The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their playoff dominance, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 118-99 in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series on Tuesday night, securing a commanding 2-0 lead.
Despite a brief moment of competitiveness from Memphis in the third quarter, the Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, showcased their depth and defensive prowess to pull away convincingly.
Memphis trimmed Oklahoma City’s lead to single digits midway through the third, but Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s leading scorer, quickly answered with a midrange jumper and a turnaround shot over 7-foot-4 rookie Zach Edey. The Grizzlies never recovered, as the Thunder’s balanced attack and smothering defense took over.
Gilgeous-Alexander, a likely MVP candidate, struggled with his shot, finishing with 27 points on 10-of-29 shooting (32.6% in the series), a stark contrast to his regular-season average of 32.7 points on 51.7% shooting. “I feel like I’m getting looks I usually make and just missing them,” he said. “That’s part of basketball. Because my team is really good, we’ve won two games by a decent margin.”
The Thunder, who set an NBA record with a plus-12.9 point differential per game this season, have outscored the Grizzlies by a combined 70 points in the first two games—the second-highest margin in the first two games of a playoff series, per ESPN Research. Their defense has been particularly stifling, limiting Memphis to just eight fast-break points across both games.
Oklahoma City’s depth shone brightly in Game 2, with Jalen Williams (24 points), Chet Holmgren (20 points), and Alex Caruso (13 points off the bench) leading a balanced offensive effort. The Thunder’s bench outscored Memphis’ 33-14, and six players reached double figures in Game 1, highlighted by Aaron Wiggins’ 21 points. “It’s nothing new,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the team’s depth. “It’s why we have the record we have.”
Beyond scoring, Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, helping the Thunder outscore Memphis by 40 points with him on the floor in the series. “He does so much [more] than just scoring,” Caruso said. “If we’re winning games how we’re winning them and he’s having average days, that bodes well for us.”
The series now shifts to Memphis for Game 3, where the Grizzlies will look to regroup against a Thunder team firing on all cylinders.
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