Apr 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) blocks a shot by Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) in the third quarter during game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Oklahoma City enters Thursday’s Game 3 of its first-round Western Conference series against the Memphis Grizzlies with a comfortable 2-0 lead.
Comfortable as in the two Thunder victories have come by 51 and 19 points.
And comfortable as in Oklahoma City has easily won both games despite less-than-stellar performances from MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
When the series shifts to Memphis for Games 3 and 4, Gilgeous-Alexander will attempt to regain the form that easily carried the Thunder to the Western Conference’s best record.
In the series opener — a 131-80 OKC victory — Gilgeous-Alexander scored a season-low 15 points on 4-of-13 shooting. In Game 2, Alexander scored 27 points, but made only 10 of 29 shots. That included just three of his 10 3-point tries.
It has been frustrating for Gilgeous-Alexander, but he’s thankful the Thunder’s talent, depth and defensive prowess has made up for his struggles.
“I feel like I’m getting looks that I usually make, just missing them, that’s part of basketball,” he said. “Because my team is really good, we’ve won two games by a decent margin. They’ve had my back the last two nights.”
In Game 1, Aaron Wiggins had 21 points and Jalen Williams scored 20, while Chet Holmgren contributed 19 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. In Game 2, Williams had 24 points and Holmgren added 20 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.
Oklahoma City has dominated thanks to its trademark suffocating defense. The Thunder held Memphis to 34 percent shooting in the opener and forced 24 turnovers. In Game 2, it was more of the same. The Thunder limited Memphis to 17 first-quarter points and forced the Grizzlies to miss their first 10 shots.
And it was that defense, and offensive rebounding, that allowed the Thunder to withstand a strong third quarter by the Grizzlies. Oklahoma City finished with 16 offensive rebounds in Game 2.
“Our defense stayed with it,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. “We still stacked stops despite not a great shooting half and not a lot of easy stuff. Our perseverance in the third quarter, just to grind through that quarter and (get offensive rebounds). We just manufactured second-half offense to win.”
Memphis interim coach Tuomas Iisalo witnessed a better performance from his team, but not one capable of overcoming the top-seeded Thunder. Memphis never led in Game 2.
“Not much changed between the games,” Iisalo said. “They controlled the offensive boards and were able to generate turnovers from us, which means it’s very difficult to run.
“They get live-ball turnovers, which is the situation that produces the most expected points.”
One encouraging sign for the Grizzlies was the improved play of forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who finished with 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting in Game 2. Jackson managed but four points on 2-of-13 shooting in Game 1.
“I think I was just more aggressive,” Jackson said. “I just read the defense differently than I did in Game 1. I didn’t just allow myself to be doubled or tripled.”
Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant backed Jackson with 23 points and helped the Grizzlies trim an 18-point halftime deficit to single digits in the third quarter.
“I feel like we had a little more flow and more ball movement,” Morant said of the third quarter. “The passes were on time and on target. Guys were stepping into it with some rhythm and started knocking down shots.”
