Never underestimate your opponent.
Although the Memphis Grizzlies have undergone an underwhelming 2023-24 season, much less without their star player in Ja Morant for most of it, they came to play against the Oklahoma City Thunder Saturday night.
Even still, the Thunder just barely held off their opponent, gaining a 116-112 victory.
Oklahoma City didn't particularly win any battle by a significant margin, but it made the right plays and kept it cool enough to hold off a hungry Grizzlies roster. It capitalized off some crucial forced turnovers, as well as winning the rebounding game.
The trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams combined for 63 points, all having efficient scoring nights and catapulting Oklahoma City to its win. When the trio is all clicking together and performing at the same pace it's tough to overcome, which it proved throughout the contest.
Memphis did cause some scares down the stretch, keeping the game going even longer by hitting some quick shots and sending Oklahoma City to the free-throw line. the Thunder made sure to convert those opportunities just enough to prevent its opponents from stealing a win in the closing seconds.
The first quarter had a lot of back and forth action, with Holmgren's seven points on perfect shooting leading the charge. The Grizzlies shot a whole lot worse from the field, but still found a way to keep the quarter close from the free-throw line.
Williams commanded much of the second quarter for Oklahoma City, recording 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal and two blocks by the end of the first half. He hit several great looks, including the final points of the half from a pull-up jumper that put the Thunder ahead by two points, 56-54.
It was a relatively quiet half from Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a subpar 10 points to his usual team-leading production. Still, the Oklahoma City offense was able to have an efficient outing, sticking with Memphis all the way through.
The Thunder opened up with the second half with a 6-0 scoring run, giving it a needed boost immediately causing the Grizzlies to call a timeout. That lead quickly dispersed, however, as Memphis climbed back to make it a one-point game at the 6:40 mark.
But once again, Oklahoma City came back with full force. It went on an additional 9-0 run, leading itself to gain a 91-78 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Though, the Grizzlies weren't going to back down yet. They went on an 8-0 run to start off the fourth quarter, changing the whole outlook on the game in matter of minutes.
However, the Thunder made sure to still take care of business, holding off Memphis' offense down the stretch and creating some of its own. The Grizzlies forced it to go to the line several times down the stretch in an effort to keep their hopes alive, but Oklahoma City converted on most occasions to keep that possibility dead.
It might've been too close for comfort, but the Thunder trio stepped up to secure the needed win in the tight Western Conference race.
Oklahoma City will get an extended break until Wednesday, March 20, at 8:00 p.m. CT when it takes on the Utah Jazz at Paycom Center.
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