play-in tournament, Memphis Grizzlies (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
If you’re a Memphis Grizzlies fan, you’re all-too-familiar with the NBA’s play-in format. In the season before last, Memphis was knocked out via play-in by the Portland Trail Blazers, sending the Grizz into an early offseason.
Last season, the Grizzlies found a better fate, winning in the first round of the play-in tournament against an intra-divisional rival in the San Antonio Spurs. They wouldn’t stop there either, defeating the Golden State Warriors in the next round to advance to the NBA Playoffs, where they would steal a game against the Utah Jazz before being sent home in a total of five games.