The Memphis Grizzlies entered the playoffs with momentum after a gritty play-in win over the Dallas Mavericks. But their postseason hit a wall in Game 1 against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
In what turned into a nightmare outing, the Grizzlies were overwhelmed from start to finish, struggling against one of the NBA’s best defensive units. On the other end, Memphis failed to contain OKC’s balanced offensive attack, resulting in a stunning 131-80 loss.
Despite a rare off-night from All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—who scored just 15 points on 4-of-15 shooting—the Thunder had no trouble dismantling the Grizzlies. It was a team effort, with all five OKC starters scoring in double figures, with Jalen Williams (20), Chet Holmgren (19 points and 10 rebounds), Isaiah Hartenstein (14), and Lu Dort (12 points) making their marks in the win, while Aaron Wiggins led the charge off the bench with a game-high 21 points.
Ja Morant was the lone bright spot among Memphis’ starters, putting up 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. Both Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey finished with four points each, while Desmond Bane came closest to Morant’s tally with nine points and two rebounds
Following the game, the NBA confirmed the magnitude of the blowout, announcing via their official X account that the Thunder’s 51-point win was the largest margin of victory ever in a Game 1 of any NBA playoff series.
With the loss, Memphis extended its losing streak against OKC to nine straight games. The Grizzlies will look to regroup and respond when the series resumes on Tuesday in Game 2.
