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Why Scotty Pippen Jr., Ja Morant are just kidding themselves with bold Thunder claim
On Saturday, the Memphis Grizzlies saw their season come to an end in the first round of the playoffs. Despite being swept at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, multiple members of the team feel they could have stacked up with the title hopefuls.
The series started in historic fashion with the Thunder pulling off a 51-point victory. Things further took a turn for the worst for Memphis in Game 3 when Ja Morant got injured after taking a hard fall.
After the Thunder completed their sweep, Morant uttered a bold take by saying he felt the Grizzlies could have pulled off an upset if he didn't get hurt. While on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back" show Tuesday, Scotty Pippen Jr. echoed that same stance.
"Third game we're up, Ja goes down," Pippen Jr. said. "Even the fourth game, we still competed. It could go either way I feel like if he doesn't go out."
Scotty Pippen Jr. says the Grizzlies could've taken down the Thunder if Ja Morant did not get injured
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 29, 2025
"We felt pretty well...it could go either way if he doesn't go out."@spippenjr | @MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/bADU6xVaV7
Although they never managed to secure a win, the Grizzlies did make things interesting in the latter half of the series. In Game 3, the Grizzlies had a 26-point lead going into halftime before OKC fought back and won, 114-108. Game 4 ended up being the closest of the four matchups, with the Thunder walking out with a two-point victory.
The Grizzlies might feel the series could have been a toss-up, but the opening games tell the true story. The Thunder were clearly the better team from the beginning and made that apparent with a pair of blowout victories on their home floor. Even if the Grizzlies managed to take one of the games on their home floor, it's doubtful they would win outside of Memphis.
Cohesion is a major factor in the Thunder being the team that advanced. OKC has been a tight-knit squad all year, while the Grizzlies have been scrambling since firing their coach toward the end of the regular season.
Morant's injury certainly shifted things, but their chances of pulling off an upset were slim from the beginning. Upon being swept, the Grizzlies will now regroup in the offseason in hopes of contending in 2026.
More must-reads:
- Ja Morant makes bold five-word claim about Thunder-Grizzlies series
- Cavaliers, Thunder prove their regular-season records were for real
- The '2023-24 NBA playoff points-per-game leaders' quiz
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