Thunder Thrash Grizzlies by 51 Points in Playoff Opener
In a stunning display of dominance, the Oklahoma City Thunder trounced the Memphis Grizzlies 131-80 in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series on Sunday. The 51-point margin of victory was the largest in NBA playoff history for a Game 1 and the fifth-biggest margin of victory in postseason history, according to data from the Associated Press.
The Thunder’s impressive performance was led by Aaron Wiggins, who scored 21 points, followed by Jalen Williams with 20 points and Chet Holmgren with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s scoring champion with an average of nearly 33 points per game, scored a relatively modest 15 points. However, the Thunder’s balanced attack was evident as they shot 50.5% from the field.
As reported by the Associated Press, Gilgeous-Alexander emphasised the importance of staying true to their identity, stating, "We played to our identity. Nothing more, nothing less than that. We were who we were all year … and it’s going to be the key to our success, just staying true to who we are." The Thunder’s star player had previously highlighted the need to get his teammates better prepared for the postseason, and it appears that effort has paid off.
The Grizzlies, on the other hand, struggled to find their rhythm, with Ja Morant scoring 17 points on just 6-for-17 shooting. Jaren Jackson Jr., who averaged over 22 points in the regular season, managed just four points on 2-for-13 shooting. The Grizzlies’ poor shooting was reflected in their overall 34.4% field goal percentage.
The Thunder took control of the game with a 20-0 run in the second quarter, which gave them a 55-22 lead. They took a 35-point lead into halftime, and the Grizzlies were unable to mount a comeback. As noted by the Associated Press, this was Memphis’ first playoff game under interim coach Tuomas Iisalo, who coached just nine NBA regular-season contests before the play-in games.
Iisalo remained optimistic about his team’s chances, stating, "If you’re in a playoff series, it’s a best of seven. It doesn’t matter if you win by one point on a buzzer-beater or you win by 50 points, you get one win. So luckily for us, there’s only one way from this and that’s up. And we will analyze it and learn from it. And then we will fix those things that hurt us." The Grizzlies will look to bounce back in Game 2 on Tuesday, and Thunder coach Mark Daigneault expects a closer contest.
"They played 36 hours ago and had an emotional game, had to turn around and play at noon today, which is a really tough turnaround," Daigneault said, as quoted by the Associated Press. "So they’re going to be better Tuesday. So I thought we did a good job. But I don’t think we can expect that from them (again). You know they’re going to play a lot better than that."
The Thunder’s dominant performance has set the tone for the series, but the Grizzlies will look to regroup and even the series in Game 2. The Associated Press will continue to provide comprehensive coverage of the NBA playoffs.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
