in an NBA preseason game, the Mavericks lost to the Grizzlies with a score of 116-121.

The two teams remained closely matched for a long period during the game. The Mavericks briefly took the lead over the Grizzlies, but for most of the time, the Grizzlies were ahead. In this match, Doncic, Irving, and Klay Thompson were absent. Facing a fully armed Grizzlies team that was firing on all cylinders, the Mavericks lacked key players to step up in crucial moments, and ultimately, Wells’ three-pointer sealed the game for the Grizzlies.

Throughout the game, Hardy started and played nearly 34 minutes, shooting 6 out of 16 overall, 6 out of 10 from three-point range, and 3 out of 4 from the free-throw line, scoring the highest of 21 points, along with 3 rebounds and 9 assists. He also had 3 steals, 4 turnovers, and 4 fouls, with a plus-minus of +4, making his efforts frustratingly futile. Besides Hardy, Gottman came off the bench today in good form, shooting 7 out of 13 overall, 4 out of 7 from three-point range, and 2 out of 2 from the free-throw line, scoring 20 points, along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists, as well as 4 steals, 1 turnover, and 5 fouls.

The Mavericks had five players scoring in double digits. Among them, only Hardy started, while Prossper, coming off the bench, scored 14 points with 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Miller added 10 points and 2 rebounds, and Leavly contributed 12 points with 3 rebounds and 2 assists.