Three Takeaways From OKC Thunder's Improbable Game 3 Comeback in Memphis

The Oklahoma City Thunder gradually erased a 29-point first-half deficit to win a 114-108 Game 3 thriller against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night. It was the second-largest comeback win in NBA playoff history — only surpassed by the LA Clippers tying their first-round series against the Golden State Warriors at a game apiece after going down 31 points on April 15, 2019.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a member of both victories. He recorded 31 points on 10-for-26 shooting, eight assists, four rebounds, a steal and a block in 40 minutes. However, he missed all four attempts in the restricted area including an uncontested fast-break dunk. The three-time All-Star has shot under 40% from the field in all three games as his team has taken a 3-0 series lead.

Jalen Williams, meanwhile, put together another efficient performance. He finished with 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block in 37 minutes. Williams did most of his scoring damage in the first half, although he drained a massive right-wing 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the third quarter to bring Oklahoma City within eight points.

Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. exploded for 28 points on 16 shots, going 6-for-10 from beyond the 3-point line. He added five rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block, serving as the primary catalyst for Memphis' commanding lead.

Statistic	Thunder	Grizzlies
Points	114	108
2-Pointers	26-for-48	22-for-41
3-Pointers	13-for-38	14-for-42
Free Throws	23-for-33	22-for-26
Turnovers	11	16
Offensive Rebounds	12	9

Let's dive into three takeaways from the Thunder's miraculous comeback.

The momentum shifts after Ja Morant leaves with hip injury

The elephant in the room following the final buzzer remains Ja Morant's second-quarter injury. On a two-on-one fast break, Morant received a behind-the-back pass from Pippen Jr. and attempted an explosive finish through Luguentz Dort, who slipped and turned around moments before the Memphis star went airborne.

Unfortunately, Morant tumbled over Dort's stationary body and fell hard onto his left hip. He shot both free throws from the common foul to remain eligible to return but went to the locker room and watched the rest of the game with crutches on the Grizzlies bench.

"I hope he's okay," Dort said. "I was running back, making a hustle play for my team. I was running quick, stopped on a dime. I didn't know he was behind me, and I was slipping. Still tried to make a play on the ball, but we just ran into each other and he fell down. ... I didn't mean to hit him like that."

Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort and Jalen Williams dapped Morant up at the free-throw line in order.

Memphis wing Desmond Bane made a baseline cut behind Cason Wallace and finished a wide-open layup right after Morant missed both attempts, giving the home team its eventual largest lead of the game. The Grizzlies' shot creation and ball security suffered mightily without their lead playmaker.

"I never want to see anyone get hurt," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "You want everybody to be at full strength. He's a great competitor. He was playing great — obviously, that had something to do with the game as well."

Alex Caruso shuts the door with defensive play after play

Two impactful performances off the bench were not enough for Alex Caruso, who has continued showing why his game is built for the playoffs. He tallied 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting, six rebounds, four steals, three assists and a block in 23 minutes — with most of that production coming in clutch time.

The Grizzlies scored nine points in Alex Caruso's 10 fourth-quarter minutes and went scoreless in the final 4:51. Caruso stripped All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. three times, with one going down as a blocked hook shot, and ripped the ball from Pippen Jr. to force a jump ball with 39 seconds left. His quick hands and relentless effort ultimately sealed the deal for Oklahoma City.

"That's the only advantage I have when guarding bigger players, is the ball exposes itself," Caruso said. "We talked about it as a team, being undersized at times this year, being aggressive in those situations. Sometimes we're gonna foul, but a lot of times we're gonna get deflections, we're gonna get steals and we're gonna be able to run. Just taking advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself."

Caruso said a positive for the Thunder following its abysmal first-half showing was the amount of time remaining, as there was "a lot of possessions in the game."

"I just felt like at halftime, when we were down 26, I was talking to the guys in the locker room about getting it to low double-digits — 10, 11, 12," Caruso said. "And from there, I felt like we could win the game."

Chet Holmgren comes alive in second half

After scoring one first-half point on 0-for-4 shooting, Chet Holmgren knocked down five second-half triples en route to 23 points. The big man curled off an Isaiah Hartenstein down screen for an open top-of-the-key three on Oklahoma City's first third-quarter possession, setting the tone as the Thunder executed its largest comeback of the season.

"First of all, credit to Mark (Daigneault) for sticking with me," Holmgren said. "Changed the trajectory of the game, trusting me and calling a play for me to bomb one out of half after that shitstorm that I put up in the first half. ... Once I saw one go in, I felt good."

Holmgren scored 11 straight Thunder points from 5:37 to 3:50 of the third quarter, including two catch-and-shoot triples from Jalen Williams and a left-handed layup over Santi Aldama, to help cut the Grizzlies' halftime lead in half. He threw down two dunks as part of the comeback — a second-chance flush right after an airball and an emphatic driving slam past Zach Edey in the early shot clock.

Holmgren tallied 24 points on 8-for-16 shooting, eight rebounds (two offensive) and a game-high +18 plus-minus in 32 minutes. He has held Memphis to 17-for-39 2-point shooting, including 9-for-21 on shots within six feet, as the primary defender during the last three games.

The Thunder aims to complete its second straight first-round sweep against the Grizzlies tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. CST.