MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – After thrashing the Dallas Mavericks, the Grizzlies will travel to Oklahoma City for the first round of the NBA playoffs.
First Quarter
Memphis came out to a hot 20-10 start in the first 5 minutes as Ja Morant was persistent in attacking the paint.
Ja Morant leaped in the air for a huge putback dunk, which sparked the Grizzlies to increase their lead to 21 in the first quarter.
Morant scored 12 points in the quarter, leading a 19-4 run.
The Grizzlies would shoot 56% from the field and 55% from three after the first 15 minutes.
Second Quarter
Memphis would go on an 8-0 run to start the quarter, expanding the lead to 23.
Dallas would call a timeout as the score sat at 47-24 with 10 minutes to play in the first half.
The Mavericks, led by Anthony Davis, would come strong, trading buckets as Davis had 20 points in the half.
Offense has been the strong suit for Memphis all season, and it continued in this game as they scored 66 points in the half.
Ja Morant would lead the team with 16 points as Desmond Bane followed with 15.
The difference maker for Memphis was the turnover battle scored 16 points from 9 Dallas turnovers.
An 8-0 Dallas run would bring the once 25-point deficit to 17.
Third Quarter
Dallas would catch the Grizzlies off guard in the 3rd quarter coming out to a 14-2 run that was extended from the second quarter.
Anthony Davis eclipsed 30 points midway through the third quarter, dominating the Grizzlies inside.
Dallas would bring the once 25-point deficit down to single digits as Memphis regrouped with a timeout.
The Grizzlies would get back on track and finish the quarter outscoring Dallas 30-29.
Fourth Quarter
The back-and-forth battles would continue for Memphis and Dallas as traded baskets as the game came to a close.
Memphis had ran past the 100-point mark with 10 minutes left in the quarter.
Anthony Davis proved to be the only Maverick to show up tonight. Despite dealing with an injury to his lower body, he led the team with 40 points and 9 rebounds.
Memphis, despite a scare in the third quarter, kept its stronghold on Dallas and cruised to a double-digit victory.
Key StatsAll five players in the starting five for Memphis scored in double figures tonightThe Grizzlies snagged 50 rebounds, 14 more than the MavericksMemphis scored 24 points tonight off Dallas turnoversThe Grizzlies dominated inside, scoring 60 points in the paintMemphis shot 47% from the field and hit 13 threes at a 42% shooting rateWhat’s next?
With tonight’s win, Memphis is the official 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs as they send Dallas home for the offseason.
The Grizzlies will take a flight for a brunch date with the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder, who will host Game 1 Sunday afternoon.
While the Thunder swept the Grizzlies in the regular season, winning all four matchups, Memphis could make history again.
The 2011 Memphis Grizzlies are one of eight teams in NBA history to beat a No. 1 seed as an 8 seed.
Click here to sign up for our newsletter!
Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.
Copyright 2025 WMC. All rights reserved.