Forget the regular season, throw the standings out the window—this is where it gets real. The Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies are stepping into the ring for a Play-In brawl that decides who makes the playoffs and who goes fishing down the McKellar. The Mavericks are suddenly looking like a serious threat, thanks to the return of Anthony Davis. But what about the Grizzlies?

Their hopes hinge on one player, Ja Morant. This all got very real in their last outing—a 121-116 loss to the Warriors, where Steph Curry reminded everyone he’s still That Guy. The Grizzlies battled hard, but a late dagger three from Curry sealed the deal and officially pushed Memphis into tonight’s must-win showdown. So what’s the official update?

Well, that’s day-to-day, but don’t let that fool you! When asked about his availability, Morant was blunt: “I’m playing. That’s basically the answer I’m giving. It ain’t nothing different.” That’s not just another comment—that’s a statement. Bad ankle or not, Morant knows what this game means. Just think back to the Dubs matchup.

During that game, Ja Morant gave Grizzlies fans a collective heart attack. In the third quarter, he landed awkwardly on his ankle after drawing contact, hit a pair of free throws, then limped to the bench in pain. But in classic Ja fashion, he returned to finish the game, though noticeably limited, especially late in the fourth when he didn’t take a shot after the 3:44 mark.

And the rest of the Grizzlies? For the first time in what feels like forever, they’re actually healthy. No last-minute scratches or mysterious injuries. It’s go-time. That said, they’ll need more than good vibes and a clean bill of health.

They’ll need Morant to be close to 100%, because going up against this version of Dallas—one with a locked-in Anthony Davis patrolling the paint—means there’s no room for error.

Ja Morant’s Ankle Injury will basically break or build the Grizzlies’ play-in hopes

Morant’s ankle has become the biggest storyline ahead of tonight’s game. While Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo stated, “My feel with him is he’ll do absolutely everything in order to play,” there’s still a question mark hanging over his ability to perform at full capacity.

It’s a legitimate game-time decision, and as Morant himself has made clear, he’s not planning on sitting this one out. You’ve gotta respect this guy’s stubbornness—he’s basically got the heart of a Rocky montage.

And honestly? This is their last chance to keep their playoff hopes alive and continue their championship dream. Offensively, Memphis is a juggernaut, finishing the regular season ranked second in the NBA in scoring as well as field goals made. As for their three-point percentage? 11th with a 36.7%. So yeah, they can light it up like a New Year’s Eve fireworks show. Just a teeny tiny issue—defense.

Well, let’s just say if defense were a class, Memphis would be the kid in the back row playing Tetris while the teacher asks for attention. They’re 24th in points allowed per game (116.9), per stats.nba.com, and if you need a reminder of just how bad it gets, just Google how much Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry dropped on them last game. Seriously, go ahead.

But hey, let’s not completely roast them. Memphis is still a top-tier team in some areas, ranking 2nd in rebounding and 5th in scoring margin (once again, shout out to stats.nba.com). So, if they can manage to outscore their opponents (you know, just do what they’re good at), and if Ja Morant shows up in something resembling full health, they might just pull this thing off.

It’s a Play-In push, folks—and in typical Grizzlies fashion, they’re either going to blow us all away (no pun intended) or give us a reason to question the existence of their defense. Let’s see which version shows up.