OKC Thunder Survive Fourth Quarter Push, Defeat Memphis On the Road

The Oklahoma City Thunder were faced with another challenging matchup in the Western Conference, this time against the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite a late fourth-quarter push, the Thunder walked away with a 125-112 victory.

It was quickly apparent that OKC was playing great team basketball against the Grizzlies. The Thunder opened up another 20-point lead into the second half, the fifth-straight game where Oklahoma City had done exactly that. It dissipated but still was a separating force in the game.

OKC's star pair went to work in the first half. Despite not shooting efficiently, lead guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still managed to finish the opening stretch of the game with 17 points. Jalen Williams also got out to a hot start, opening the game with 14 to his name.

Even with its star pairing getting off to impressive starts, guard Aaron Wiggins had arguably the best first half of any player on the court. He opened the game with 17 points and seven rebounds, going 6-for-10 from the field.

The rebounding advantage also played into the hands of the Thunder. They grabbed 13 offensive boards in the first half and out-rebounded Memphis by 16 in the first half. The towering presence of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey for the Grizzlies did not hold up on the glass to start, a key reason for them falling behind.

It may not have seemed like it, but OKC dominated the first half. The Thunder shot better from the perimeter, brought home more rebounds and committed fewer turnovers than the Grizzlies. All of that and more played into a 69-52 lead in favor of Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder at the end of the first half.

Shutting down Memphis's trio of Jackson, Desmond Bane and Ja Morant was significant in putting themselves in a position to win. Morant struggled to score the ball all game, going 6-for-19 from the field and finishing with 16 points. Bane also finished with 20 at the game's end.

On the other hand, Gilgeous-Alexander and Wiggins continued to stay hot. Because of that, the Thunder led 89-67 at the halfway point of the third quarter. The deficit would end up being too much for the Grizzlies to bounce back from regardless of what was to happen in the final quarter of the game.

For a team that's struggled to be efficient from beyond the arc this season, Oklahoma City knocked down more threes than normal. The Thunder finished the night 42.9% from outside, an impressive mark compared to the season average of 35.4%. It was above 50% for most of the game, as well.

There was simply nothing Memphis could do to stop the Thunder on offense for the remainder of the quarter OKC stuck to its fundamental principles, locking down on defense and getting to its traditional scoring spots on offense. They ended the third quarter leading 104-83.

It might not have been a 50-point performance like some have become accustomed to, but Gilgeous-Alexander still finished the game with 32 points on an inefficient 8-for-26 shooting. Wiggins also stayed hot, finishing with 26 and Williams with 25.

Memphis did go on an 8-2 run to open the fourth quarter without Gilgeous-Alexander on the court to respond. They got a once-24-point deficit down to 13 to open the quarter, showing they wouldn't go down without a fight.

That score might have gotten a little close for comfort, but in typical OKC fashion, the Thunder found a way to make it comfortable with help from Wiggins, Williams, and center Isaiah Hartenstein. Despite the close nature of the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City managed to close the game out.

OKC's next matchup is against the New Orleans Pelicans at 7:00 p.m. CT on Monday, Feb. 10 at home.

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