If you prefer your March to have a little madness in it, you don't have to go to the college basketball world to find it.

The NBA just birthed a number of compelling storylines over the last month.

How about an MVP race featuring three superstar candidates with arguably identical resumes? Or a first-year hooper forcing his way into a Rookie of the Year discussion that was supposed to be closed months ago? On the other side of the coin, how about the reigning conference finalist that has wilted after betting big on a deadline deal? Or the franchise that's fully committed to forcing its 32-year-old face to pull the plug on a second consecutive wasted season?

Yeah, it's been a(nother) wild month in the Association, so let's cobble together a handful each of its biggest winners and losers.

Winner: Memphis Grizzlies

This easily could've been a disastrous month in Memphis. The Grizzlies, who were already without interior anchor Steven Adams (knee), suddenly saw their focal point, Ja Morant, suspended indefinitely after appearing to brandish handgun at a Denver nightclub on an Instagram Live video.

Yet, despite dropping three of its first four games this month (including the first two of Morant's suspension), the Grizzlies will enter Wednesday night with an NBA-high 11 victories this month. Moreover, they got Morant back after nine games away from the team and haven't lost since.

It's been an all-hands-on-deck kind of run for Memphis, which has seven different players averaging double-figures this month. Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are all pouring in better than 20 points per night. Luke Kennard has a bonkers 53.9/55.4/91.7 slash line. Tyus Jones can fit the Grand Canyon between his averages in assists (7.2) and turnovers (1.1).

There were legitimate reasons to wonder whether the bottom might fall out on Beale Street. Instead, the Grizzlies have trimmed their deficit behind the conference-leading Denver Nuggets to three games.

Loser: Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks, desperate in their search for a Luka Dončić co-star, went for broke at the trade deadline and gambled on Kyrie Irving. They looked beyond his rocky past, which earlier this season included an initial refusal to apologize and denounce antisemitism after promoting an antisemitic film on social media, and focused solely on his ability to get buckets.

They were at least correct in their prediction Irving would provide those in bunches. In 16 games for the Mavericks, Irving has averaged 26.3 points on 50/38.8/93.7 shooting. Where Dallas miscalculated, though, was in its assessment that it had enough defense and support scoring to make those buckets matter.

The Mavericks, who were seeded as high as fifth in the West earlier this month, have tumbled into a tie for 10th. Even the offense, which should be turbo-charged by the Irving-Dončić tandem, sits just 15th in efficiency during March. The Mavericks have a losing record this month when Irving and Dončić play together (3-4).

This was supposed to be a championship contender. You don't make an all-or-nothing trade for Irving unless you think you can make a run at a title. Dallas, instead, sits so far out of the championship discussion that analysts are wondering aloud whether this team should tank in hopes of saving the top-10 pick it owes the New York Knicks.

Winner: The Play-In Tournament

When the NBA adopted the play-in tournament in 2020, this has to exactly what it envisioned.

The stretch run, which often became a stretch slog in previous seasons as middling teams abandoned far-fetched playoff hopes and embraced the tank, has been an Olympic sprint this season.

In the East, just four games separate the sixth-seeded Brooklyn Nets from the 10th-seeded Chicago Bulls. In the (appropriately) wilder West, there is all of a 3.5-game gap between the fourth-seeded Phoenix Suns and the Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder, who are tied for the No. 10 seed.

Every night, the standings produce can't-miss drama, and some of the league's biggest names are involved. With the slightest stumble, Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors could fall into the play-in tournament. LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers are a shaky game or two away from slipping out of the play-in field.

That means there might be just as many eyeballs (if not more) transfixed on the back end of the playoff picture than there are tracking the top of the standings. The hyper-competitiveness is captivating, and the month of March merely increased the congestion.

Loser: The Tanking Race That Wasn't

With the top of the 2023 draft board populated by potential generational talents like Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, this season's tanking race could've been spectacular.

The league itself even readied itself for a race to the bottom like nothing ever seen before.

"We put teams on notice," NBA commissioner Adam Silver reportedly told Phoenix Suns employees last fall, per ESPN's Baxter Holmes. "We're going to be paying particular attention to the issue this year."

Turns out, no extra attention was needed.

Despite Wembanyama's hype train only picking up speed this season, the tank race never materialized. Sure, the San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets all have sub-.300 winning percentages, but given their collective dearth of talent, those marks might just be the reflections of their rosters.

The Charlotte Hornets, winners of three straight, are pressing down on the gas pedal for some reason. The Orlando Magic have hovered around .500 this month (6-8). The Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards have started to skid, but they can only fall so far after chasing maximum competitiveness earlier this season.

Winner: A Competitive MVP Race

Who's the favorite right now for the MVP award? Well, that depends on whom you ask—and when you ask them.

Some nights, Nikola Jokić seems destined to take home his third consecutive piece of hardware. Other nights, Joel Embiid feels like the frontrunner. On others, Giannis Antetokounmpo feels like the right choice.

This last month has done nothing to clear up the confusion. If you're someone who prefers a competitive MVP race, it's appointment viewing any time any of those three hit the hardwood.

In March, Embiid paces the trio in points (34.5) and blocks (2.2), and Jokić has the edge in field-goal percentage (64), rebounds (12.8) and assists (9.4). Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, has done nothing to fall out of this race, with a monthly stat line of 30.3 points, 10.2 boards and 6.7 assists while shooting a blistering 61.3 percent from the field.

