Ja Morant was “scared” to speak. Even after a brief pause, he laughed nervously while rubbing his eyes.
In a world where words are twisted, he wanted to make sure his message was as straight-forward as possible during his exit interview on April 27. It was the day after Memphis had been swept by OKC in the first round of last season’s NBA playoffs.
“I had them figured out,” Morant finally said of OKC, which cruised after he suffered a hip injury in Game 3 that sidelined him for the series. “Going out in Game 3 and not being able to play was frustrating because that win right there could’ve made this totally different.”
Morant’s words, unsurprisingly, were still twisted. They were stretched across social media and even turned into a meme once the Thunder went on to win the championship.
Still, Morant received a shot at vindication when Memphis hosted OKC on Sunday. And those who doubted him were eating their words early on, as the Grizzlies claimed a 19-point lead in the first half.
But in the end, it was OKC that figured things out. The Thunder erased the early deficit to secure a 114-100 win despite being without key players such as Jalen Williams, Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins. And Morant finished with just 11 points and eight assists on 3-for-18 shooting (2 for 7 from deep).
“In the first half, they just shut our water off,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “We didn’t play with the requisite force to gain advantages. … In the second half, I just thought we were more forceful on both ends of the floor. At the point of attack on defense, and then offensively we were faster and sharper. Everything.”
Pre-order new book on Thunder’s run to NBA title
Memphis had seemingly figured out a way to contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander early on, too.
On a chilly night in Memphis, the reigning scoring champ was covered by layers of defenders. His favorite spots in the mid-range were occupied by bodies, and he was forced to reroute the ball on drives to the rim.
Gilgeous-Alexander only scored 13 points in the first half on 5-for-14 shooting from the field (0 for 4 from deep), but he eventually warmed up.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine straight points late in the fourth quarter, including a second straight stepback 3-pointer from the left wing. And after Memphis had tried to silence him all game, he could be seen talking freely while getting back on defense.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 35 points to go along with seven rebounds, six assists and two steals.
“I just wanted to do what it took to get a W,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Tonight, it was make a couple of shots. My shot wasn’t falling throughout the whole night, but it didn’t deter me. I just stuck with it and made a few just in time for the W.”
OKC is now 10-1 on the season.
The Thunder boasts the best record in the NBA despite being hindered by injuries. Despite receiving the best shot from teams, who are eager to knock out the reigning champs. Despite a now-completed four-game road trip with tough turnaround times.
It just keeps figuring things out.
“We know in this league, so many variables are thrown at you on a nightly basis,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You’ve just got to figure out what the task is that night and get it done. We’ve done that on multiple occasions in the past couple of years, and we’ve built that muscle pretty well. It showed tonight.
“Tonight wasn’t pretty for us, but we got it done.”
Here are three takeaways from the win:
Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein were double trouble
Chet Holmgren was being mauled down low by a pack of Grizzlies defenders.
He could feel the hands of Jock Landale on his back, eager to push him further away from the rim. He could feel the left hand of Morant swiping down on his forearm with hopes of getting a steal. And he could feel Jaren Jackson Jr. closing in for a potential block if he chose to shoot.
But Holmgren also had a feeling his fellow big man, Isaiah Hartenstein, was open. And after turning around, he found the 7-foot center under the rim for a two-handed dunk.
That came on the first play of the night for OKC, which found success with its double-big lineup once again.
After scoring a career-high 33 points against Sacramento on Friday, Hartenstein continued his strong play by scoring efficiently around the rim, crashing the glass and making good passes in the middle of the floor. He finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
And after showing signs of rust Friday in his return from a one-game absence, Holmgren didn’t look hindered by his sprained lower back. He carried the Thunder with 21 points and seven boards.
“They’re just really good at basketball,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of Hartenstein and Holmgren. “They just know how to play. … They rebound, they’re physical and they’re skilled. They can do it all out there. They’re very versatile.”
Ja Morant, Grizzlies dissected the Thunder’s defense to claim early lead
OKC’s defense doesn’t hand out easy entries to the paint. It treats it like an exclusive club, with elite perimeter defenders serving as stingy bouncers.
Morant managed to get through the door with 9:20 left in the first quarter. It’s hard to deny a star of his caliber, who used a burst of speed to get into the lane. But he brought a plus-one.
While all five of OKC’s defenders were focused on Morant, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope managed to sneak past security. And Morant found him on a cut to the rim for an easy layup.
Memphis dissected the league’s most daunting defense at will during the first half. It did a great job at getting into the lane and an even better job at moving the basketball, whether it was to cutters or kickout shooters.
The Grizzlies claimed a 62-51 lead at halftime. They assisted on 21 of their 23 makes while shooting 46.9% from the field (45.8% from deep), and Morant led the way with six assists.
But OKC regained control in the second half by playing its usual brand of basketball. It held Memphis to just 38 second-half points on 12 made field goals.
“The first half was tough,” Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell said. “We didn’t make shots, but we stuck together as a team. We know we’re going to make shots, so we really focused on what we can control, and that was defense.”
Ajay Mitchell doesn’t lack confidence
Memphis had no way of stopping a red-hot Thunder player early in the fourth quarter.
But it wasn’t Gilgeous-Alexander. The reigning regular-season and Finals MVP was sitting on the bench with a towel draped over his legs.
It was Mitchell, who weaved around multiple defenders sinking a layup to give his team a 93-91 lead at the 8:05 mark. That came during a personal six-point scoring spree for the sophomore guard.
Mitchell showed no signs of slowing down Sunday after a strong start to the season. He finished with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and three rebounds.
Confidence has been the key for Mitchell. He’s not afraid to assert himself when running with the first unit, and he’s even more willing to take charge when running the second.
“It’s always my mindset,” Mitchell said when asked about playing with force. “Just trying to play the right way, the winning way and obviously just being aggressive on both ends.”
Tip-insCason Wallace finished with six points, four rebounds and two steals. The third-year guard has recorded multiple steals in six of his 10 outings this season.Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in 83 consecutive regular-season games, which ranks third throughout NBA history. He trails only Wilt Chamberlain, who had two streaks of 126 games and 92 games.OKC is now 4-0 this season when trailing at halftime.
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
Thunder vs. Warriors
TIPOFF:Â 7 p.m. Tuesday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City (FanDuel Sports Network)