MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Ja Morant shrugged off a sprained right ankle to post 22 points and nine assists, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Dallas Mavericks 120-106 on Friday night to advance to the NBA playoffs.
Memphis secured the Western Conference's eighth seed and will open against top-seeded Oklahoma City in a best-of-seven series beginning Sunday on the Thunder's home court.
Morant was injured Tuesday night at Golden State in the Grizzlies' play-in opener and was questionable to play Friday.
At the postgame news conference Friday, Morant confirmed that he underwent an MRI and received a pain-killing injection Thursday, and that he received another pain-killing injection before Friday's pregame warmups.