Thunder Top Grizzlies Without Gilgeous-Alexander

After Memphis guard Ja Morant was ejected in a chippy second quarter, Oklahoma City controlled the contest to earn a victory without their superstar guard.

Without lead ball-handlers Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Memphis Grizzlies 115-109 at home on Saturday night. OKC’s victory ends a five game losing-streak, improving the team’s record to 12-18.

For the Grizzlies, Dillon Brooks knocked down six 3-pointers en route to a 32-point performance. In the absence of Oklahoma City’s usual stars, defensive standout Lu Dort took over for the Thunder, scoring 24, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out four assists while shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.

Without their top scorer, OKC was able to keep pace with Memphis early in the contest. Dort connected on a 3-pointer to tie the game at nine, then nailed another triple following a Jalen Williams block, giving the Thunder a three point lead midway through the opening quarter.

After falling behind by five, Williams dove across the court to poke the ball away from Ja Morant and into the hands of Aaron Wiggins, who finished the play with a layup at the other end. On the next possession, Norman native Lindy Waters III knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game at 20. 

Despite a low-scoring first frame, Oklahoma City held a 25-21 advantage over the Grizzlies after the first 12 minutes. This was a stark difference from Memphis' most recent performance, a 142-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Three minutes into the second period, rookie big man Jaylin Williams hit his first career 3-pointer, capping off a 10-3 run by the Thunder. After another shot from downtown, this time by veteran wing Kenrich Williams, OKC led the Grizzlies 38-24. 

A few moments later, Wiggins found the bottom of the net on a triple that barely beat the shot clock, extending Oklahoma City's lead to 45-30. Up 57-40, Joe was fouled by Morant, who was then called for a technical foul after arguing with an official about the call. 

The Thunder sharpshooter sunk all three free throws, pushing OKC's lead to 20. Less than a minute later, Morant was called for another technical foul while Omoruyi was shooting free throws, ending the Grizzlies' superstar's night before halftime. Brooks was assessed a technical foul in the same sequence.

At the half, Oklahoma City led the Grizzlies 64-43 behind 13 points from Dort. The Thunder shot a remarkable 11-for-20 from beyond the arc in the first 24 minutes of action to build their massive lead.

Early in the third quarter, Memphis attempted to claw back, but Joe knocked down two more triples to maintain the Thunder's 21-point lead. Aleksej Pokusevski hit a 3-pointer from the corner soon after to give OKC a 75-51 advantage. 

The Grizzlies, however, got to the free throw line frequently in the final six minutes of the third, outscoring the Thunder 33-27 coming out of halftime. Oklahoma City clung to a 91-76 lead heading into the final frame. 

Deep shots from Wiggins and fellow second-year guard Tre Mann helped the Thunder bring their lead back to 20 early in the fourth quarter, putting OKC up 100-80. Memphis then embarked on a 7-0 run, which was quickly broken up by a Jaylin Williams layup in transition.

With the Grizzlies back in striking distance, Dort knocked down consecutive mid-range shots to keep Memphis in the rear-view mirror. At the six minute mark in the closing period, Oklahoma City held a 106-91 advantage over the Grizzlies.

An 8-0 run by the Grizzlies cut OKC's lead to eight with less than four minutes left in the game. With the Thunder's lead slipping away, Joe connected on a shot from beyond the arc to end Memphis' run. 

From there, OKC held on to secure the 115-109 victory over the Grizzlies. 

The Thunder return to action on Monday night against the Portland Trailblazers at 7 p.m. in Oklahoma City.

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