The Memphis Grizzlies fell to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, but in the tanking standings, it was arguably their most important result of the season with the 2026 NBA Draft lottery on the line.
The Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. If you're reading this, that's cause for celebration.
Unless you're a Mavericks fan. That's right, folks - we're talking about tanking again. This was a particularly consequential game in the much-reviled "Tankathon standings".
Although for the Grizzlies, there's still work to be (not) done. As it stands, the Mavericks are one game ahead of the Grizzlies in losses. (This will be a confusing dynamic in the NBA until the rules are changed.)
The Mavericks are 22-44, and Memphis is 23-42. That puts them a game and a half behind Dallas (in the tanking standings, which is what we'll refer to from here on).
This is an inflection point in the tanking standings. The Pelicans are two games behind Memphis, and with the way their season has gone, they'll be difficult to catch. Nobody should rule it out, but for now, out-losing the Mavericks is key.
On Thursday, Memphis looked ready to do just that.
That's not to say there was nothing to enjoy from a traditional perspective in this contest.
Jaylen Wells dropped 23 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 shooting from deep. He's typically viewed as a 3-and-D, so any primary scoring chops he displays are a bonus.
The same goes for Taylor Hendricks. Most of his buckets were assisted, but the 17 points he put up were encouraging. Hendricks was hyper-efficient on 7/12 shooting from the field and 3/6 shooting from distance. As always, three-point shooting is Hendricks' swing skill as an NBA player.
Rayon Rupert was solid again with 13 points. Javon Small was outstanding with 19 points and 9 assists. The Grizzlies largely played well, save for 3 points on 1/9 shooting from Tyler Burton. Yet, that exemplifies the point: Tyler Burton played 29 minutes in this one.
The Grizzlies are in a different position than the Mavericks. They have a franchise player. If Cooper Flagg is playing well, it behooves them to facilitate his development. There's even a benefit in surrounding him with solid veterans like Khris Middleton, who largely carried the day for Dallas in this game.
Memphis doesn't have the same considerations. They don't know what their future holds. They only know that it's in their best interests to maximize their lottery odds ahead of a stacked 2026 class.
As such, consider this loss a massive win.