The Oklahoma City Thunder are on the road on Thursday night as they look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. It was a slow start for the Thunder as they trailed 40-29 at the end of the first quarter. Oklahoma City’s struggles continued in the second quarter as they were outscored 37-22. Of course, this is a complete turnaround for the Grizzlies after they were on the wrong side of a blowout in the first two games of the series. Unfortunately for Memphis, their superstar point guard Ja Morant left the game in the second quarter after taking a hard fall during a layup attempt after Lu Dort slipped and undercut him. Memphis then announced that Morant will miss the remainder of the game due to a hip injury. This is a massive blow for the Grizzlies who have already been overmatched in the series thus far and now it will be even more of an uphill climb if Morant misses time during the series. Despite this, the Grizzlies have continued to maintain their lead in Game 3 but without their star player on the floor and the Thunder’s talent, it would not be a surprise if Oklahoma City was able to come back. If the Grizzlies are able to hold on and pick up the victory, it would be a massive win for the team as they would then have a chance to tie up the series in Game 4. Of course, it still remains to be seen how long Morant may be out for and if he misses any games during this series, it would be a major blow for the Grizzlies.
The FedExForum crowd was electric as the Memphis Grizzlies took a 29-point lead in the second quarter of Game 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 24. This time, it was the Grizzlies' turn to deliver the punishment after OKC won the first two games of the series by a combined 70 points. Not so fast. The Thunder rallied in the second half and erased the gigantic deficit. They tied the game early in the fourth quarter, and then it was a battle to the end. The Thunder pulled it out late, defeating the Grizzlies 114-108 in Game 3 to take a 3-0 series lead. The potential elimination game in the first-round series is scheduled for April 26 at FedExForum (2:30 p.m. CT, TNT).
The Grizzlies came out and delivered the first punch against OKC. Memphis scored 40 points in the first quarter and led by 26 points at halftime. That play was sparked by the duo of Ja Morant and Scotty Pippen Jr. Morant had 15 points and five assists in the first half, and Pippen had his best shooting night of the season. Pippen made a season-high five 3-pointers in the first half and finished the game with 28 points and six 3-pointers. Unfortunately, the momentum in Memphis was momentarily halted after Morant fell hard on the floor late in the second quarter. He left the game with a hip injury and did not return. Playing without Morant against a defense that pressures the ball like OKC proved to be a challenge. The Thunder ramped up the intensity and quickly cut the Grizzlies' 26-point lead in half in the first seven minutes of the third quarter.
To put Morant's injury in perspective, he still tied the team with the lead in assists despite leaving the game in the first half. Morant being out put the Grizzlies in an unexpected position. The Grizzlies struggled to get good offensive looks in the fourth quarter as their lead quickly vanished. OKC tied the game 99-99 before Memphis went on a quick 6-0 run. The Thunder quickly responded with aggressive defense. The Thunder was able to expose a notable issue in the Grizzlies' best available players. In Desmond Bane, Memphis has a shooting guard who is a sound secondary playmaker, but he has graded out as below average in isolation scoring metrics. He finished the game with 10 points on 3-for-13 shooting. Jackson thrives as an isolation scorer, but he has struggled as a playmaker throughout his career. He mustered just two assists despite consistent double teams thrown his way from the Thunder. Both of those areas of weakness were exposed by OKC late in the fourth quarter.
Game 4 is April 26 at FedExForum (2:30 p.m. CT, TNT). Many eyes will be on the availability of Morant. The Grizzlies star returned to the bench on crutches in the fourth quarter. Memphis will be attempting to fight off being swept. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history. If Morant can return for Game 4, Memphis should feel good about its chances of staying alive. If Morant is out, the second half showed that it could be tough sledding for Memphis. Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo said after the game that Morant will undergo further evaluation Friday “and then we'll know more.” Asked how much his absence affected the Grizzlies play in the second half, Iisalo replied: “I would say quite drastically from the end result. But not only the energy, but also the execution.”
Memphis was on a fast break after a Thunder turnover. Scotty Pippen was driving to the basket when he dropped the ball off to Morant at the rim. Luguentz Dort, who was stumbling at the time, fell into Morant while he was in the air, sending Morant crashing to the floor. After shooting the ensuing free throws, Morant went to the locker room with Memphis up 67-40. Morant was being helped to the locker room but returned — noticeably limping — to shoot the free throws. He missed both, but the ball went out of bounds, allowing Morant to leave the game. He took his jersey off as he was helped off the floor. The play was reviewed for a flagrant foul, but was ruled a common foul. Morant had 15 points and five assists when he left the game.
As the series progresses, the stakes continue to rise for the Memphis Grizzlies. With their star player’s health in question, the upcoming game against the Thunder will be crucial. The Grizzlies have shown resilience in the past, but overcoming a 3-0 deficit will be a monumental challenge. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely as the team prepares for what could be a defining moment in their playoff run. The absence of Morant could reshape the entire series, and the pressure is on the remaining players to step up in his absence. The upcoming days will be pivotal for Memphis as they aim to keep their playoff hopes alive.
