Mavericks 106 vs 120 Grizzlies summary, stats, scores and highlights | NBA Play In
Let's not forget that this Memphis Grizzlies team was in the hunt for a top four finish in the West for most of the season. They fizzled at the end of the season and it ultimately cost coach Taylor Jenkins his job, but this team has talent. They head into the playoffs as an 8 seed, but there aren't many teams that would be lining up to play them in the first round.
Now that they took care of business in the Play In, they can turn their attention to the top seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC was the best team in the league all year and are one of the favorites to win it all, but they are going to have to get past a tough, gritty Grizzlies team before they can start thinking about a title run.
With a sore ankle and a comfortable lead, Ja was able to take his foot off the gas and let some of his teammates do the heavy lifting. Desmond Bane had a 30 point night against the Warriors on Tuesday. He didn't need to have as big of a game on Friday but he still had 22 on a night that six different Grizzlies were in double digits.
Jaren Jackson was a difference maker in the game on Friday night. He led the team with 24 points, but it was his versatility on both ends that helped Memphis get the lead and stay in the lead. He is going to be a big part of the puzzle if the Grizzlies are going to make a shock run in the post season from the Play In Tournament.
You can say a lot of things about the trade, the front office, the decision making, but you can't talk bad about Anthony Davis. AD came in and tried to carry his team in this win and in situation. He had 40 points in a night that he was battling through injury and had the lead down to 7 at one point, but he didn't get enough help from the supporting cast in Memphis.
There weren't just questions, there was real concern surrounding Ja Morant and his ankle in the lead up to this all or nothing game. He sprained his ankled in the third quarter of the game against the Warriors on Tuesday and after missing practice, he was listed as a game time decision. He had 16, 5 and 5 in the first half, and this spectacular tip slam to show us he is going to be ready for the first round series.
The Memphis Grizzlies clinched the final spot in this year's playoffs with a win over the Dallas Mavericks in a do-or-die match up from FedEx Forum. Jaren Jackson led the way for the Grizzlies with 24 points, but it was Ja Morant who came out and fought through a sprained ankle to carry his team to the first round of the playoffs.
Jackson got things started off with a triple to put the first points on the board, but Morant took the torch after that in the first quarter. Morant had 12 points to open the game and the Grizzlies defense forced 7 turnovers in the first 12 minutes as the lead ballooned up to 20 before the second quarter even started.
Williams beats the buzzer with a three ball, and it's official. That's the last bucket of the Mavs season.
GG Jackson to the line and he hits both FTs.
Marshall to the FT line and he makes both. That will be the final points of the Mavs season.
Gafford with the jam and that might be the last bucket of the Mavs season.
Timeout Grizzlies with 1:49 to go in the 4th quarter.
Marshall on the baseline and he gets it to fall.
Morant follows his miss up with a tip in out of the timeout.
Timeout Grizzlies wit 2:54 to go in the 4th.
Williams back into the lane and he lays it up and in off the glass again.
Morant to the line after the foul on Willams and he hits both FTs.
Aldama on the spin in the lane and he gets the soft floater to fall.
Williams to the cup out of the timeout and he lays it up and in off the glass.
Konchar with the steal and he lays it up off the glass for Jackson who slams it home!
Timeout Dallas with 5:22 to go in the 4th.
Edey on the alley oop slam off the lob from Morant! He's got 9 assists on the night.
Davis with the mid range jumper right off the bench. He's got 40 on the night.
Davis is back in the game. Let's see how much he can do after getting his knee looked at.
Christie from the wing and he strings a three ball!
Bane on the scoop and score from the right side and the lead is back up to 20.
Bane drains the three ball after seeing Davis head to the bench and this one might be over with 8 minutes to go.
Davis just pulled up and is now hobbling off the floor, and he might be done for the night and the season.
The call is overturned, so the foul is lifted but the T stands. Thompson misses the FT after the review.
Edey just got T'd up after arguing a foul called on him.
The Grizzlies are going to challenge the call on the floor with 8:43 to go.
Davis to the line after the foul on Aldama and he hits both FTs.
Morant stops on a dime and hits the push shot in the lane.
Thompson with the drive on the right side and he lays it up and in off the glass.
Pippen answers back with a three ball from the corner and the Grizzlies have an answer for everything the Mavs throw at them.
Thompson from tfe top of the key and they are going to need him to get hot.
