Oklahoma City Thunder Send A Strong Message to the Rest of the League In Historic 51 Point Game 1 Win vs. Grizzlies

OKLAHOMA CITY—The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t just open the playoffs with a win—they sent a very loud warning to the rest of the league.

In front of what is becoming one of the best atmospheres in sports, the OKC playoff crowd at Paycom Center, the Thunder absolutely dominated the Memphis Grizzlies in a 131–80 Game 1 beatdown that instantly set the tone for not only the series but for the rest of the playoffs. The 51-point margin of victory wasn’t just dominant—it was historic, marking one of the largest playoff blowouts in NBA playoff history.

The 5th largest to be exact. And the largest in Thunder playoff history eclipsing their previous high 38 points against the Dallas Mavericks in 2016.

“We played to our identity,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after the game. “Nothing more, nothing less. That’s going to be the key to our success. Just staying true to who we are.”

From the opening tip, OKC brought playoff-level intensity. Particularly on the defensive side of the floor. OKC was locked in front the tip and they didn’t let up one bit. It was like they hit the gas and got up to 120 mph and never took their foot off of the gas. They raced out to a 32–20 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. By halftime, it was 68–36. And the rest of the night felt like a party.

Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t have to have his normal game of an easy 30 points to go with a stat sheet filling box score. If you just looked at the box score after this one you would think this was one of his worst games of the season. It wasn’t though. He set the tone for how they wanted to play this game from the start and the rest of the team followed suit.

“I Just try to make winning basketball plays. Every play presents an opportunity, and I try to make the most of it.” Gilgeous-Alexander said after being asked about the multiple times he dove on the floor for loose balls. 

That depth has been a strength for the Thunder all year and head coach Mark Daigneault isn’t going to change that now that the playoffs have started. In fact, he’s doubling down on it and it give the rest of the guys confidence throughout the game. The Thunder have been criticized all year for the non-SGA minutes that have been played and it wasn’t an issue in game 1 because of the Thunder depth.

In the second quarter, OKC was able to not only increase their lead but also have their best non-SGA minutes second quarter all season at 31-10 with him on the bench.

“Our second unit built the lead when Shai was on the bench,” said Daigneault. “Dub [Jalen Williams] really set the tone with his facilitation.”

While the offense was smooth and unselfish, it was the Thunder’s defense that truly dictated the night. OKC held Memphis to just 34.4% shooting and a brutal 6-of-34 from beyond the arc. OKC also forced 24 turnovers which is a new playoff franchise record for the Thunder.

The Thunder’s entire defensive approach—physical point of attack, switching, and rim protection—completely smothered Memphis’ offense. Watching the game, it didn’t really seem like Memphis had more than 8 total good looks all game. It wasn’t just athleticism; it was discipline. It was preparation. It was buy-in.

“We were ready to play…we were amped up. Credit to the week of practice. Our staff and two-way guys did a great job preparing us,” Daigneault says about the team being locked in from the start of the game on the defensive end. 

For a team whose core players are all 25 or younger, OKC showed veteran-level composure. Simply put, they should not have had a performance like this. The moment wasn’t too big. They looked like a group that’s been here before—even though, technically, most of them haven’t.

It was so good that they set quite a few franchise records. Biggest playoff win in franchise history, most assists in a playoff game in franchise history, biggest game 1 playoff win in NBA history, and more.

Looking Ahead

The Thunder take a 1–0 lead in the series with Game 2 coming Tuesday night back at Paycom Center. They know the Grizzlies will respond with more fight. They’re preparing for it.

“They just played 36 hours ago, so we didn’t want to give them life. Game 2 is going to be completely different,” said Jalen Williams. 

Daigneault reinforced that mindset saying: “Memphis had a tough turnaround—they’ll be better Tuesday.”

If Game 1 was any indication, the rest of the league better receive the Thunder message and be be scared. Teams may not have feared the Thunder coming into the playoffs but they sure better fear them now.

“We’ve been building toward this moment,” said SGA. “And we’re not done.”

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