Thunder Strike Again: Oklahoma City Overpowers Grizzlies for 2-0 Series Lead
Sarah Johnson
April 23, 2025
The Oklahoma City Thunder are putting on a show in the playoffs, and the Memphis Grizzlies are left searching for answers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with 27 points as the Thunder rolled over the Grizzlies 118-99 on Tuesday night, grabbing a 2-0 advantage in their first-round playoff matchup.
Jalen Williams chipped in 24 points, while Chet Holmgren flexed his rookie muscles with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks. That’s a stat line that screams ‘future franchise cornerstone’ if you ask me.
After a jaw-dropping 131-80 opener, Oklahoma City followed up by winning their sixth straight game against Memphis this season, all by double digits. At this point, the Grizzlies might be seeing Thunder blue in their sleep.
Jaren Jackson Jr. did his best to keep Memphis afloat with 26 points, while Ja Morant added 23. The Grizzlies will need to regroup quickly as they head home for Game 3 on Thursday, hoping a change of scenery can slow the Thunder’s roll.
Oklahoma City came out swinging with a 9-0 run, holding Memphis scoreless for the first three and a half minutes, while the Grizzlies missed their opening 10 shots—talk about a rough start.
After a slow start to the series, Gilgeous-Alexander caught fire in the second quarter, draining two threes in under a minute to stretch the Thunder’s lead to 55-38. By halftime, the Thunder had already set a team playoff record with 12 threes, leading 70-52.
Memphis tried to claw back in the third, cutting the deficit to single digits, but OKC stayed in control, entering the fourth up 90-79. Then came a highlight: Cason Wallace faked out Zach Edey and soared down the baseline for a one-handed dunk that sent the crowd into a frenzy, putting the Thunder up 97-79.
The Thunder’s defense locked in from there, holding Memphis scoreless for nearly four minutes to start the final quarter and sealing the win. Game 3 shifts to Memphis, but the Grizzlies will need something special to stop this Thunderstorm.
Editor's Comments
If the Grizzlies keep letting the Thunder run wild like this, Memphis might want to start checking if there’s a ‘pause’ button somewhere. At this rate, OKC’s highlight reels are going to need their own Netflix series. Someone get the Grizzlies a weather forecast—because this Thunderstorm is showing no signs of letting up.
— Sarah Johnson
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