After the Memphis Grizzlies suffered a staggering 51-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening game of their first-round playoff series, star player Ja Morant delivered a firm and clear message. This defeat marked the worst playoff loss in the franchise's history, prompting Morant to assert that such a performance would “never” happen again. “We’ll never play that bad again,” Morant stated bluntly to reporters following the game.
The Grizzlies will undoubtedly want to erase this dismal performance from their memories, yet it is a loss that fans will find difficult to forget. According to ESPN Research, this defeat stands as the fifth-largest margin in an NBA playoff game. The last playoff loss of such magnitude occurred in 2015 when the Chicago Bulls defeated the Milwaukee Bucks by 54 points. This context emphasizes the significance of Memphis's loss and the uphill battle the team faces moving forward.
Despite the overwhelming defeat, Memphis players sought to maintain a sense of perspective during their post-game addresses. Desmond Bane, another key player for the Grizzlies, highlighted the fact that there is still much of the series left to play. “At the end of the day, it’s one game,” Bane remarked, as reported by The Commercial Appeal. “If we lose by 50 or lose on a buzzer-beater, the series is still 1-0. Not the result we wanted, for sure, but still got a good opportunity to get one on the road in two days.”
The Thunder led by as many as 56 points during the game, and notably, they did not play any of their starters in the fourth quarter. This victory underscored the dominance of Oklahoma City in this matchup. Tuomas Iisalo, the interim coach for the Grizzlies, shared his thoughts with reporters, stating, “Luckily for us, there’s only one way from this, and that’s up. We will analyze it, we’ll learn from it, and then we will fix those things that hurt us. But there were a lot of things.”
Morant finished the game with 17 points, shooting 6-for-17 from the field, along with four assists. As the Grizzlies prepare for Game 2 on Tuesday in Oklahoma City, they will have an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to bounce back from this challenging start to the series. The team and its fans remain hopeful that they can turn the tide and reclaim momentum in the playoffs.
