Grizzlies Rake Thunder
Inconsistency continues to bite the Oklahoma City Thunder. After working the Lakers on Wednesday, the Thunder found themselves on the other end of a smackdown getting beat by Memphis 121-92
"Fools gold" that's how Chris Paul referred to the Thunder's first-quarter shooting performance. Oklahoma City shot over 50 percent from the field and three, helping amass an 18 point advantage. A lead the Grizzlies would erase with 5:54 to go in the second quarter when they went ahead 41-40.
Paul was right in his assessment; the Thunder fell in love with the three-point shot going 13/43 for the game while letting Memphis dictate the pace of play. During the first 12 minutes, the Thunder were moving the ball around and getting open looks, from the beginning of the second frame on, Oklahoma City was content to put up shots early in the clock.
Steven Adams sat out with a left leg contusion while Mike Muscala is still in the NBA's concussion protocol. The Grizzlies took advantage of the Thunder's thin frontcourt, scoring 56 points in the paint and dominating on the boards 58-36.
Paul was asked about how much Adams's absence affected the Thunder's defense. "Obviously we miss Steven, but we still had a game plan, had a nice lead, we just gotta play better." For the second game since the restart, Danilo Gallinari pointed to a lack of energy as the reason for an Oklahoma City loss.
If the Thunder is looking for a spark while waiting for the return of Dennis Schroder, then, they should take a cue from Lu Dort. Dort was one of the only bright spots this afternoon.
He not only scored 16 points while going 4/5 from beyond the arc; he showed his football player mentality thought this game. In the middle of the second quarter after making a steal, Dort was able to keep his eye on the ball while getting bumped by Anthony Tolliver, then hit in the back by Dillon Brooks, he landed out of bounds and got up as if it was nothing.
That play alone should have been enough to get Oklahoma City going, but it wasn't. The most disturbing part about this loss was the Thunder not salting away a Grizzlies team who was 0-4 in the bubble before today.
You hope that if the Thunder have a chance to close a team out in the playoffs, they won't be caught off guard when someone plays desperate. Up next, it's the Wizards who could be eliminated from the postseason by tip-off.
Thunder/Wizards Sunday at 11:30 on Fox Sports Oklahoma and 97.1 The Sports Animal.
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With more than 20 years of experience hosting local and national radio shows, Erik Gee is a fixture of Oklahoma sports media. He has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past six seasons. He is also the co-host of the Pat Jones show on 97.1 The Sports Animal in Tulsa.
