Oklahoma City had the best record in the NBA this season, and the Thunder showed why in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against Memphis on Sunday.
The Thunder opened the second quarter with a 19-2 run, turning a solid lead into a runaway. By the end of the half, OKC’s edge had ballooned to 68-36, and by the end of the third it was 112-63 — and it was only that close because Marvin Bagley III drilled a half-court buzzer-beater. The final period was garbage time, with the Thunder cruising to a 131-80 victory.
It was the largest margin of victory in a Game 1 in NBA playoff history, and the fifth-largest margin in any playoff game.
Perhaps most impressive about the Thunder’s dominance was the relative lack of impact by OKC star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had a season-low 15 points on 4-for-13 shooting. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points per game in the regular season.
In other action Sunday, the Magic visit the Celtics (live now on ABC), the Cavaliers play host to the Heat (7 p.m. ET on TNT), and the Rockets take on the Warriors (9:30 p.m. ET on TNT).
Thunder 131, Grizzlies 80
Thunder showed just how frightening they can be
If there were any questions about whether Oklahoma City’s dominant regular season would translate to the postseason, the Thunder delivered a near-historic performance in Game 1, putting the league on notice of exactly how loaded and lethal they could be in these playoffs.
Oklahoma City led by as many as 56 points, nearly setting an NBA record for the largest margin of victory in a playoff game. The Denver Nuggets in 2009 and the Minneapolis Lakers in 1956 each won playoff games by 58 points. The Thunder’s +12.9 point differential in the regular season set an NBA record.
The Thunder led by 32 points at halftime, holding the Grizzlies to 33 percent shooting at that juncture, and just 34 percent for the game. Six Thunder players scored in double digits, led by Aaron Wiggins’ 21 points off the bench. Oklahoma City shot 50 percent and outscored the Grizzlies 27-5 in fast-break points. The Thunder forced Grizzlies star Ja Morant into being a passer and perimeter shooter, holding him to 17 points on 6-for-17 shooting and 1-for-6 on 3-pointers. Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. was held to four points and three rebounds on 2-for-13 shooting. — Darnell Mayberry
After an inexcusable effort, Grizzlies’ belief in themselves will be tested
There are a variety of words one can use to describe the Grizzlies’ performance in Game 1. Ugly. Embarrassing. Uninspired. Nauseating. Regardless of how you describe it, it’ll go down as one of the most lopsided playoff losses in NBA history.
There is no doubt that the Grizzlies were put in an awful position, having to play the best team in the league just 36 hours after making it out of the Play-In Tournament, all while star point guard Morant is still recovering from a severe right ankle sprain he suffered early in the week.
While that might be true, this was still an inexcusable lack of effort and focus from a Memphis team that at one point earlier this season looked like a potential threat to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference. Coming out of this one, there aren’t any positive takeaways. There aren’t any silver linings. The only solace Memphis can take as it leaves Paycom Center is that this will only count as one loss and it will have a chance to respond with a better effort in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
The biggest test coming away from a game like this is whether the Grizzlies can muster enough belief in themselves to keep fighting the rest of this series or if it only took one game for the Thunder to snatch their confidence. The next 48 hours will be one of the most difficult challenges Morant, Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have experienced during their time in a Grizzlies uniform. — Will Guillory
(Photo of Cason Wallace and Isaiah Hartenstein (55): Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)
