Thunder Dominate Early in Series, Look to Seal Round 1 Sweep
If Game 1 was a punch to the jaw, Game 2 was a slow and steady chokehold. The Oklahoma City Thunder are up 2-0 in their Round 1 playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies—and man, they’re making it look easy.
Let’s be real: when a team drops 131-80 on you in the postseason, that’s not just a loss—it’s a full-blown statement. And that’s exactly what OKC delivered in Game 1 on Sunday night. It wasn’t just a win; it was one of the most lopsided playoff beatdowns in NBA history.
But Game 2? A bit less flashy, a bit more grind—it ended with the Thunder locking up a 118-99 victory. Not as wild as the first, but still total control. Let’s break it all down.
🔥 Game 2 Highlights at a Glance:
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Final Score: Thunder 118, Grizzlies 99
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Series Lead: Thunder up 2-0
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Momentum Shift: Grizzlies threatened in Q3, but Thunder bench stepped up
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Defensive Hero: Alex Caruso clamped down when it counted
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Next Game: Thursday, Apr. 24 in Memphis
🚨 Game 1: A Blowout for the Ages
Let’s rewind for a sec. Sunday's Game 1 was nothing short of brutal for Memphis. The Thunder were up by 56 points at one point. That’s not just a win—that’s a message.
Sure, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a rare off night, putting up just 15 points, but it didn’t even matter. OKC’s depth lit up the scoreboard:
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Aaron Wiggins dropped 21 points like it was nothing.
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Jalen Williams added 20 of his own.
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Chet Holmgren did it all with a 19-point double-double.
The Thunder’s starters were chilling on the bench midway through the third quarter. It was that bad.
😬 Memphis? Still Missing
Let’s not sugarcoat it—the Grizzlies looked totally lost. Their big guns couldn’t find a rhythm:
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Ja Morant led Memphis with just 17 points (on 6-of-17 shooting).
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Desmond Bane? Only 9 points.
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Jaren Jackson Jr.? A painful 4-point night.
For a team built around dynamic play and aggressive energy, it was kind of shocking to see them this flat.
🧊 Game 2: Memphis Shows Signs of Life (Kinda)
OKC came out strong again in Game 2. The first quarter was déjà vu—tight defense, smart ball movement, and Memphis scrambling.
At the first timeout (with 5:41 left in Q1), OKC already had a 17-6 lead after a sweet dish from Jalen Williams to Hartenstein for a baseline floater. It looked like another blowout brewing.
But this time, the Grizzlies managed to keep it respectable—at least for a while. Here’s how the quarters went:
End of 1Q:
Thunder 32, Grizzlies 17
Solid start for OKC. Defense locked in, Grizzlies still couldn’t buy a bucket.
Halftime:
Thunder 70, Grizzlies 52
Not quite the avalanche of Game 1, but still very one-sided. OKC’s “Big Three” of Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Holmgren all had 12 points apiece.
3Q Drama:
Here’s where things got a little dicey. The Thunder's offense hit a cold streak, scoring just 20 points in the third quarter. The Grizzlies actually trimmed the lead down to single digits briefly. But even with that mini-run, OKC still held on:
End of 3Q: Thunder 90, Grizzlies 79
👊 Caruso’s Defense Turns the Tide
In the fourth, it was Alex Caruso who shut the door. He didn’t need to score much—he just suffocated Memphis defensively. That, plus a strong bench showing, ballooned the lead back to 20.
4Q, 7:30 remaining: Thunder 101, Grizzlies 81
At that point, the Grizzlies just looked gassed.
🏀 Starting Lineups
Both squads rolled out their expected cores for Game 2:
Thunder:
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
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Lu Dort
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Jalen Williams
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Chet Holmgren
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Isaiah Hartenstein
Grizzlies:
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Ja Morant
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Scotty Pippen Jr.
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Desmond Bane
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Jaren Jackson Jr.
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Zach Edey
📺 Where to Watch
Don’t miss a beat:
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TV Channels: TNT, truTV, FanDuel Sports Network Oklahoma
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Livestream: SlingTV
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Tip-off Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
🏥 Injury Report
Both teams are dealing with some setbacks:
Thunder:
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Ousmane Dieng (calf strain) – OUT
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Nikola Topic (torn ACL) – OUT
Grizzlies:
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Jaylen Wells (wrist fracture, facial laceration, concussion protocol) – OUT
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Brandon Clarke (PCL sprain) – OUT
🔮 What’s Next?
Here’s the rest of the Round 1 playoff schedule for Thunder vs. Grizzlies:
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Game 3: Thursday, Apr. 24 – in Memphis
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Game 4: Saturday, Apr. 26 – in Memphis
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Game 5 (if needed): Monday, Apr. 28 – back in OKC
The Thunder have all the momentum, and if Memphis doesn’t come out swinging in Game 3, this thing could be over real quick. A sweep? Totally possible.
👀 Bottom Line
OKC has shown it has the depth, the poise, and the grit to be a real playoff threat—not just in this series, but in the entire Western Conference. Even with Shai not putting up his usual MVP-level numbers, the team has five or six guys who can take over on any given night. That’s dangerous.
Memphis? They’ve got some serious soul-searching to do. Morant needs help, and fast.
If Game 3 doesn’t feature a totally new Grizzlies team, this series might be a wrap by Saturday.
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