Oklahoma City Thunder delivered a stunning performance in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, achieving a remarkable victory with a score of 131-80. This victory marks the fifth-largest margin in NBA postseason history, falling just seven points short of the record margin of 58 points. Additionally, this win represents the largest margin for a Game 1 in NBA playoff history.
Aaron Wiggins led the Thunder in scoring with 21 points, followed closely by Jalen Williams with 20 points, and Chet Holmgren, who contributed 19 points along with 10 rebounds. Despite being the league’s scoring champion, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander managed only 15 points, yet the Thunder still shot an impressive 50.5% from the field. “We played to our identity,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “Nothing more, nothing less than that. We were who we were all year ... and it’s going to be the key to our success, just staying true to who we are.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has emphasized the importance of preparing his teammates for this postseason, especially after their disappointing exit in last season’s Western Conference semifinals against Dallas. “I have a great group of guys around me, and I know that,” he remarked. “They obviously played amazing.”
Historically, there have been only two instances of a 58-point margin in NBA playoff history: the Denver Nuggets defeating the New Orleans Hornets 121-63 in 2009, and the Minneapolis Lakers beating the St. Louis Hawks 133-75 in 1956. Other notable victories include the Los Angeles Lakers' 56-point win over the Golden State Warriors (126-70) in 1973 and the Chicago Bulls’ 54-point triumph against the Milwaukee Bucks (120-66) in 2015.
For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant scored 17 points but struggled with his shooting, finishing 6-for-17. Jaren Jackson Jr., who averaged over 22 points during the regular season, had an off night, scoring only four points on 2-for-13 shooting. Overall, the Grizzlies shot just 34.4% from the field, a stark contrast to the Thunder's performance.
The Thunder took control of the game with a dominant 20-0 run, establishing a 55-22 lead in the second quarter and finishing the half with a staggering 35-point advantage. Morant noted that the team struggled to regain their energy after the Thunder's explosive run, saying, “I just felt like after that, the energy just kind of wasn’t there.”
This game marked Memphis' first playoff appearance under interim coach Tuomas Iisalo, who had coached only nine regular-season games prior to the playoffs. Iisalo reflected on the loss, stating, “If you’re in a playoff series, it’s a best of seven. It doesn’t matter if you win by one point on a buzzer-beater or you win by 50 points, you get one win. So luckily for us, there’s only one way from this and that’s up. We will analyze it and learn from it. And then we will fix those things that hurt us.”
Looking ahead, Game 2 is set for Tuesday, with Thunder coach Mark Daigneault anticipating a more competitive matchup. “They played 36 hours ago and had an emotional game, had to turn around and play at noon today, which is a really tough turnaround,” he explained. “So they’re going to be better Tuesday. I thought we did a good job, but I don’t think we can expect that from them again. You know they’re going to play a lot better than that.”
