Thunder Trounced by Grizzlies in Memphis

Without defensive standout Lu Dort and veteran wing Kenrich Williams, the Oklahoma City Thunder were defeated by the Memphis Grizzlies 123-102 on Wednesday night, ending OKC’s three-game win streak.

Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant notched a triple-double against the Thunder, totaling 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. For Oklahoma City, emerging star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points, seven assists and three rebounds.

The Thunder struggled to hit shots at the beginning of the game, starting the contest 3-of-12 from the field. All three of OKC's field goals came from beyond the arc however, which kept Oklahoma City and Memphis knotted at 11. After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Grizzlies led 27-25.

Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 12 points, three rebounds, one steal and one assist in the opening period, shooting a whopping 10 free throws in the quarter.

With their star on the bench for the majority of the second quarter, the Thunder kept pace with the Grizzlies, never trailing by more than seven points. Gilgeous-Alexander scored his first points of the second quarter with a minute left in the first half, bringing the Thunder within five.

At halftime, Memphis lead OKC 57-52 behind 12 points from both Morant and Dillon Brooks. For Oklahoma City, Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 14 points and second-year guard Tre Mann notched nine points midway through the contest.

OKC's first half shooting kept the Thunder in contention, going 10-of-12 from the free throw line and 8-of-17 from 3-point range in the first 24 minutes. In comparison, the Grizzlies only connected on six free throws and shot 5-of-17 from downtown.

Brooks responded coming out of halftime, nailing three consecutive triples followed by a mid-range jumper, accounting for the Grizzlies first 11 points of the third quarter and pushing the Memphis lead to 68-63.

With the Grizzlies up 73-67, Memphis big man Jaren Jackson Jr. was called for a foul. Jackson Jr. expressed his frustration with the call and was assessed a technical foul, giving Oklahoma City a free throw and possession of the ball. Second-year guard Josh Giddey then connected on a 3-point shot to cut the Grizzlies lead to 73-71.

Memphis quickly extended their lead to nine behind a 9-2 run late in the third period. Morant capped off the Grizzlies' impressive stretch by taking a charge on rookie ball-handler Jalen Williams and finishing an impressive layup over Aleksej Pokusevski, dancing off the court as the Thunder called a timeout.

OKC answered right back with 3-pointers from sharpshooting guard Isaiah Joe and veteran big man Mike Muscala, cutting the Memphis lead back to three. In the blink of an eye, however, Oklahoma City was behind once again, trailing 92-83 after a triple from Morant.

Heading into the final frame, the Grizzlies led the Thunder 94-87 behind 26 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists from Morant.

Memphis opened the fourth quarter with five points from Jackson Jr. to push the Grizzlies lead to 12 with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench. The Memphis big man's size and physicality was too much for OKC, who is desperately in need of injured rookie center Chet Holmgren's services.

The Grizzlies maintained their lead over the Thunder, downing Oklahoma City 123-102. OKC will meet the Cavaliers on Saturday at 6:30 P.M. in Cleveland.

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