{"id":3883,"date":"2025-04-18T02:45:13","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T08:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/?p=3883"},"modified":"2025-04-18T02:45:13","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T08:45:13","slug":"mavericks-face-tough-matchup-against-prideful-grizzlies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/2025\/04\/18\/mavericks-face-tough-matchup-against-prideful-grizzlies\/","title":{"rendered":"Mavericks Face Tough Matchup Against Prideful Grizzlies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mavericks vs Grizzlies: A Winner-Take-All Game<\/h1>\n

MEMPHIS \u2014 The Dallas Mavericks are on to the next one. And the next one is a familiar one. Dallas will face the Memphis Grizzlies in a winner-take-all game Friday night to advance to the first round of the playoffs for a date with the Oklahoma City Thunder.<\/p>\n

The Mavericks are riding a wave of momentum, coming off Wednesday\u2019s dominant 120-106 thumping of the Sacramento Kings. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are ailing after Tuesday\u2019s loss to the Golden State Warriors.<\/p>\n

Background<\/h2>\n

Friday\u2019s game is a rematch of Sunday\u2019s regular-season finale that resulted in a lopsided 35-point spanking for the Mavericks, who played without Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively II. Despite being shorthanded, it was a disappointing outcome because Memphis rested Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.<\/p>\n

The biggest storyline entering the game is Morant\u2019s status since the two-time All-Star guard suffered a right ankle injury against the Warriors. Morant did not practice on Thursday and he\u2019s expected to be a game-time decision, according to DaMichael Cole of the Commercial Appeal.<\/p>\n

Grizzlies Pose a Difficult Matchup<\/h3>\n

Morant or not, the Grizzlies pose a difficult matchup. Davis, who led the Mavericks with 27 points, nine rebounds and three blocks against the Kings, is expecting an intense battle and an electric atmosphere at FedEx Forum.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a tough game,\u201d Davis said. \u201cI\u2019ve been in a playoff series with them before. Not sure about the update on Ja, but they still play well without Ja as well. Nothing changes. Bane got in a good rhythm [Tuesday]. Big Edey. He\u2019s a big body. Jaren Jackson. All-Star. Defensive Player of the Year candidate, so it\u2019s going to be a battle. We gotta come in locked in and prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n

Season Series and Experience<\/h4>\n

The Mavericks played against the Grizzlies four times and lost the season series 3-1. The lone win that went in Dallas\u2019 favor occurred on Dec. 3 when the Mavericks defeated the Grizzlies 121-116. The stakes were high for that matchup as well because it was an NBA Cup game.<\/p>\n

Davis and Thompson share an equal amount of experience against the Grizzlies. The Lakers defeated Memphis in a six-game first-round playoff series in 2023. The Warriors defeated Morant and company in the second round in 2022.<\/p>\n

Players’ Comments<\/h5>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so old in basketball years I have history in dang near every Western Conference building,\u201d Thompson said of his playoff battles against Memphis. \u201cI take pride in playing against those guys because they\u2019re very prideful players.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of cool to play against two eras. I was lucky enough to play against Zach [Randolph] and Marc [Gasol] and Mike [Conley Jr.] and now I\u2019m playing against Ja, Bane and Jackson Jr. It\u2019s crazy I\u2019m still here. … It\u2019s really surreal and I take pride in that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Team Bonding and Preparation<\/h6>\n

The Mavericks have been tested all season, but they\u2019ve managed to persevere through dire circumstances. On the eve of their Play-In opener, the team gathered for a team dinner in Sacramento. It appears if another bonding activity is in store ahead of their Play-In finale.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t intend to return to Dallas anytime soon since they packed as if they would be on the road through the first two games of a potential playoff series against the Thunder.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf things go the way we want to go, we\u2019ll be on the road for about a week and a half,\u201d Davis said. \u201cWe organized a team dinner for our guys to come watch the [Grizzlies-Warriors] game and also to break bread with each other. You could tell how connected we were. \u2026 Probably do the same thing [on Thursday]. \u2026 This should be fun for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

X\/Twitter: @MikeACurtis2<\/p>\n

How to watch Dallas Mavericks\u2019 NBA play-in tournament game vs. Memphis Grizzlies<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n

The Mavs face another win-or-go-home play-in game vs. Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.<\/p>\n

\"Los
\nLuka Doncic eager to play big games for Lakers, starting in playoff date with Timberwolves<\/span>
\n<\/p>\n

The former Mavericks star has been in Los Angeles for 2 1\/2 months now, and he\u2019s feeling fairly comfortable in his new home.<\/p>\n

Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h1>\n

The Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies are set to face off in a winner-take-all game on Friday night. The Mavericks are looking to ride their momentum from their previous win, while the Grizzlies are hoping to bounce back from their loss. With Morant\u2019s status uncertain, the Grizzlies will need to rely on their other players to step up and make a difference. The Mavericks, on the other hand, are confident in their abilities and are ready to take on the challenge.<\/p>\n

Frequently Asked Questions<\/h1>\n

Q: What is the status of Ja Morant’s injury?<\/h2>\n

A: Morant suffered a right ankle injury against the Warriors and did not practice on Thursday. He is expected to be a game-time decision.<\/p>\n

Q: What is the significance of the game between the Mavericks and Grizzlies?<\/h2>\n

A: The game is a winner-take-all matchup, with the winner advancing to the first round of the playoffs to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.<\/p>\n

Q: How have the Mavericks performed against the Grizzlies this season?<\/h2>\n

A: The Mavericks lost the season series 3-1, with their lone win coming on Dec. 3 in a 121-116 victory.<\/p>\n

Q: What is the atmosphere expected to be like at FedEx Forum?<\/h2>\n

A: The atmosphere is expected to be electric, with the Grizzlies looking to bounce back from their loss and the Mavericks looking to ride their momentum.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mavericks vs Grizzlies: A Winner-Take-All Game MEMPHIS \u2014 The Dallas Mavericks are on to the next one. And the next one is a familiar one. Dallas will face the Memphis Grizzlies in a winner-take-all game Friday night to advance to the first round of the playoffs for a date with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":3884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3883","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/COU6GHN2M5FJJJRNXI7I2ORNJI.jpg?auth=59b8b5d030f7583a081f6fa89da578d0b6300028bafffad3cef7df90a10d43ba&height=630&width=1200&smart=true&quality=80","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3883"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3883"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3883\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3885,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3883\/revisions\/3885"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}