–Field Level Media
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Curt Cignetti Dreamed Bigger — Now Indiana Football Is Living It
EUGENE, Ore. — When it finally ended — when the meaningless heave from Oregon quarterback Dante Moore rattled between bodies and dropped to the Autzen Stadium turf — wave upon wave of deliriously defiant Hoosiers raced toward the west end zone, toward a mob of ebullient Indiana fans that had flown across the country and were now inching ever closer to the front row, encroaching on territory long ago vacated by dejected Ducks supporters. Some of Indiana’s players promptly hoisted themselves atop the railing like a modified Lambeau Leap. Others raised their hands and pointed at familiar faces in the stands. Everyone sang, clapped and danced as the fight song blared. Indiana Hoosiers players and fans celebrate a 30-20 win over the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) <!--> -->And then, after completing a brief postgame interview […]
Misery Index: Florida State is underachieving under Mike Norvell for one simple reason
The rise of Florida State as a national power under Bobby Bowden did not rely on a complicated formula. It was, quite simply, one of the most relentless recruiting machines college football has ever seen, leveraging FSU’s location near talent hotbeds in Florida and Georgia while building an environment where iconoclast personalities could thrive and be themselves.In many ways, Jimbo Fisher repeated that feat in 2013 when the Seminoles returned to national championship glory, assembling one of the most talented rosters in recent college football history.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhile success in this sport always correlates with talent to some degree, there are realistically only 10 to 15 programs that can recruit at a truly elite level because of their natural advantages.Florida State is one of those jobs. But Mike Norvell has not been one of those coaches who can take advantage of it.When […]
Belief is in short supply at Auburn, and the Tigers are suffering as a result
AUBURN, Ala. — Even Cam Newton, perhaps the greatest college football player ever, has his limits. Back in town on the occasion of his jersey retirement, Newton spent most of Saturday night’s game against Georgia stalking the sidelines of Jordan-Hare Stadium. Megaphone in hand, Newton exhorted the crowd, berated the refs, did all he possibly could to fire up the Auburn Tigers. You got the sense that Newton — who won both a Heisman and a national championship in one single, glorious year at Auburn — would have given a whole lot to suit up for one more game.And a whole lot of the sellout crowd at Jordan-Hare would have given up a whole lot themselves to see the current model of the Tigers show even a fraction of the fire that Newton brought to this stadium in 2010. Instead, […]
FOX Broadcast Booth Relives 15-Inning ALDS Instant Classic: ‘I Wanted It to Keep Going’
What’s it like to call the longest winner-take-all game in MLB postseason history? It's a booth where nobody moves for 15 innings, nobody even dares go to the bathroom. And you never quite know when someone is going to scream "BUNT!"I caught up with FOX Sports broadcasters Adam Amin, A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Wainwright on Saturday morning after the Mariners’ 3-2 win against the Tigers in the deciding Game 5 of the American League Division Series, a 15-inning marathon that led to a missed flight, a chance encounter with a Mariners legend and some special messages for the crew. Here’s what they had to say.(Questions and answers may be edited for brevity and clarity.) Have you guys had a second to breathe or at least and think, ‘I just got to call one of the more memorable games in recent MLB history?’Amin: I […]
The death of Mark Townsend at Hillsborough: What we learned from the inquest
On September 28 last year, West Bromwich Albion fan Mark Townsend died after suffering a cardiac arrest at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium.Immediately, concerns were raised about the quality of care he received in the aftermath of the incident. “I want the truth to be out,” Mark’s brother, Steve Townsend, told The Athletic last month, ahead of a two-week inquest into the circumstances surrounding the 57-year-old’s death.AdvertisementAfter hearing seven days of evidence, Senior Coroner for South Yorkshire Tanyka Rawden concluded that, though Mark’s cardiac arrest was on the balance of probabilities “unsurvivable”, a lack of ventilation and drugs for over 15 minutes following his collapse was “contributory” to his death.Rawden was critical of the decision to involve both private contractor Lambda Medical and Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) in providing Mark’s care.She described “confusion” between the two agencies, while acknowledging that this “did not […]
MLB playoffs 2025: Toronto Blue Jays watched from home, bed and even a bar as Mariners won epic, marathon Game 5
TORONTO — Everybody was talking about it. How could you not?Even here at Rogers Centre, a building bursting with anticipation for ALCS Game 1 on Sunday, folks were bleary eyed from taking in the eternal thrill ride that was Game 5 of the ALDS between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers. With the victorious Mariners airborne en route to Toronto, many of the Jays players and coaches were asked how they experienced the chaotic, 15-inning marathon the night prior.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSome stayed up into the wee hours to see which team the Blue Jays would square off against with a trip to the World Series on the line. Others, by design or by accident, went to bed.[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]The latter the case for Game 1 starter Kevin Gausman, who admitted during his Saturday media […]
