MEMPHIS, Tenn. _ The Mavericks wrapped up their season Wednesday knowing that they have a 2.7 percent chance of it turning out really good.
As the team with the ninth-worst record in the NBA, that's the percentage of chances of having their lottery number come up first, second or third next month for the 2017 draft.
Of course, the Mavericks were waiting on the outcome of the late Sacramento-Los Angeles Clippers game, which could help them rise another spot in the lottery pecking order.
They finished the regular season with a 100-93 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night. Their final record of 33-49 is the Mavericks' worst since the decade of despair, the '90s.
A Nicolas Brussino 3-pointer with just over a minute to go put the Mavericks up 97-90 and stopped a five-game losing streak.
Mostly, now, they know they will have a 2.2 percent chance at the No. 1 overall pick, a 2.6 percent chance at No. 2 and a 3.1 percent chance for the third pick. If they don't come up anywhere among those lucky selections, they'll pick where they fall after the three winners.
Assuming they are ninth, the top point guards _ Washington's Markelle Fultz, UCLA's Lonzo Ball, Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox and possibly North Carolina State's Dennis Smith _ will be gone by then.
Players who could be on the board: Florida State's Jonathan Isaac, Kentucky's Malik Monk and Arizona's Lauri Markkanen.
Suffice it to say the Mavericks can't afford to misfire on the pick.
"Who knows, eight vs. nine, it might be a guy we like as opposed to a guy we don't like," owner Mark Cuban said before the season finale about whether there's a real difference in draft position if they don't get lucky in the lottery.
He also said the end of this season has been pretty brutal.
"Put it this way, it's not the most pleasant situation for the end of the season," he said. "I've never been in this situation and I don't like it. It's fun to watch the young kids play. That's why I like preseason games. You hate to call the end of the NBA season preseason games, but that's the way it's been the past 10 games."
Rick Carlisle has had the job of coaxing this team to the finish line, which he did on Wednesday.
He stuck to the game plan of resting players, with five of his heavy lifters back in Dallas. But he got one last look at his younger players whose next action will be in the summer league in Las Vegas.
"We'll know better once we get to next year (and) see how this pans out with the draft and free agency," Carlisle said. "This (season) was unfortunately a necessary thing. When you go young, it's painful in the wins and losses."
