Updated standings, schedule, and more (April 11)

The Memphis Grizzlies suffered another tough blow Friday night, dropping their second straight with a 117-109 road loss to the Denver Nuggets. Memphis, who once held a 15-point lead, faded late and was outscored 25-14 in the fourth quarter, a collapse that hurt their hopes of climbing the Western Conference standings.

Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies with 24 points and six rebounds, while Ja Morant struggled with efficiency, going 8-for-21 and finishing with 21 points and six assists.

The Grizzlies’ frontcourt duo of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey combined for 26 points and 17 rebounds, but couldn’t contain Nikola Jokic (26 points, 16 rebounds, 13 assists) and Aaron Gordon (33 points, five rebounds), who powered the Nuggets to a win that locked them into the No. 4 seed in the West.

Memphis has battled adversity all season long — from season-ending injuries to Brandon Clarke and rookie Jaylen Wells that weakened their defense, to a late-season coaching change.

Now, with just one game left in the regular season, the Grizzlies are facing a very real possibility of slipping into the play-in tournament. Here’s how things look.

Memphis Grizzlies playoff picture: Updated standings

Friday’s defeat dropped Memphis to 47-34. They’re now sitting at No. 8 in the Western Conference, one game behind the No. 7 Golden State Warriors.

Memphis Grizzlies playoff picture: Remaining schedule

The Grizzlies will close the regular season at home in a must-win matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, who are already play-in bound.

Sunday’s finale could be make-or-break — not just for Memphis, but for determining the entire playoff seeding in the Western Conference.

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John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university’s official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant’s departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson’s record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro