The Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks matched up on Friday night in a win-or-go-home Play-In game in Memphis. Despite a Herculean effort from new Mavs star Anthony Davis, Memphis’ potent offense was too much for Dallas to handle. The Grizzlies secured the victory 120-106.
Memphis hit the ground running and put up a scorching 39 points in the first quarter to go up by 15 points. The Grizzlies were playing unselfish basketball as six players finished with ten points or more.
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Davis and the Mavericks made some mid-game adjustments and were only outscored by a total of three points in the second and third quarters.
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But for the first portion of the fourth quarter, Davis was visibly limping and hobbling up and down the court. He checked out of the game less than halfway through the final frame before trying to return to the court, only to check out again after struggling to put weight on his leg.
Without their best player, the Mavericks looked lost on both sides of the ball and the Grizzlies sealed the victory. In the end, Davis had 40 points and nine rebounds for the Mavericks.
For Memphis, Jaren Jackson Jr. had 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists while Ja Morant had 22 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
The Grizzlies will now face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in round one, with the first game set to take place on Sunday in Oklahoma City.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
