The Memphis Grizzlies overcame significant obstacles to earn their playoff berth. Finishing eighth in the Western Conference, they had to navigate the play-in tournament to reach the quarterfinals. They lost their first play-in game on the road to the Golden State Warriors but seized their second opportunity, defeating the Dallas Mavericks at home to secure a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In the series so far, the Grizzlies have struggled to find their footing. Game 1 was a crushing defeat, with a 51-point loss, and while they showed slight improvement in Game 2, they still fell 118–99. In Game 3, they started strong, building a 29-point lead in the first half, but Ja Morant’s injury triggered a collapse, allowing the Thunder to erase the lead and claim a third victory. Now trailing 0–3, the Grizzlies face a daunting challenge, as no NBA team has ever recovered from such a deficit in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been dominant, having posted an exceptional regular season with a league-best 68 wins and 14 losses. This earned them the easiest playoff opponent, and they’ve capitalized on it, controlling the series with ease. It seems only an extraordinary turn of events could stop their advance to the Western Conference semifinals.
While the Thunder exploited the Grizzlies’ play-in fatigue in Game 1, their performance in Games 2 and 3 showcased both resilience and skill. The Grizzlies appear unable to counter Oklahoma City’s dominance. However, the Thunder still have areas to refine, particularly Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s shooting efficiency. In Game 1, he scored 15 points on 31% shooting (4/13); in Game 2, he managed 27 points on 34% shooting (10/29); and in Game 3, he led with 31 points but shot 38% (10/26).
Two nights ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies faced off, and the Thunder prevailed 114-108 at FedExForum.
The Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, Jalen Williams scored 26, and Chet Holmgren scored 24. Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 28, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 22, and Ja Morant scored 15 for the Grizzlies.
The Thunder have won all ten of their previous matches with these opponents.
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