Bane gets into the lane and floats it up and in.
Williams follows his own miss, gets the put back and the foul to start the quarter! FT is good after the foul on Jackson.
WE ARE HEADING TO THE FOURTH QUARTER!!!
The Mavs cut the lead to 9, but Memphis extended it back to 18 heading into the final 12 minutes.
Davis with the tip in at the buzzer but that is going to be called off after review.
Edey on the slam off the feed from Bane down the lane.
Davis on the mini hook shot in the lane and he's approaching 40 on the night.
Jackson off the dribble and he hits the leaner from outside line lane.
Jackson on the runner with the left hand in the lane.
Davis to the line after the foul on Bagley and he hits one of two FTs.
Jackson on the catch and shoot and he strokes the three ball!! H's 4/5 from downtown!!
Williams on the scoop and the score with the AND 1!!! FT is good after the foul on Jackson.
Christie on the pull up in the lane and he hits a much needed bucket for Dallas.
Bagley grabs the offensive board and he gets he put back to go on the reverse.
Jackson in the corner off the Aldama and he nails the three ball!
Davis with the soft touch on the hook shot in the lane.
Bagley on the alley oop slam off the feed from Morant.
Morant scoops up the long rebound and finds Konchar for the lay up on the other end.
Konchar from the wing and he silences the run from the Mavs!
Timeout Mavs with 5:28 to go in the third quarter!
Rebound and outlet from Thompson to Davis for the easy slam on the break. It's a 7 point game all of the sudden.
Marshall left open from the perimeter and he drills the three ball
Morant missed the lay up but Edey was there for the tip slam.
Thompson from the baseline and he drains the mid range jumper.
Pippen answers back with a three ball from the top of the key!
Thompson with a three ball from the wing with a defender in his face.
Morant lays it off for Edey on the slam out of the timeout.
Davis with a three ball from the wing and the Mavs are on a 17-2 run dating back to before the halftime break.
Timeout Grizzlies with 9:09 to go as the lead has been cut to 10.
Marshall floats it up off the glass from outside the lane.
Davis follows his own miss and puts it back up and in. He's got 26 points on the night.
Davis on the spin from the block and the push shot. He was holding his groin before half when he went to the locker room, but looks to be OK.
Jackson starts the half off with a short hook shot in the lane.
WE ARE BACK IN MEMPHIS FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!!!
Ja has been doing a little bit of everything for Memphis. He's got 16, 5 and 5, Bane has 15 and Aldama has 9 off the bench. It's been all Grizzlies so far and they are 2 quarters away from the playoffs.
Morant came into the night uncertain if he would even be able to play, but the Grizzlies star is not only playing he is dominating in his normal fashion. This tip slam should tell you everything you need to know about how he and his ankle are doing.
Jaren Jackson got things started off for Memphis in the first half, but it was the defense that set the tone for MEM, turning the Mavs over 7 times in the first quarter. Morant had 12 points out of the gate and the Grizzlies bubbled their lead up to 20 before the quarter change.
WE ARE AT THE HALFTIME BREAK WITH THE GRIZZLIES ALL OVER THE MAVS THROUGH TWO QUARTERS!!!
AD just went to the locker room early, which could be a troubling thing for Dallas should he need more medical attention. We will monitor the situation.
Morant with a silly foul at halfcourt to send Williams to the line with 2.1 on the clock and he hits one of two FTs.
Davis slices through the lane and lays it up and in off the glass.
Williiams kicks it out for Exum who drains the three ball in the corner!
Thompson with the off balanced shot from outside the lane and he banks it in.
Morant with the rebound and he fires it ahead to Aldama for a wide open slam.
Timeout Grizzlies with 2:57 to go in the 1st half.
Davis to the line and he hits one of two FTs after the foul from Jackson.
Morant picks the pocket of AD and he lays it off for Aldama for the transition slam!
Bane fouled on the three point attempt and he hits all three after the foul on Christie.
Morant on the deep two and he's got 17 with his bummed ankle and all.
Davis with the three ball from the wing and he's got 18 already!
Morant hits the break in the paint and he drops the short pull up jumper in the lane.
Davis on the pull up from inside the FT line and he's starting to heat up.
Davis on the running hook shot over Edey from the right side of the lane.
Bane gets the roll off the short jumper from the FT line.
Jackson in rythym and he knocks down the mid range jumper.
