The Western Conference of the NBA witnessed the battle for the last ticket to the play-in tournament today. The Memphis Grizzlies hosted the Dallas Mavericks at home. The Grizzlies lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first game of the play-in tournament and failed to advance directly, while the Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings in the showdown between the 9th and 10th seeds to keep their hopes alive.

In the first quarter, the Grizzlies were clearly well-prepared. They launched an offensive wave of 20-10 right from the start to widen the score gap and seize the initiative. In the first quarter, the Grizzlies almost completely outperformed their opponents in all statistical aspects and had an absolute advantage. In the second quarter, they launched another offensive wave of 10-0 to expand the score gap to 25 points. Anthony Davis stepped up at a crucial moment, scoring 14 points to stop the downward spiral and gradually reduce the score gap. However, the Grizzlies still had a large lead at this time and entered the second half with a 17-point advantage. After the break, Anthony Davis and Clay both made three-pointers, and they once narrowed the gap to single digits. But in the late rotation, they were still outplayed. The Grizzlies responded with an offensive wave of 21-10 to widen the score gap again. In the final quarter, Desmond Bane scored 5 consecutive points to expand the advantage to 20 points and seal the victory. In the end, the Grizzlies defeated the Mavericks at home and successfully won the play-in game, thus advancing to the playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Their first-round opponent will be the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 1st seed in the Western Conference.

Statistics of Both Teams

Dallas Mavericks: Anthony Davis had 40 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists; Clay had 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists; Williams had 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists; Marshall had 13 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks; Christie had 11 points and 1 rebound; Gafford had 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist; Exum had 3 points and 2 rebounds; Washington had 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals; Lively had 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks; Martin had 1 assist.

Memphis Grizzlies: Jaren Jackson Jr. had 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists; Ja Morant had 22 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals; Desmond Bane had 22 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals; Eddie had 15 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks; Scotty Pippen Jr. had 13 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists; Santi Aldama had 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists; Marvin Bagley III had 6 points and 5 rebounds; Tyus Jones had 5 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists; GG Jackson had 2 points and 1 rebound.