Oklahoma City Thunder Crush Memphis Grizzlies In Series Sweep 4-0
The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies played on Saturday in Game 4 of the NBA Playoffs Western Conference in the first round. The Grizzlies would try to avoid being eliminated from the playoffs without their star point guard, Ja Morant. Morant, who was hurt in Game 3, was ruled out with a hip injury after a mid-air collision, resulting in him crashing to the court. The Grizzlies were up 27 points before the injury to Morant. Who in the lineup could step up from the team to push the series to a Game 5?
The Oklahoma City Thunder were coming off a historic 27-point comeback in Game 3 against the Grizzlies, the second-largest margin in NBA Playoff history. OKC, the top team in the Western Conference, led the series 3-0 coming into Game 4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder’s star point guard, scored 31 points on 38% shooting and 8 assists.
The Thunder outscored the Grizzlies in the third quarter of Game 3, 36-18. OKC Power Forward, Chet Holmgren, shot 50% from the three-point line, snatched 8 rebounds, and scored 24 points. Could Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren catch fire again to put the Grizzlies in hibernation for the offseason?
Grizzlies Not Going Out Without a Fight
The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies played back and forth in the first quarter. Four minutes into the quarter, Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama made two three-pointers, giving the Grizzlies a 13-6 lead. The OKC Thunder would fight back, led by Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 16 points, 7-of-7 in the first quarter. Grizzlies Guard Scotty Pippen Jr finished the quarter with nine points, shooting 3-of-4 from the field and 1-of-3 from the three-point line. After one quarter, the Thunder led the Grizzlies 34-31.
The Oklahoma City Thunder would keep applying pressure in the second quarter, but the Memphis Grizzlies would not stay down. After five minutes, the Grizzlies would tie the score at 41 after a made shot from Bane. The Grizzlies would tie the game three different times in the second quarter. Jalen Williams for the Thunder shot 3-of-4 from the field and finished with 6 points in the quarter. Despite the Grizzlies outscoring the Thunder 28-26, OKC would still lead at halftime 60-59. After the first half, Gilgeous-Alexander would lead all scorers with 19. The Memphis Grizzlies shot 50% from the field against the Thunder’s 49%.
Too Much Thunder
In the third quarter, the Grizzlies continued battling to take the lead. Pippen Jr. and Bane were the driving forces. The two combined for 16 points in the third quarter, but Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 12 points by himself for OKC in the third quarter. The Thunder took an 8-point lead with four minutes left in the quarter. Jaren Jackson Jr for the Grizzlies shot 50% from the field and finished the quarter with 2 points. At the end of the third, the Grizzlies trailed 88-85.
The combination of shots did not fall in the fourth quarter. The OKC Thunder were too much for the Grizzlies. The lead grew to as much as 12 in the fourth quarter. Jalen Williams shot 3-of-6 from the field, scoring nine points in the quarter. He finished with 23 points for the game. Pippen Jr. fouled out and had a playoff-high 30 points. Turnovers would be part of the Grizzlies ‘ downfall, having 22 of them for the game. The Thunder capitalized on them scoring 32 points. The Thunder finished off the Grizzlies 117-115 and advanced to the next round of the NBA Playoffs.
Final Thoughts
Could this series have been more enjoyable with Morant in it? If Morant had not been hurt in Game 3, the Thunder might not have gotten a win that night. Maybe it would have sparked momentum for the Memphis Grizzlies. Considering how the Thunder played throughout the series, it’s hard to say. All we know now is that the Oklahoma City Thunder move on and wait to see who wins the series between the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