Related
Curt Cignetti Dreamed Bigger — Now Indiana Football Is Living It
EUGENE, Ore. — When it finally ended — when the meaningless heave from Oregon quarterback Dante Moore rattled between bodies and dropped to the Autzen Stadium turf — wave upon wave of deliriously defiant Hoosiers raced toward the west end zone, toward a mob of ebullient Indiana fans that had flown across the country and were now inching ever closer to the front row, encroaching on territory long ago vacated by dejected Ducks supporters. Some of Indiana’s players promptly hoisted themselves atop the railing like a modified Lambeau Leap. Others raised their hands and pointed at familiar faces in the stands. Everyone sang, clapped and danced as the fight song blared. Indiana Hoosiers players and fans celebrate a 30-20 win over the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) <!--> -->And then, after completing a brief postgame interview […]
Misery Index: Florida State is underachieving under Mike Norvell for one simple reason
The rise of Florida State as a national power under Bobby Bowden did not rely on a complicated formula. It was, quite simply, one of the most relentless recruiting machines college football has ever seen, leveraging FSU’s location near talent hotbeds in Florida and Georgia while building an environment where iconoclast personalities could thrive and be themselves.In many ways, Jimbo Fisher repeated that feat in 2013 when the Seminoles returned to national championship glory, assembling one of the most talented rosters in recent college football history.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhile success in this sport always correlates with talent to some degree, there are realistically only 10 to 15 programs that can recruit at a truly elite level because of their natural advantages.Florida State is one of those jobs. But Mike Norvell has not been one of those coaches who can take advantage of it.When […]
Belief is in short supply at Auburn, and the Tigers are suffering as a result
AUBURN, Ala. — Even Cam Newton, perhaps the greatest college football player ever, has his limits. Back in town on the occasion of his jersey retirement, Newton spent most of Saturday night’s game against Georgia stalking the sidelines of Jordan-Hare Stadium. Megaphone in hand, Newton exhorted the crowd, berated the refs, did all he possibly could to fire up the Auburn Tigers. You got the sense that Newton — who won both a Heisman and a national championship in one single, glorious year at Auburn — would have given a whole lot to suit up for one more game.And a whole lot of the sellout crowd at Jordan-Hare would have given up a whole lot themselves to see the current model of the Tigers show even a fraction of the fire that Newton brought to this stadium in 2010. Instead, […]
FOX Broadcast Booth Relives 15-Inning ALDS Instant Classic: ‘I Wanted It to Keep Going’
What’s it like to call the longest winner-take-all game in MLB postseason history? It's a booth where nobody moves for 15 innings, nobody even dares go to the bathroom. And you never quite know when someone is going to scream "BUNT!"I caught up with FOX Sports broadcasters Adam Amin, A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Wainwright on Saturday morning after the Mariners’ 3-2 win against the Tigers in the deciding Game 5 of the American League Division Series, a 15-inning marathon that led to a missed flight, a chance encounter with a Mariners legend and some special messages for the crew. Here’s what they had to say.(Questions and answers may be edited for brevity and clarity.) Have you guys had a second to breathe or at least and think, ‘I just got to call one of the more memorable games in recent MLB history?’Amin: I […]
The death of Mark Townsend at Hillsborough: What we learned from the inquest
On September 28 last year, West Bromwich Albion fan Mark Townsend died after suffering a cardiac arrest at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium.Immediately, concerns were raised about the quality of care he received in the aftermath of the incident. “I want the truth to be out,” Mark’s brother, Steve Townsend, told The Athletic last month, ahead of a two-week inquest into the circumstances surrounding the 57-year-old’s death.AdvertisementAfter hearing seven days of evidence, Senior Coroner for South Yorkshire Tanyka Rawden concluded that, though Mark’s cardiac arrest was on the balance of probabilities “unsurvivable”, a lack of ventilation and drugs for over 15 minutes following his collapse was “contributory” to his death.Rawden was critical of the decision to involve both private contractor Lambda Medical and Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) in providing Mark’s care.She described “confusion” between the two agencies, while acknowledging that this “did not […]
MLB playoffs 2025: Toronto Blue Jays watched from home, bed and even a bar as Mariners won epic, marathon Game 5
TORONTO — Everybody was talking about it. How could you not?Even here at Rogers Centre, a building bursting with anticipation for ALCS Game 1 on Sunday, folks were bleary eyed from taking in the eternal thrill ride that was Game 5 of the ALDS between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers. With the victorious Mariners airborne en route to Toronto, many of the Jays players and coaches were asked how they experienced the chaotic, 15-inning marathon the night prior.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSome stayed up into the wee hours to see which team the Blue Jays would square off against with a trip to the World Series on the line. Others, by design or by accident, went to bed.[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]The latter the case for Game 1 starter Kevin Gausman, who admitted during his Saturday media […]
Be the first to leave a comment