After being given teasers to start, we will finally get a taste of true March Madness-style basketball at the NBA level in the Play-In Tournament’s final phase.
Win and you’re in, lose and you go home.
First, the Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic triumphed in the seven-seed games, advancing to face the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics, respectively. Next, the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls were pummeled in the 9-10 games, setting up Friday’s finale.
The stakes of these do-or-die eight-seed affairs are the final two playoff spots — matchups against the fearsome No. 1 seeds from each conference.
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Watch NBA Play-In action on Sportsnet
The NBA Play-In Tournament wraps up with two games on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet+. The Hawks host the Heat at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and then the Grizzlies entertain the Mavericks at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
In the East, the Miami Heat made history as they upset the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night to become the NBA’s first-ever 10 seed to advance out of the Play-In and into the playoffs — setting up a Round 1 date with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Which left the Memphis Grizzlies to take on the Dallas Mavericks for a chance to play David to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Goliath.
The Mavericks already pulled off one upset by taking down the nine-seed Sacramento Kings, can they do it again and join the Heat as the only 10 seeds ever to make it into the playoffs?
Here’s what you need to know about the final Play-In matchup of the 2024-25 season.
Western Conference: (8) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (10) Dallas Mavericks, 9:30 p.m. ET
Season Series: Grizzlies lead 3-1
Dec. 3: Mavericks 123, Grizzlies 116
Jan. 6: Grizzlies 119, Mavericks 104
Mar. 7: Grizzlies 122, Mavericks 111
April 13: Grizzlies 132, Mavericks 97
Pulse on Grizzlies
Going into this all-or-nothing game, the biggest question for the Grizzlies is the condition of Ja Morant. The star guard landed on Buddy Hield’s foot and turned his right ankle while attempting a leaning floater in the third quarter of Tuesday’s 7-8 game against the Warriors.
Morant showed guts, returning to the game despite visible discomfort and lack of mobility, and has been deemed a game-time decision against the Mavericks. The former all-star leads the Grizzlies in both points (23.2) and assists (7.3) this season and is third with a plus-2.6 on/off differential.
Desmond Bane already acts as the initiator in some of the Grizzlies’ actions and was successful when further extended into that role on Tuesday against the Warriors. He scored a team-high 30 points, including 11 points and 3-of-5 shooting from distance in the final 14 minutes after Morant went down. Both Bane and the rangy and versatile Jaren Jackson Jr. will need to step up if Morant is unable to go.
Memphis has gone 4-6 since firing Taylor Jenkins with nine games remaining in the regular season and replacing him with former EuroCup champion coach Tuomas Iisalo. The Finnish bench boss’s philosophy emphasizes pace, a traditional point guard-centric offence and strong offensive rebounding. The Grizzlies have excelled at running the break and crashing the glass this year and will need to push their aggression to the max to make up for their hobbled or potentially absent lead guard.
Pulse on Mavericks
If there was ever a time for a No. 10 seed to make it out of the Play-In, it’s now.
The Grizzlies are vulnerable with their lead ball handler hurt, an inexperienced coach at the helm, and Zach Edey leaving tactical weaknesses to exploit. And Anthony Davis has finally turned the corner for the Mavericks, averaging 24.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.2 blocks over his last five games.
Kyrie Irving’s absence is the biggest hurdle for this team, as their live-dribble creation is extremely limited without the eccentric guard. Spencer Dinwiddie had taken on some of this role but shot 3-of-22 in the Mavericks’ final three games of the season and played only two garbage-time minutes against the Kings on Wednesday. For now, it appears to be point guard by committee, with Naji Marshall, Dante Exum, (unqualified) G League leading scorer Brandon Williams, and even Davis splitting the on-ball reps.
The Mavericks have been closer to a Three Stooges act than a professional basketball franchise ever since the infamous Luka Doncic trade in February, with fans taking the brunt of the painful jokes. An improbable Play-In run and a first-round playoff series would be a small step toward ameliorating the dismal situation in Dallas.
After all, Nico Harrison traded for Davis with the playoffs in mind. Defence might not win championships for the Mavericks this season, but it could win the Play-In.
X-Factor: Zach Edey, Grizzlies
In the 7-8 game against the Warriors, Zach Edey was a problem on defence. And not in a good way.
The primary concern about the Toronto-born big going into last year’s draft was his lack of mobility and how opponents would exploit it on a larger floor at the NBA level.
Golden State provided a perfect example of that Tuesday, running five-out sets with Quinten Post and Draymond Green, either drawing Edey to the perimeter to open up the paint or cashing the open three-point shots when he stayed put.
While the Mavericks don’t necessarily have the same flexibility as the Warriors when it comes to small-ball lineups and stretch bigs, playing Davis at the five could still cause similar problems for Edey.
Also, Dereck Lively II may not be a shooting threat, but his ability to space the floor vertically — constantly threatening on rolls to the rim with his leaping ability — could prevent Edey from better positioning himself as a help defender on drivers and cutters.
If the Grizzlies are going to avoid the upset and prevent a No. 10 seed from making the playoffs for the first time, they will need to come up with a counter to the seven-foot-four centre’s shortcomings.
