Khris Middleton's fourth-quarter burst snaps Dallas' skid with a 120-112 victory over Grizzlies

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Khris Middleton scored 22 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, Daniel Gafford added a season-best 22 points and the Dallas Mavericks snapped an eight-game losing steak with a 120-112 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.

Max Christie and Cooper Flagg added 13 points apiece for Dallas. Middleton was 10 of 17 for the game, including 8 of 10 from 3-point range. Gafford added 14 rebounds.

Jaylen Wells led Memphis with 23 points and GG Jackson finished with 20. Javon Small had 19 points and nine assists. Taylor Hendricks had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The Mavericks, who led by 20 in the first half, were outscored 30-21 in the third quarter and led just 86-84 going into the final period. Middleton had the first 11 Dallas points of the fourth to take the lead back to double digits and went to have the highest-scoring quarter of his career.

The Grizzlies, as has often been the case in recent weeks, had more players on the injured list than dressed for the game, and that included Tyler Burton signed from the Grizzlies G League squad Memphis Hustle to a 10-day contract. Eleven Memphis players were absent with various injuries and ailments.

From the start, Dallas worked inside against a frontline where the Grizzlies' absences led to overmatched defenders. The Mavericks led 65-54 at the half, holding a 31-17 advantage on the boards, including 10 offensive rebounds compared to only four for Memphis.

Dallas ended the night with a 64-42 advantage in the paint and controlled the boards 60-38, its highest rebounding total of the season.

Mavericks: Host the Cavaliers on Friday, their only home appearance in a nine-game stretch.

Grizzlies: At Detroit on Friday.

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Memphis Grizzlies' Jahmai Mashack, second left, vies for the ball with Philadelphia 76ers' Cameron Payne, left, Johni Broome, and Quentin Grimes during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Philadelphia 76ers' Vj Edgecombe, right, steels the ball from Memphis Grizzlies' Cedric Coward, center, as 76ers' Kelly Oubre Jr. looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Memphis Grizzlies guard Jahmai Mashack (21) shoots against Dallas Mavericks forward Marvin Bagley III (35) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Dallas Mavericks forward Khris Middleton, left, handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward Tyler Burton in the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies guard Jahmai Mashack in the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

NEW YORK (AP) — After sixth-ranked UConn opened the Big East Tournament by rolling over Xavier in the quarterfinals Thursday night, Dan Hurley's mind was still on the Huskies' surprising defeat in their regular-season finale.

“It was great to get back on the court after the choke job over the weekend,” Hurley said, referring to a 68-62 loss at Marquette on Saturday. He was ejected in the final second and fined $25,000 by the Big East for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The two-time national championship-winning coach joked that some of his players offered to pay part of that fine.

“Now obviously it would be illegal, so I couldn’t accept it,” Hurley said. “But there were guys raising their hand: ‘I’ll give $1,000. I’ll give $500.’"

With that, Hurley ended his postgame news conference and left the podium.

Hurley said he and his players endured a “brutal film session” on Sunday in the aftermath of the loss in Milwaukee, which cost UConn a share of the regular-season conference title that instead went solely to St. John's.

"It was tough," Hurley said. "It made me sad. I think they were waiting for angry, mad Dan, and I did not give that to them.”

Solo Ball, who led UConn with 19 points in the 93-68 rout of Xavier, said: “There is no difference between sad Dan or angry Dan.”

Tarris Reed Jr., who had 17 points and 14 rebounds in an effort Hurley described as playing like “a grizzly bear for 22 minutes,” said the film session felt uncomfortable for him and his teammates.

“You’re not used to it,” Reed said. “But I feel like we all understood what happened, especially in that Marquette game that we lost, and what potentially we had to move on from.”

Hurley said he wanted to remind his players that UConn has been a top-five team all season, explaining the body of work means more than one disappointing letdown.

“We don’t have anything to show for it yet," Hurley said. “We don’t got a championship yet. We don’t got a Final Four yet. But don’t forget who we are. We’re now a 28-4 team that beat some really high seeds. We beat a potential 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. We’ve beaten a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

"We've got some great, great wins. So that’s who we are — not that game that we choked away. ... We know that we blew it.”

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UConn head coach Dan Hurley calls out to his team during first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Xavier in the quarterfinals of the Big East basketball tournament Thursday, March 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

UConn head coach Dan Hurley argues for a call during first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Xavier in the quarterfinals of the Big East basketball tournament Thursday, March 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)