The NBA Play-In Tournament has a short history with this season being the fifth season of its existence with the current format, and the sixth season overall. The idea was first introduced during the shortened 2020 COVID-19 campaign when the NBA brought all teams that could get within four games of the eighth seed to create competition between the lower seeds.
After the Grizzlies participated in the tournament's first iteration, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in the only play-in game that was triggered, the NBA decided to extend it to include the 10th seeds. With a 2-2 record in their four play-in tournament opportunities, Memphis has history on its side ahead of their matchup against the Dallas Mavericks tonight.
The NBA's 10th seed has never made the playoffs through the play-in tournament
Luckily for the Memphis Grizzlies, they have never began the play-in tournament in the 10th seed position. They were the ninth seed in 2020 and 2021, and the eighth seed this season, with a chance to extend their postseason livelihood.
Since the inclusion of the 10th seeds in the Play-In Tournament, their record in the tournament was 2-8 heading into this season's games. However, both the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat blew out the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls, respectively, to improve that record to 4-8 and give them a huge opportunity to become the first teams to make it to the playoffs.
The two wins by the 10th-seeded teams prior to this season happened in the same year, too, as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls defeated the New Orleans Pelicans and Toronto Raptors, respectively, during the 2023 play-in tournament before losing by double-digit points in the next game(s).
It's tough for the 10th seed to pull off back-to-back upsets in consecutive road games when having to face an opponent who is either playing consecutive home games or has traveled back home after playing the day before their 10th-seeded counterparts. This is new territory for the Grizzlies as their previous play-in outcome saw them defeat the 10th seed San Antonio Spurs at home before upsetting the eighth seed Golden State Warriors in 2021.
The Dallas Mavericks arguably present a tougher out than any opponent in play-in history due to their championship pedigree with Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis. Injuries to Davis and Kyrie Irving that followed their shocking trade of Luka Doncic have them in this position, but in a one-game scenario, anything can happen.