“It’s Win or Go Home”: Mavericks Fall to Grizzlies, Set for Play-In Clash with Kings

The Mavericks fell 132-97 to the Grizzlies in their regular-season finale and will face the Kings in a win-or-go-home play-in game on Wednesday in Sacramento.

Photo: Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks entered Sunday with one simple goal: stay healthy. They left FedExForum with a lopsided 132-97 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, another injury, and a clear path ahead — a win-or-go-home matchup in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Before tipoff, head coach Jason Kidd emphasized the importance of avoiding further injuries. But that hope unraveled early when point guard Brandon Williams exited in the first half with a strained left oblique.

“We’ll take pictures of that tomorrow and have a better answer for you,” Kidd said after Monday’s practice. “We need his speed and his ability to get to the rim and score. And being able to shoot the three and play-make.”

The Mavericks rested several starters — Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Dereck Lively II — while Kyrie Irving (torn ACL) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (wrist surgery) remain out. The result was a skeleton rotation that couldn’t keep pace with Memphis, which also rested most of its core but produced dominant results.