Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies were back in action Friday (April 18) night, battling the Dallas Mavericks in a high-stakes play-in showdown. The Grizzlies were fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive after dropping their first play-in game to the Golden State Warriors, 121-116.
Morant put up a solid effort in that loss, finishing with 22 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal on 9-of-18 shooting from the field and 1-of-3 from beyond the arc in 35 minutes.
Now, with their season on the line, Morant hit the floor once again—this time dealing with a sprained right ankle—as Memphis faced Dallas for the final spot in the playoffs. The winner would advance to play the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, April 20, in the first round.
Ja Morant vs. Mavericks Stats: How Much Did He Score During Play-In Win?
Player
PTS
REB
AST
STL
BL
TO
PF
FG
FT
3PT
Ja Morant
22
7
9
3
0
0
1
7-24
7-7
1-5
How Did Morant Perform During Play-In Game Against Mavericks?
Morant showed up like a man on a mission Friday night and turned the play-in stage into his personal highlight reel. Right from the jump, Morant looked ready to remind the league who he is.
He set the tone early with a jaw-dropping moment that went viral instantly. It was a put-back dunk that left jaws on the floor. In the first quarter, with four minutes left, Morant came sprinting in like a blur, took flight over teammate Santi Aldama, and slammed it home over the Mavericks’ defense. The Grizzlies bench exploded. The crowd went wild and X lit up. It was a straight-up “Welcome to the show” moment and it pushed Memphis to a 29-14 lead.
And he wasn’t done yet. Morant stayed relentless throughout the first half, racking up 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals—all without a single turnover. The Grizzlies went into halftime up 66-49, and Morant had his fingerprints all over it.
Fast forward to the fourth quarter, with tensions high and the Mavericks trying to close the gap, Morant delivered again. At the 9:13 mark, he drilled a tough 12-foot jumper to give Memphis a 103-86 lead. Minutes later, after a hard foul by Brandon Williams, he calmly knocked down both free throws, stretching the lead to 116-95 and deflating Dallas’ hopes.
By the time the buzzer sounded, the Grizzlies had sealed a dominant 120-106 win and Morant had logged a gritty 33 minutes, finishing with 22 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, and three steals. He went a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, commanded the floor, and gave Memphis everything it needed to stay alive.
Morant vs. Mavericks: Career Head-to-Head Stats Breakdown
When it comes to facing Dallas, Ja Morant has delivered some memorable performances. His career-high against the Mavericks came on January 23, 2022, when he exploded for 35 points and 13 rebounds in a tight road battle.
He’s also recorded 8+ assists in four different games and has crossed the 30-point mark twice against Dallas, including a 31-point night in their most recent regular-season matchup on March 7, 2025.
Across 10 career games against the Mavericks, Morant has averaged 23.1 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds, showing he’s more than capable of taking over when these two teams meet.
Morant career stats vs. Mavericks:
Feb 5, 2020 – 21 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists
Mar 6, 2020 – 11 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists
Feb 22, 2021 – 22 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists
Apr 14, 2021 – 17 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists
May 11, 2021 – 24 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists
Jan 14, 2022 – 19 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists
Jan 23, 2022 – 35 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists
Oct 22, 2022 – 20 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists
Dec 3, 2024 – 31 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists
Mar 7, 2025 – 31 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists
Morant’s Swagger is Never Down
If there’s one thing Morant never leaves behind—aside from his game—it’s that unfiltered, in-your-face swagger. Whether it’s pulling out the “fingre gun” taunt or mimicking a grenade toss after a clutch bucket
That energy carried into the Grizzlies-Mavs play-in clash when Morant got tangled up on a drive and got fouled hard by P.J. Washington. But instead of backing down, Ja did what Ja does—he started barking.
And right there, standing face-to-face with Anthony Davis, he let the world know: he ain’t scared of nobody.
The mic’d-up moment quickly went viral:
Davis: “I’ll guard you though.”
Morant: “Yeah, come on.”
Davis: “You know I’m going nowhere.”
Morant (cool and calm): “Come on.”
“I’ll guard you though.”
“Yeah come on!”
This exchange between AD and Ja Morant 🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/iA2e6Xjr7u
— ESPN (@espn) April 19, 2025
Classic Ja. Cool under pressure, loud when it counts. Needless to say, his killer instinct were on full display as the Grizzlies clashed with the Mavs for their playoffs fate.
In a game packed with pressure and playoff stakes, Ja gave it all. Now the Grizzlies advance to the Playoffs and who knows, a championship might be in the stores.
