Shorthanded Thunder dominate Grizzlies; extend lead in the west

The Oklahoma City Thunder delivered another statement win Saturday night, cruising past the Memphis Grizzlies 125-112 in a showdown between the top two teams in the Western Conference. 

Despite playing their third game in four nights and missing Lu Dort, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren, OKC did not bat an eye, turning what was expected to be a close game into a convincing double-digit victory. With the win, they extended their lead atop the Western Conference to a comfortable 7.5 games with just a few more matchups before the All-Star break. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 32 points and eight assists, marking his 20th straight game with at least 25 points. Jalen Williams found his spots, pouring in 25 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Isaiah Hartenstein anchored the interior with 12 points, 14 rebounds and four assists. 

With the stars handling business as usual, it was Aaron Wiggins who stole the show. He stepped up once again for an undermanned OKC squad, dropping 26 points, 11 rebounds and knocking down eight threes on just 13 attempts. Wiggins has been on fire in February, averaging 23 points on 56 percent from the field and 47 percent from three—a significant jump from his previous eight games, where he averaged just seven points on 17 percent from deep. 

Wiggins’ superb performance was just a part of OKC’s dominance, as the Thunder also controlled the glass and capitalized on mistakes, out-rebounding Memphis 50-40, outscoring them 32-15 on second-chance points and scoring 18 points off turnovers to Memphis’ four. 

Memphis never truly had control, but they had a chance to cut the deficit to single digits in the fourth quarter. That window quickly closed when Wiggins drilled another three, sparking a Thunder run that put the game away for good.

The Grizzlies entered as the NBA’s hottest team, having won 10 of their last 11 and riding a six-game home winning streak, but it was still just business as usual for OKC. The Thunder exposed Memphis’ inexperience, forcing rookie starters Zach Edey and Jalen Wells to the bench early, where they remained for most of the game. Desmond Bane (20 points) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (19 points) led the Grizzlies’ scoring, while Ja Morant struggled to find a rhythm, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-20 shooting. Even Morant’s father was frustrated, getting ejected for arguing foul calls from the stands. 

In positive off-court news, OKC signed breakout rookie guard Ajay Mitchell to a two-year, $6 million standard contract. He is expected to reclaim his key rotation role when he returns just before the playoffs. 

Holmgren, who returned Friday against the Raptors, sat out for rest but is set to return Monday as the Thunder take on a Pelicans team riding an eight-game skid.