Davis going right at the bucket and he lays it up and in.
Edey with the alley oop slam off the lob from Jackson Jr.
Christie all alone in the corner and he hits the three ball!
AD backing his defender down and he knocks down the turn around hook shot.
Pippen pull up from behind the FT line and he drops it.
Bane from the M in FedEx Forum and he sinks it from way downtown!
Timeout Dallas with 9:46 to go in the half.
Jackson down the lane and he lays it up with an up and under move.
Bane with the pump fake and pull up from the wing and he sinks the three ball!
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER FROM MEMPHIS!!!
Ja led the way for the Grizz, with 12 early points. AD has 8 to lead the Mavs but they have already turned the ball over 7 times.
Williams weaving his way through traffic and he lays it up and in to beat the first quarter buzzer!
Bane scoops and scores on a drive to the right side.
Edey to the line after the foul on Martin and he misses both FTs.
Christie pulls the trigger from the top of the key and he sinks the long ball!
Baseline dish from Williams to Gafford who puts up and in down low and gets the foul. FT is good after the foul on Jackson.
Aladama pulls up after the kick out from Pippen and he strokes the three ball on the break!
Davis with the floater from outside the lane and he gets the friendly roll.
Morant in the corner and he nails the step back three ball and it's been all Grizz in this first quarter!!! He's got 12 and the lead is 20!!!
Morant up top to Bagley and he slams it home off the alley oop.
Aldama misses the floater, but Ja is there for the rebound and tip slam!!! His ankle is looking fine through seven and a half minutes.
Timeout Mavs with 4:27 to go in the first quarter.
Aldama into the lane and he floats it up and in from the left side of the lane.
Davis pulls up and he sinks it from the top of the key.
Bane into the paint and he gets the lay up to fall in the lane.
Davis to the cup and he gets it to go on the off balanced lay up.
Morant missed the leaner but Edey was there for the follow and put back.
Edey to the line and he hits one of two after the foul on Marshall.
Timeout Memphis with 6:44 to go and the Grizz lead by 10 after scoring 20 points, and turning the Mavs over five times in five minutes.
Morant to the line and he hits both FTs after the foul on Washington.
Kick out from Ja to Pippen and he drops the triple from the top of the key.
Marshall on the step back from the top of the key and he hits the deep two with the shot clock winding down.
Morant to the bucket, gets bumped, gets the lay up to fall and the foul! FT is good after the foul on Lively.
Thompson drills a three ball off another feed from Marshall and he drills it from the opposite wing.
Jackson from the corner and he drills another three ball, his second of the night.
Davis to the line after the foul on Edey and he hits both FTs.
Morant to the line after the foul on Washington and he hits both FTs.
Mavs on the break and Marshall finds Thompson on the wing and he strokes the three ball!
Pippen Jr. floats it up off the feed from Ja and he gets it to go in transition.
Edey with the offensive board off the miss from Jackson and the Grizz are off to a quick start.
Jackson Jr. starts us off with a three ball from the corner off the kick out from Bane!
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM MEMPHIS IN THIS DO OR TIE, WIN AND IN GAME FROM THE FORUM!
Mavs first five
The Dallas Mavericks are back on the road in a must win situation and hei are going with the big dogs down low. It's AD and Lively down low with Washington, Marshall and Thompson on the perimeter to begin the game.
First five Memphis
The Grizzlies are in a must win situation and they have their top dog back. It's Ja joined by Bane, Pippen Jr., Jaren Jackson and Zach Edey to start the night from FedEx Forum.
Nico's last dance?
Nico Harrison has quickly become public enemy number one in Dallas. He traded away fan favorite and future of the franchise Luka Doncic, and ever since then the Mavs have been spiraling. This could be a rare win for Nico and Dallas since the trade back in February. This also could be the last time we see Nico Harrison as the Mavs general manager. If it were up to the fans, he’d already be gone, but Nico has an awfully short leash after making the secret overnight deal all on his own. If the Mavs fail to make the playoffs, this could be it for the GM who made one of the riskiest trades in NBA history.
Season series
The Grizzlies and the Mavs played four times this season, and it was Memphis who won the season series 3-1. The Grizz beat the Mavs in the first match up between these two teams back in early December, but the Mavs got the best of Memphis in NBA Cup Qualifiers after a late fourth quarter collapse. The Grizzlies won the next two games, one in March by 11 points and one of the final day of the regular season in a blowout that most of the Mavs stars were resting for the Play In tournament.
