2 weeks Ago
Sometimes, games go according to plan. Everyone is left smiling and fulfilled. A nice sunny day in the middle of the baseball season.
Your starting pitcher twirls a gem, getting you through seven shutout innings, the set-up man earns a hold in the eighth and the closer is lights out for the save after the offense does its job. A good day at the ballpark. Oklahoma City has gotten a couple of perfect days at the Paycom Center to start its first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Thunder have grabbed a commanding 2-0 series lead with a pair of lopsided wins that followed a simple, sustainable and necessary formula. The through line between the two wins has been Oklahoma City's suffocating defense. Memphis lacks playmakers and that is a recipe for disaster as passes are picked off, contested shots fall flat and long rebounds are rewarded to the Thunder, who have consistently out-worked the Grizzlies.
As the Thunder rolled to a 118-99 win over the Grizzlies, they have held Memphis under 100 points, scoring more in the postseason than Memphis was held to during the entire regular season. Oklahoma City once again dominated on the glass, 55-42 and parlayed 14 Grizzlies turnovers into a jaw-dropping 23 fastbreak points –– all while forcing the Grizzlies to settle with three fastbreak points, not allowing Memphis to play at their comfortable breakneck speed. This terrific defensive outing allowed for a sluggish offensive night as the Thunder turned in just 43/33/81 shooting splits, superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned in another subpar scoring night and the scoring stalled in the third frame letting the Grizzlies slice a 23-point lead down to eight in the third frame.
That is where the formula picks up. Shades of Kelvin Herrera, Greg Holland and Wade Davis in the Kansas City Royals bullpen of yesteryear. As the Grizzlies trimmed the lead to eight, there was Gilgeous-Alexander to can a pair of triples to get some breathing room for the Bricktown ballers.
The soon-to-be MVP hit the pine to start the fourth quarter, with the Grizzlies only down 11. Nearly an identical situation to Sunday. In Game 1, Gilgeous-Alexander started the second frame on the bench with the Thunder up 12.
This is the moment that the opposing team is supposed to throw a counterpunch. The Beale Street Ballers had no such punch either night and that is thanks to a needed postseason leap from third-year swing man Jalen Williams. In the second quarter of Sunday, Williams spurred the Thunder on to a 30-5 run to blow the game open and spoil Easter for the Grizzlies.
Different verse, same as the first on Tuesday, as Williams got wherever he wanted on the floor as a table setter and scorer. This is in stark contrast to what the Santa Clara product put on display in Dallas during the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. “Going through the process of 82 games, just trying to work on that and having a blueprint from the last playoffs.
Like it’s not gonna be perfect this one either and I think that’s kinda helped me understand to go with the flow of how it is while still being aggressive,” Williams said when asked about how the last Postseason prepared him for this run. Williams totaled 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal in 36 minutes of work while shooting 52% from the floor and 2-for-6 from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-6 swingman got wherever he wanted in the mid-range and at the rim, which not only opened up his own scoring ability but put his teammates in position for success.
In his second-ever playoff run, Williams is charged with being the No. 2 option and seems up for the task through two games. Sure, the Beale Street Ballers are nowhere close to contending and tougher matchups still await.
But Williams picking up Gilgeous-Alexander after outlier outings, with stellar team defense and enough from the supporting cast, this is the blueprint for Oklahoma City –– Especially once its superstar returns to peak performance. Sometimes, the games and outcomes are simple. On top of the lopsided results making the Paycom Center happier than a baby with a lollipop, the formula is sustainable.
Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso have more than fulfilled their end of the bargain to upgrade this roster. Chet Holmgren and his Santa Clara partner have been more than adequate co-stars for the league's MVP. Oklahoma City is getting enough from its supporting cast.
If this trend continues, confetti will fall as the Oklahoma City Thunder are in store for a deep playoff run. Song of the Day: Walking In Memphis by Marc Cohn.
