The Dallas Mavericks (13-8) host the Memphis Grizzlies (14-7) on Tuesday night in the first meeting of division opponents this season. The game, broadcast locally at 7:30 p.m. CT on Channel 29 or streamed on MavsTV, features two of the league’s hottest teams in recent memory – the Mavericks are on a four-game winning streak and our winners of eight in their last nine games, while the Grizzlies come to Dallas on a six-game winning streak and are 11-4 since the start of November.

This is also the final group stage game in the league’s NBA Cup tournament. The Mavericks are in second place in West Group C and have a good chance of moving into the knockout rounds with a win on Tuesday, as the Grizzlies have already been eliminated. Both teams have already struggled with injuries this season. Dallas’ injury report was a real slam dunk about who might be available and who might not be available. The Grizzlies are currently without rookie center Zach Edey, and star guard Ja Morant is out for an extended period of time with hip and knee problems. When these teams have played well in the past, they have had some hard-fought battles. Here’s what we’ll be watching for on Tuesday.

Grimes’ growing role

According to initial injury reports, Naji Marshall is out (due to illness) and Klay Thompson (plantar fascia) is questionable whether he will play on Tuesday. On top of that, guard Dante Exum is still out as he recovers from wrist surgery and starting center Dereck Lively II is questionable due to a knee hyperextension that kept him out of the Mavericks’ win over the Trail Blazers.

Given Marshall’s absence and the fact that Thompson may miss his fifth straight game, Quentin Grimes will likely be tasked with a larger role again – something he’s proven to be happy to accept. In the last three games, all as a starter, the 24-year-old is averaging 24.3 points and five rebounds while shooting 54 percent from three. In his seven games as a starter, he snagged 11 stocks (steals + blocks), while he only amassed seven in his 12 games as a reserve. All this to say that Jason Kidd has entrusted first-year Maverick with more responsibility, even more so in his time of need, and Grimes has answered the call.

Keep up

These two teams currently rank fourth in the league in offensive rating and sixth and seventh in defensive rating, with Memphis just 1.8 ahead of Dallas (fifth and seventh in net rating, respectively). Both were effective on both ends of the court, but Memphis plays faster.

The difference between the Grizzlies’ possession speed of 104.07 (third in the league) and the Mavericks’ possession speed of 100.43 (ninth) isn’t a huge jump in the grand scheme of things. However, keep in mind that last season Dallas ranked seventh in fastest pace of the Luka Doncic era. The Mavericks have had a long journey back to back. While the Grizzlies just completed a four-game home stretch, all wins by 10 points or more. They have played one away game since November 17th. Expect Memphis to try to make things work. Even if Dallas feels more comfortable in this mode than before, injury-related substitutions and substitutions could lead to tired legs for players.

Win the trail

Both teams like to play in the lane on offense. Memphis ranks second in the league with nearly 49 percent of its points. Dallas is close behind with 46.3 percent of their points, fourth in the league. Neither team was particularly strong defensively, in this respect both are in the middle of the field.

The fact that the Mavericks may have to be without Lively presents a major challenge for Dallas to take away Memphis’ offensive priority – the Grizzlies lead the league with 59.2 points per game. The team that gets that lead will likely win the game, so the Mavericks may have to get creative with how they stifle their offensive attack.

Here’s how to watch

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and can be watched locally on channel 29 or streamed via MavsTV.