The Memphis Grizzlies were soundly defeated 131-80 by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
Woof.
This is a new low for the Grizzlies, in the most literal sense. Memphis was second in the league in scoring during the regular season, averaging 121.7 points per game.
It’s also the largest margin of victory for a Game 1 in NBA playoff history, so we have that going for us, too.
There was an expectation that this series would be a struggle for the Grizzlies — the Thunder beat them in all four regular-season games. A generous prediction for the series for Memphis would be a first-round exit that didn’t involve getting swept in four games.
After Sunday’s dismal performance, winning even one game in this series feels more unlikely than ever.
The Thunder exploited many of the same weaknesses that had plagued the Grizzlies during the regular season: getting into early foul trouble and giving up points off careless turnovers.
The Grizzlies dug themselves into an offensive hole in the first half that they couldn’t overcome. They were outscored by the Thunder 68-36 in the first half.
The second half was more brutal than the first.
If Memphis had any hopes of making a comeback, Oklahoma City put them firmly to rest in the third quarter by outscoring the Grizzlies 44-27 in the period and leading by as many as 52 points.
The outcome was so obvious that the Grizzlies pulled their big three of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Desmond Bane from the game and did not play them at all in the fourth quarter.
By The Numbers:
Memphis only had two players who finished the night in double-digits.
Ja Morant scored 17 points, three rebounds, four assists, and one steal.
Marvin Bagley III scored 17 points, five rebounds, two steals, and one block.
Who Got Next?
The series between the Grizzlies and the Thunder continues with Game 2 on Tuesday, April 22nd. Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. CDT.
