Dallas Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzlies Pick & Prediction APRIL 18th 2025

Preview and Prediction

The Memphis Grizzlies require a single triumph in order to secure a spot in the playoffs. However, it remains uncertain whether their top player will be able to take the court.

Ja Morant, the star point guard for the Grizzlies, was absent from Thursday's practice due to an injury to his right ankle. His availability for Friday night's play-in game against the Dallas Mavericks will be determined just before the game.

The winner of this game will claim the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. For the loser, their season will come to an end.

Interim coach Tuomas Iisalo remains hopeful that Morant's ankle will improve before the game.

According to Iisalo, "My belief is that he will do everything in his power to play. If he is physically capable, he will do it. It will ultimately be a game-time decision."

Morant sustained his injury during Tuesday night's game against the Golden State Warriors, where they lost 121-116 in the first round of the play-in tournament. He landed on the foot of Golden State's Buddy Hield with 4:25 remaining in the third quarter and was in extreme pain on the court.

Despite the injury, Morant continued to play and even made a free throw to complete a three-point play before exiting the game. He finished with 22 points.

After the game, Morant stated that he would be ready to play on Friday. However, the final decision will be made when the rosters are submitted before the game against Dallas.

Iisalo expressed his trust in Morant, saying, "If he feels that he is ready to go, we have full confidence in him. He is also a good judge of his own readiness. In this situation, I am relying on the experts in the medical department."

The Grizzlies (48-34) appeared to be on track for a high seed in the playoffs before struggling towards the end of the season. They lost 10 of their last 16 regular-season games and even fired their coach Taylor Jenkins during this rough patch, ultimately landing them in the play-in round.

Scotty Pippen Jr., guard for the Grizzlies, expressed his frustration with their fall in the standings, saying, "It's just frustrating because of how far we fell. I wouldn't say we were confident in where we were at, but the fall has been pretty hard on the team."

On the other hand, the Mavericks (39-43) enter the game with a sense of confidence after their dominant 120-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings in the play-in game on Wednesday.

Anthony Davis, who was acquired by the Mavericks in a trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, stood out with 27 points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots in just his 10th game with the team.

Klay Thompson, who has won four titles, also had a strong performance with 23 points and five 3-pointers. This was a stark contrast to his previous play-in game where he went scoreless and missed all 10 of his shots in his final appearance for the Golden State Warriors.

Dallas coach Jason Kidd praised Thompson's professionalism, saying, "I think when you look at Klay, he's a pro, he's won, he's a champion. In that situation, you can only learn from it if you count that as a failure or a mishap."

The Mavericks faced a series of injuries towards the end of the season and lost four of their last five regular-season games. However, they were able to keep their season alive with a strong performance against the Kings, leading by as many as 26 points.

Davis commented on their performance, saying, "We shot it very well, got stops on defense, and were able to run. Our offense was clicking. We had 44 points in the second quarter. We played with a lot of pace and opened up the game."

In their four regular-season meetings, the Grizzlies won three of the games, including a dominant 132-97 victory over the Mavericks on Sunday. However, both teams rested key players in that game.

Now, with both teams in a do-or-die situation, it will be a highly competitive game.

Thompson expressed their determination, saying, "We know how talented that group is and they have a great home court. We

PREDICTION

Dallas Mavericks

108

115

Memphis Grizzlies

Dallas Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzlies Recap APR 18TH 2025