Despite fighting a sprained right ankle, Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, despite playing on the sprained right ankle. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 24 points, while Desmond Bane scored 22 points and 9 assists.
The Grizzlies ruled early, with their lead of up to 25 points. While the Mavericks narrowed the gap to seven in the third quarter, Memphis maintained control to secure a victory. Memphis outperformed Dallas in rebounds (50-36) and 3-point shooting percentage (41.9% to 31.6%).
For the Mavericks, Anthony Davis scored 40 points and grabbed nine rebounds, despite dealing with groin and back injuries. Klay Thompson added 18 points, but the team struggled overall.
The turbulent season in Dallas is over, with Dallas trading Luka Dončić to the Lakers earlier this year. The Mavericks became the first team since the Golden State Warriors to miss the playoffs after participating in the NBA finals last season.
With this victory, the Grizzlies advanced in the first round of the playoffs, facing Oklahoma City’s highest Thunder. Once the second best record was held in the West mid-West, the Grizzlies sent out a late speed, slid toward the game and fired head coach Taylor Jenkins. However, the team has reorganized and now finds itself only four wins away from making history.
