MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Ja Morant shrugged off a sprained right ankle to score 22 points and add nine assists and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Dallas Mavericks 120-106 on Friday night to advance to the NBA playoffs.
Memphis secured the Western Conference’s eighth seed and will open against top-seeded Oklahoma City in a best-of-seven series beginning Sunday on the Thunder’s home court.
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Morant was injured Tuesday night at Golden State in the Grizzlies' play-in opener and was questionable to play Friday.
“The doctors gave me all the help I needed in the simplest terms,” said Morant, whose availability wasn't certain until about 30 minutes before tipoff. “I wanted to be on the floor. I wanted to play this game and get the win.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 24 points, and Desmond Bane had 22.
Anthony Davis led Dallas with 40 points and nine nine rebounds. Klay Thompson had 18 points.
Davis limped off in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a right calf injury. He returned briefly, but didn’t finish the game. He sat in the locker room after the game with a wrap and an ice bag on the leg. Davis said he tried to fight through the injury, knowing it was a win-or-go-home situation.
“We had our chances. Obviously, a tough loss,” Davis said.
Memphis saw a 25-point first-half lead melting away in the third quarter as the Mavericks crafted a 27-12 run spanning halftime. That brought the Mavericks' deficit to single digits midway through the third.
The Grizzlies stretched the lead back to 96-80 heading into the final quarter and Dallas never threatened the rest of the way.
Dallas, which beat Sacramento 120-106 on Wednesday night to earn a spot against the Grizzlies, didn’t seem to have the same spark to start the game, never leading against Memphis.
Zach Edey had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Memphis, and Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 13 points.
Memphis lost all four games against Oklahoma City during the regular season, all by double digits. Jackson said the Grizzlies are looking at a different situation in the first round.
“A series is a series,” Jackson said. “You've got to stay level-headed. Whether you win a game or lose a game, it really doesn't matter until it's over.”
Like Memphis, the Mavericks limped into the end of the season, going 7-15 since March 1. In the midst of it, they also lost Kyrie Irving to left knee surgery after dealing with a trade that brought Davis to Dallas and sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
“An incredible season, but the change (trading Doncic for AD) and injuries, some would say we shouldn’t even be there,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "So give those guys in that locker room a lot of credit.”
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