All three are deserving candidates. All three have a legitimate chance to win.

Loser: MVP Candidates Not Named Embiid, Jokić or Antetokounmpo

Back on December, NBA.com gave Jayson Tatum the top rung on its MVP ladder. That same month, ESPN's Tim Bontemps ran a straw poll of 100 media members, and they also had Tatum in the top spot.

One month later, an absurdly hot Luka Dončić held down the No. 2 spot in NBA.com's MVP ladder.

Both had realistic hopes of capturing the Michael Jordan Trophy. If those dreams weren't dashed before March started, then those bubbles officially burst this month.

While the latest MVP ladder still puts Tatum and Dončić fourth and fifth, respectively, those rankings are effectively meaningless in what's clearly become a three-player race.

Tatum's three-point (30.7) and free-throw (80.6) percentages have dipped lower in March than they've been all season. Boston's .571 winning percentage this month matches its worst of the season. It's a similar story for Dončić, who's having his worst month in points (31.1), rebounds (7.8) and field-goal shooting (43.8). Dallas' .385 winning percentage is also its worst of the campaign.

These are obviously still great players, but they are no longer viable MVP candidates.

Winner: Jalen Williams' Rookie of the Year Candidacy

Remember how, for the bulk of this season, Paolo Banchero was essentially running unopposed for Rookie of the Year honors? Well, Oklahoma City Thunder freshman Jalen Williams apparently never got the memo.

While Banchero remains the heavy favorite, Williams has at least opened up some discussion.

"I would argue that he's making a late push and a worthy push for Rookie of the Year," J.J. Redick said on The Old Man and The Three podcast. "... You could make a strong argument that Jalen Williams has had a better rookie season than Paolo Banchero."

If any award voters share this sentiment, the month of March will be part of the reason why.

All Williams has done this month is simultaneously pushed his volume contributions and his efficiency to season-high levels. He's sitting on March averages of 19.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists along with a sizzling 56.3/48.6/86.2 shooting slash. Banchero, for reference, has a March stat line of 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists with a 44.3/37.3/68.2 slash. Williams is a plus-32 in 445 minutes this month, while Banchero is a minus-50 in 476.

Will this surge push Williams to a come-from-behind win? Probably not, but the fact it can't be completely ruled out is a huge testament to the Sooner State's young swingman.

Loser: Bennedict Mathurin's Rookie of the Year Hopes

For much of this season's first half, Bennedict Maturin looked like the most likely player to challenge Paolo Banchero for Rookie of the Year honors.

That obviously isn't happening now.

The things that made Mathurin an intriguing candidate back then—lights-out shooting, aggressive finishing, the Indiana Pacers' unexpected success—just aren't part of the equation anymore.

His March average of 11.4 points per game is easily the worst of his season. Exiting a game early with an ankle injury that cost him the next four contests didn't help, but since returning, he's had one game with two points and another with only four. He's shooting just 30.4 percent from three this month (he was at 40.3 percent through the end of November) and nearly doubling his 1.1 assists with 2.1 turnovers.

The Pacers, meanwhile, are a ho-hum 5-8 this month, and they've been 4.3 points worse per 100 possessions with Mathurin than without him.

Winner: Sacramento Kings

The last time the Sacramento Kings went to the playoffs, Rick Adelman was their head coach, Mike Bibby was their leading scorer and George W. Bush was president. It's been a minute.

More specifically, the Kings went an NBA-record 16 consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance, but the drought is finally over.

Wednesday's 120-80 rout of the reeling Portland Trail Blazers finally put the Kings back into the postseason. It also bumped their March win total to 10, a mark only reached by four other teams.

Even the most optimistic members of the Sacramento faithful must be blown away by this season. The Kings sent two players to the All-Star Game: De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. They should have one on the All-Rookie first team in Keegan Murray. They have the Coach of the Year favorite in Mike Brown and a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in Malik Monk.

It's anyone's guess how long Sacramento can keep standing in the postseason—its offense is all-caps ELITE, but the defense is plenty generous—but that doesn't matter right now. The Kings are playoff participants again. Finally. Light the beam!

Loser: Portland Trail Blazers

Remember when the Trail Blazers abandoned ship last season and veered into a tank job that ultimately kept a lottery-protected pick away from the Chicago Bulls? That plunge served a purpose and delivered exciting rookie Shaedon Sharpe, but it was supposed to be a one-time thing.

"I want you to know one thing: this will not continue," Damian Lillard said while addressing fans last season. "Next year, we're gonna be back better than before."

Lillard did his part to lift up the Blazers, engineering perhaps his most productive season to date. But Portland didn't have enough around him for that to matter. The Blazers, who are 3-12 in March, opted to shut down Lillard early for the second consecutive season, per Bleacher Report and TNT's Chris Haynes.

Portland still owes that lottery-protected pick to Chicago, so at least it will salvage something from this season. However, the pick has protections through 2028, which complicates the team's ability to use draft picks in trades. Not to mention, one can only assume that Lillard, who turns 33 this summer, is less than thrilled about his team falling so colossally short of expectations again.

Statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com and accurate through Tuesday.

Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.