The Mavericks (5-12) finally got a breather in the win column last night, taking down the Pelicans in their NBA Cup clash. Memphis (5-11) strolls in fresh after smacking the Kings on Thursday. But before Mavs fans could even enjoy that little glow-up, Saturday’s matchup dragged them right back into the same old episode of Who’s Not Playing Tonight? And tonight’s star guest? D’Angelo Russell.

Underdog NBA dropped the update everyone was waiting on and kind of dreading, confirming, “D’Angelo Russell (illness) ruled out Saturday.”

That marks his second straight game stuck on the sideline, which quietly leaves the door wide open for Jaden Hardy. He already took advantage against the Pelicans, tossing in 11 points in just 14 minutes as a quick-hit spark off the bench. Russell’s next real shot at getting back on the floor comes Monday in Miami, assuming this bug finally lets go.

He actually was listed as questionable earlier, teasing the idea that he might give it a go. Instead, Dallas loses one of its most reliable bench engines on a night they could really use him. Jason Kidd even pointed out that the group was already feeling the double hit on Friday, missing both Russell and Anthony Davis, with Davis still easing back from a left calf strain. 

Kidd also confirmed, saying, “Both (Davis and Russell) have an illness.” And all this is happening right as the schedule turns into a treadmill on max speed: 10 games jammed into 16 days, three back-to-backs in a single week, and five outings squeezed into seven days. 

The wildest part? Russell has been on fire every time he’s actually suited up. Over his last 10 appearances, he’s been shooting the lights out, flirting with 60% from the field. His most recent showstopper came against the Knicks: 23 points on 9-of-15, four made threes, and a tidy seven-assist, five-rebound night. With Naji Marshall matching him at 23, the bench practically kept that 113–111 game afloat.

On the season, he’s putting up 12.6 points, 2.9 boards, 5.0 dimes, and hitting 39.9% from the floor; not loud numbers, but the kind that glue Dallas’ rotations together. 

The final lineup for tonight shakes out like this:

Injury-hit Grizzlies head to Dallas for a tough road test

Memphis heads into Dallas on Saturday with more players in the training room than on the court. Ty Jerome, who earned a three-year, $27 million deal after breaking out in Cleveland, is still out for six to nine more weeks with a torn right calf. He joins a long list of injured Grizzlies guards, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Javon Small are also sidelined, and Ja Morant won’t be back until early next month because of a calf issue of his own. Even Jaren Jackson Jr. missed the last game with an ankle problem, leaving Memphis scrambling to patch together a rotation.

Still, Memphis somehow looked sharp on Thursday, blowing out Sacramento 137–96. Santi Aldama led the way with 29 points, Jock Landale added 21, rookie Cedric Coward chipped in 19, and Vince Williams Jr., normally a shooting guard, stepped in as the point guard and delivered a career-high 15 assists. That helped the Grizzlies rack up a franchise-record 42 team assists, something coach Tuomas Iisalo praised heavily after the game.

Dallas isn’t exactly at full strength either. They’ve been juggling injuries to Davis, Kyrie Irving (knee), and Russell, but still managed to pull out a tight NBA Cup win over the Pelicans on Friday. Rookie Cooper Flagg returned from his thumb sprain and put up 29 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while Naji Marshall knocked down the go-ahead three late.

As Max Christie said, the Mavs feel close to turning things around; most of their losses have been by a possession or two. With both teams dealing with heavy injuries, Saturday’s matchup is less about star power and more about who can stay steady long enough to grab a win.