Mavericks' nightmare season ends with a whimper against Grizzlies

After a season defined by injuries and a controversial blockbuster trade, the Mavericks were soundly beaten by the Memphis Grizzlies in the final Western Conference play-in game, 120-106, in a matchup that wasn't even as close as the double-digit final margin suggested.

If there was any consolation for the Mavericks, who missed the playoffs entirely one year after going to the NBA Finals, it was that Anthony Davis put up big stats. The big man scored 40 points and grabbed nine rebounds, though the Mavericks' "defense wins championships" squad gave up 60 points in the paint.

The supposed motivation for the Mavericks' big trade, where they sent franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis, was to give themselves a strong defense. With Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II, they had a trio of defensive big men to dominate the paint. Friday, 6-foot-5 guard John Konchar had eight rebounds, the same as Gafford and Lively combined.

The Doncic trade infuriated Mavericks fans, but it looked worse when Davis suffered an injury during his first game for the Mavs Feb. 8 — and didn't play again until March 24. Then Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending ACL tear on March 4, during a season when Lively also suffered a fractured ankle, initially misdiagnosed by the team.

GM Nico Harrison has been under fire for the Doncic trade and the Mavericks' swan dive to end the season. Dallas was 26-23 at the time of the Doncic deal, and went 16-20 afterward. Now they move into an uncertain summer, with Irving likely to miss most of the next season and no salary flexibility, though they do have a lottery pick.

With what a disaster the 2024-25 season turned out to be for the Mavericks, the only fitting end was a blowout loss. But Dallas can take solace in one fact: Thanks to their win in the 9-10 play-in game, they still aren't as bad as the Sacramento Kings.