MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showcased his scoring prowess by putting up 38 points, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a hard-fought victory over the Memphis Grizzlies with a final score of 117-115 on Saturday. This victory marked a clean sweep in their series, propelling the Thunder into the Western Conference semifinals. The top-seeded Thunder, who boasted an impressive 68-14 record throughout the season, are now setting their sights on facing either the Denver Nuggets or the Los Angeles Clippers in the next round.
Jalen Williams played a crucial role by contributing 23 points for the Thunder. “I didn’t feel like my mindset was any different,” explained Gilgeous-Alexander. “Every night I step on the floor to be the best version of myself. I hadn’t been in the past (games), but tonight I was pretty close to it. I think because I kept the same mindset, it allowed me to just play free.”
The Grizzlies had to endure the absence of their star guard, Ja Morant, who suffered a left hip bruise and was sidelined from Game 3 onwards. Despite this setback, the Thunder managed to overturn a massive 29-point deficit following Morant’s departure—the second-largest comeback in the postseason since comprehensive play-by-play records started being kept in 1996-97.
Thunder’s coach, Mark Daigneault, praised the Grizzlies’ perseverance: “Their fight tonight was impressive. Down 3-0, down Morant, and down 11 with four minutes to go. A lot of respect for them competitively.”
Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Isaiah Joe all contributed 11 points each to the Thunder’s tally, with Hartenstein also pulling down 12 rebounds. On the Memphis side, Scotty Pippen Jr. equalled his career-best with 30 points and also snagged 11 rebounds, while Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama added 23 points each.
Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo commended Pippen Jr.’s performance: “Scotty did a tremendous job throughout the end of the season. He was very consistent on both ends.”
Throughout the game, neither team could establish a dominating lead until the Thunder led 88-85 heading into the fourth quarter, despite their struggled effort from beyond the arc, making only 4 out of 29 attempts. A pivotal moment came when Williams sank a three-pointer with 5:41 remaining, giving the Thunder a 102-92 lead, marking the first double-digit cushion of the match. Although Memphis attempted a rally, bringing the deficit back to just two points after a three-pointer by Bane towards the end, they fell just short of overtaking Oklahoma City.
Williams managed to split a pair of free throws with just 6 seconds left on the clock, and after the Thunder intentionally fouled Bane, he hit the first free throw but Memphis failed to recover the rebound following the intentional miss of the second attempt.
Daigneault reflected on the win: “We could have been a little bit tighter when we built the lead (to 11 in the fourth quarter). I thought we got a little bit loose on defensive possessions specifically. Once it tightened up, I thought everything from execution to clock management … was all very positive.”
After an intense first half characterized by multiple lead changes, the Thunder clung to a slight 60-59 advantage at halftime. Despite a valiant effort from the Grizzlies, as coach Iisalo noted, “We fought, everybody on this team. Like, there was zero quit in this team,” they ultimately fell short of clinching a victory. The competitive spirit and resilience displayed by both teams set the stage for an electrifying series conclusion.