The stage is set. The curtains are open. Win and the last remaining West playoff spot is secured; lose and one’s season is over.
It all comes down to who wants it more as the Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks duke it out in Memphis in the 2025 NBA play-in tournament on Saturday, April 19 with the winner capturing the eight seed.
WHO WILL CAPTURE THE WEST'S 8-SEED? 🤔
— ESPN (@espn) April 17, 2025
📺 April 18 | Mavs-Grizz | 9:30 PM ET on ESPN
An opening-round showdown with MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the NBA-best OKC Thunder also awaits the survivor of the win-or-go-home match.
It will be the first time that the Grizzlies and Mavericks will face-off in the playoff qualifying stage, but both teams met four times in the regular season with Memphis winning thrice.
Interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo and his squad got another opportunity of punching a playoff seat despite a heartbreaking 120-116 setback at the hands of the Golden State Warriors in their last outing.
[ALSO READ: 'Play-in' Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry push Warriors past Grizzlies for West seventh seed]
The Grizzlies wiped out a 20-point deficit in that game, and even had a chance to send the game to overtime only to commit a costly five-second violation with 5.5 seconds left to play.
Ja Morant, who rolled his ankle in the third frame but returned in the fourth, finished with 28 points in a losing effort.
“It wasn't quite that. Hopefully it's not as severe. I have no information on that. It was inspiring, and I think it also lifted the guys up to see that your leader is putting it all on the line," Iisalo told reporters in the post-game press conference.
When asked about his availability heading to the critical match-up with the Mavs, the high-flying guard insisted he’s ready to go.
"I'm playing. That's basically the answer I'm giving. It ain't nothing different," Morant bared.
"I'm playing. That's basically the answer I'm giving."
— Grind City Media (@grindcitymedia) April 16, 2025
Ja Morant on battling back from the ankle injury.
🎥: @MyMikeCheck
Should Memphis get the job done around this time, the Grizzlies will enter the postseason for the fourth time in the last five years.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks hope to carry the winning momentum that they built coming off a strong 120-106 disposal of the ninth-seed Sacramento Kings.
[ALSO READ: Klay Thompson fuels 44-point Dallas Mavericks Q2 to slam playoff doors on Sacramento Kings]
Anthony Davis imposed his might thanks to a 27-point outing while Klay Thompson delivered 16 of his 23 markers in a game-turning second quarter for the Mavericks.
“We shot it [ball] very well, got stops on defense, and were able to run. [The] offense was clicking. We played with a lot of pace and opened up the game," Davis spoke afterwards.
With everything the Mavs went through in the last two months — from sending Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers in a league-altering deal centered around Davis to star guard Kyrie Irving suffering a season-ending ACL injury — no one expected Dallas to be this far late into the season.
Instead, the reigning Western Conference champions are one win away from a return trip to the playoffs.
“I know how hard it is going to be on Friday. They’re [Memphis] a really good team. It’s gonna be a dogfight,” Thompson added.
