Thunder 117, Grizzlies 116: The Day After Report

Box Score | Play-by-Play

Nuggets & Notes

• Despite both teams missing substantial pieces of their roster due to injuries, this turned out to be an excellent game.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Cason Wallace sat out as new additions to the injury report. On the Memphis side, the Grizzlies were without Ja Morant, Scottie Pippen Jr., Zach Edey, and Brandon Clarke.
• For most of this game, I felt like I was being administered the Ludovico Technique having to watch the Thunder give up offensive rebounds, brick three after three, and fall behind by as many as 21 points.
• OKC actually started off really well. An Ajay Mitchell drive plus threes from Lu Dort and Branden Carlson put the Thunder up 8-3 early. I actually thought for a moment, maybe the Thunder will have a normal shooting night.
• Alas, OKC continued to struggle from deep. The Thunder finished 9-of-37 from three (24%), but through three quarters, the champs were a dismal 5-of-27 (18.5%).
• Jalen Williams was excellent. As OKC's #1, Dub really shined in the second half, scoring 18 of his team-leading 26 points (including 12 in the fourth quarter). Jalen also dished 10 assists while committing (checks notes) just two turnovers.
• I really enjoyed watching JDub attack the basket and finish the way we know he can. It was a difference maker.
• Outside of Jalen Williams, this was a real team effort. Five Thunder players scored in double figures. Along with JDub, Ajay Mitchell had 23, Kenrich Williams had 21, Aaron Wiggins had 16, and Lu Dort had 13.
• Cannot say this enough, but Mitchell is legit. What impresses me about Mitchell is that the dude is not shy. He has confidence. He is not afraid to own possessions.
• I also want to give it up to Kenny Hustle. The Thunder do not win this game without Kenrich. This guy out-efforts everyone on the court every time he is out there. And his effort was the instigator for the Thunder comeback.
• While the shooting did come around, and that was a necessary part of the outcome, the eye test said that effort was the difference maker. If there was going to be a loss, it was not going to be because the team didn't put in the hustle and effort to win.
• That hustle and effort really showed out on the defensive end. After giving up 65 points in the first half, the defense was swarming in the second half, holding Memphis to 51 second-half points and just 22 in the final frame.
• Speaking of defense, even without Chet Holmgren, OKC blocked 8 shots.
• The Thunder only turned it over six times. Six. Honestly, pretty impressive.
• Memphis won the rebounding battle 52-36, including 15 offensive boards.
• I still almost can't believe that comeback. OKC was punching in the second half, but Memphis always seemed to have a counter. Deep into the fourth quarter, after the Thunder brought the lead to single digits multiple times, an Aldama floater put the Grizzlies up 13 with 4:21 to go (111-98).
• The Thunder offense really got hot after that, but Memphis had a response and maintained a 11-point lead with just over 3:20 to go. The Grizz had as high as 98.5% chance of winning per ESPN's probabilities.
• At that point, the group chat was like, "maybe we can eke out a moral victory, but this ain't happening."
• Then Mitchell converts a tough floater, plus the foul, and it's an 8-point deficit. A Mitchell-to-Kenrich delivery results in a bucket and a foul for Kenny, and after the three-point play, it's a 5-point deficit. Now belief is creeping back in.
• Another defensive stand and Ajay, the superstar in the making, hits a tough three to pull the Thunder to within 2. Kenrich another 3, and suddenly, OKC is on the high side.
• Then Dort caps off a 14-0 Thunder run with two free throws, and the Thunder are one stop away from a remarkable comeback.
• After Memphis pulls to within 1 and has a chance to win it on the final possession, Alex Caruso blankets Cedric Coward before securing the Thunder's 8th block of the night. Dort swoops in to secure the rebound, and somehow OKC walks out of Memphis with a win.

One Key Takeaway

Without SGA and Chet, and missing multiple other key pieces, you could understand a loss here. But a win last night, with the team still struggling to put the ball through the net, was huge. Right now, it feels like OKC is fighting for every win it can get. And to have a win fueled largely by reserves, that's having wind at your back.

Every game the Thunder struggle through and win, is another game the Thunder get closer to getting back on track without a standings penalty. Few doubt that this team will get back to form (especially if it can get healthy in the interior), but if you are struggling and still pile up some wins–that's a difference maker in playoff seeding.