Stiles Points: OKC Thunder Defense Suffocated Grizzlies in Game 1

The crowd was buzzing, the anticipation was felt throughout the Paycom Center for the start of the NBA Playoffs.

Oklahoma City is on a true championship quest, as bona fide contenders this season having turned in one of the most impressive and dominant regular seasons in NBA history. It all began on Sunday, in Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The tension only grew with the Thunder having not only a week off but having salted away its No. 1 seed long ago, rendering the rest of its regular season slate low-leverage.

In the Thunder's first game in weeks that felt as though it had stakes attached, they played suffocating defense which felt like a message to the league.

Oklahoma City was showcased with a noon tip-off on ABC, taking on Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., who walked into the Paycom Center D.O.A.

Bane was burned on defense and forced into four turnovers. Morant was met by Lu Dort; Jackson Jr. faded into the background, shrinking under the bright lights to the tune of just four total points.

Memphis was held to an embarrassing 80-point outing on 34% shooting from the floor, 17% shooting from 3-point land and turned the ball over a jaw-dropping 22 times in this contest.

Dort, Caruso and Wallace flustered, frustrated and furiously harassed Memphis' scorers. The Thunder's frontcourt played the ever upright Zach Edey off the floor. The Grizzlies' inexperienced bench boss had no answers for this unsolvable problem.

Memphis simply lacks the creators to take advantage of the Thunder's defense. Like a great front seven in football, Oklahoma City pinned its ears back to swarm ball handlers playing the gaps hard, packing the paint and launching themselves into the passing lanes to spark fastbreak bucks –– which OKC won 27-5.

Five different Thunder players logged blocks, seven members of the roster swiped steals and all of them did their jobs.

If Oklahoma City comes out with the same level of intensity, the result will be close to the same.

Sure, Memphis is going to play better –– in part because they have hit rock bottom –– but how much better can the Grizzlies truly be? Playmakers are not going to fall off trees, their lone 3-point shooter is banished to the bench. What will change?

The Thunder played suffocating defense, part of their game that has been consistently great this year. In the highest moments the intensity ramps up, and OKC is ready for it.