Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Memphis Grizzlies, 114-100, on Sunday. The Thunder’s defense held Memphis’ stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. to a combined 9-for-34 from the floor on the night. With the win, OKC moves to 10-1, the best record in the NBA. The Grizzlies fell to 4-7 on the season.
Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder Storm Back From Poor Start
Poor shooting by the Thunder early led to them trailing by as much as 19 points, but OKC stormed back in the third quarter, outscoring the Grizzlies 34-18 to take a five-point lead into the final frame. Then, Gilgeous-Alexander worked his magic to put the game out of reach. With Oklahoma City up 99-94, the Thunder star hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions, and then followed that up with a three-point play on a layup and a foul.
That put OKC up 108-96 with 2:51 to go, and the game was not close again after that. Gilgeous-Alexander had 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals to go with his 35 points. Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell both pitched in 21 points, and Isaiah Hartenstein added a double-double, with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Grizzlies’ Poor Shooting
Memphis shot just 38.5% from the floor for the game and committed eight more turnovers than the Thunder. Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 17 points on 6-for-16 shooting, and Morant was held to 3-for-18 from the floor for 11 points. Morant also had 8 assists. Memphis first-round pick Cedric Coward shot just 4-for-12, but contributed 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists off the bench.
What’s Up Next?
The Thunder will host the Golden State Warriors (5-5 heading into their late game tonight) on Tuesday night. The Grizzlies, who have now lost five out of their last six games, will travel to New York on Tuesday to square off with the Knicks (6-3) at Madison Square Garden.