What awaits the winner
The early tip off still hasn’t finished, so technically there are two spots in the playoffs up for grabs. The Heat and Hawks are currently playing for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. The winner of that game will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs. The winner of tonight’s Mavericks vs. Grizzlies game will take on the OKC Thunder who not only earned the top seed in the West, but had the best record in the NBA. Here is how the playoff picture looks coming into the night as we wait for the final two playoff participants to be determined on the eve of the start of the playoffs.
Star watch: Mavericks
Ja isn’t the only big star coming into tonight on the injury report. Anthony Davis has been battling an abductor injury since arriving in Dallas. He was listed as probable last game in Sacramento, but played and had a huge game. He is a game time decision tonight, and even though he can be awfully injury prone he is going to give everything to be on the floor tonight. Davis averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a Maverick in just 9 regular season gams, but last game he delivered in his biggest moment in a Mavs jersey. Tonight Dallas is going to need more of that from the guy they brought in to replace Luka Doncic.
Star watch: Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are dependent on Ja Morant tonight. Even if he is at 50 or 75% he is still better than most players in the league. He is averaging 23.2 points, and 7.3 rebounds a game this season and Memphis knows that they are going to need their top scorer for this massive showdown from FedEx Forum. He played 35 minutes against the Warriors and put up 22 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists and limped to the final buzzer after returning from injury. Ja has been the face of the franchise for a long time, but injury and disciplinary issues have kept him and the Grizzlies from reaching their full potential.
Ja's status for tonight
The Grizzlies come into their biggest game of the season with the status of their best play seriously in question. Ja Morant sprained his ankle in the third quarter of last game against the Warriors. He limped off the floor, was seen taking a pill to deal with the pain, and returned in the fourth quarter. Reports are, Ja didn’t practice yesterday as he continues to rehab his ankle which has “significant swelling.” Interim coach Tuomas Iisalo said, “If he’s physically able to do it, he will do it. It’s a legitimate game-time decision.”
Last game: Dallas
The Mavs went into Sacramento and dominated the Kings from start to finish. The front court gave Domantas Sabonis fits all game as the three headed monster of Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Derek Lively dominated the early part of the game. A massive second quarter in which Dallas outscored Sacramento 44-19 lifted the Mavs over the Kings, thanks to four threes from Klay Thompson. The lead ballooned to 25 points in the third quarter and the Mavs were able to keep that cushion until the finish line. Davis had 27 points and 9 rebounds while Thompson dropped 23 and went 5/7 from downtown to set up tonight’s must win game from Memphis.
Last game: Memphis
The Grizzlies went to San Francisco and gave the Warriors all they could handle on Tuesday night. They went up early on the Dubs, but Jimmy Butler took control of the game as he added the newest chapter of the Playoff Jimmy legend. Jimmy had 38 points to lead Golden State, who led by 20 at one point in the first half, but the Grizzlies continued to chip away at the lead despite seeing Ja Morant twist his ankle and leave the game in the second half. He would eventually come back but Desmond Bane’s 30 points was what gave the Grizz a chance to win the game. Memphis took the lead at one point in the fourth quarter, but Steph Curry closed out the game with a couple of clutch threes to close the Grizzlies out and force them to have to play in tonight’s game.
We are live from the Forum
Hello everyone and welcome to the final Play In game of the season. The playoffs start tomorrow and one of these teams will be focused on the OKC Thunder waking up in the morning. The other will be starting their early vacation after losing tonight’s do or die game. The Dallas Mavericks went into Sacramento and proved they weren’t ready to see their tumultuous season come to an end. The veterans showed out for the Mavs as Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson led the way in Sac Town, and tonight they will need another big game against a Memphis Grizzlies team that almost upset the Golden State Warriors despite Ja Morant suffering a sprained ankle in the 3rd quarter. They came up just short of earning the 7 seed and tonight, it’s win or go home against the Mavs.
Mavericks vs. Grizzlies
It’s do or die time from Memphis as the final spot in the NBA Final is up for grabs from FedEx Forum. Both of teams were expecting to make a deep run in the playoffs, but only one will make it to the first round. It’s the Dallas Mavericks taking on the Memphis Grizzlies for a chance to play the top seed, OKC Thunder in the Western Conference Playoffs and AS English is going to be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s all or nothing matchup.