The first-round series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies pivots venues as these two teams match up at FedExForum tonight for Game 3. In the first two contests, the Thunder dominated at home, winning the two games by a combined 70 points. The way this series is trending, it could be over in four games – as a sweep certainly on the table for Oklahoma City, especially if Memphis doesn’t make key adjustments as the Grizzles head back home for Thursday night’s contest.
When tonight’s game comes to an end, it will either be a 3-0 Thunder lead with the series effectively over, or a 2-1 lead in which the Grizzlies will still have life. As such, it’s a must-win for Memphis. Oklahoma City hopes this series will end quickly, as it will result in rest before the start of the next round, especially if the Denver Nuggets-LA Clipper series goes the distance.
In Game 1, nearly everything went wrong for Memphis, losing by a total of 51 points. The Thunder dominated both ends of the floor, making a statement to open the series. Game 2 was closer, but OKC still won by a final score of 118 to 99. The Grizzlies did pull within single digits towards the end of the game, but the Thunder threw one last punch to secure a 19-point victory.
While that game was a loss for Memphis, it was a step in the right direction. Now that the Grizzlies will be at home, they look to continue making tweaks and hope to get over the hump tonight. The primary issue for the Grizzlies has been their inability to score points. Memphis was only held under 100 points one time in the 82-game regular season, but the Thunder has held the Grizzlies below 100 in both contests thus far. In the opener, the Thunder held Memphis to 80 points, while in Game 2, the Grizzlies finished with 99.
There’s a lot that goes into scoring points, especially considering the historic defense that Oklahoma City brings, but it comes down to the scoring attack from the bench. While everybody struggled to score in Game 1 for Memphis, its trio stepped up in Game 2. Jaren Jackson Jr. (26), Ja Morant (23), and Desmond Bane (19) combined for 68 points on Tuesday night. Though it wasn’t the most efficient outing, that trio still showed up and generated nearly 70% of Memphis’s points in that game. The Grizzlies’ complementary starters and the bench have been a problem through the first two games. The Thunder’s bench has outscored the Grizzlies’ bench 84 to 58 and has been a +30 in plus-minus, which leads all reserve units thus far through two games in the playoffs. To be clear, Memphis’ starters also have not been great – being outscored 165 to 121 – but that unit has shown much more life than the reserves.
As a team, the Grizzlies are last among playoff teams in field goal percentage (38.6%) and 3-point percentage (24.6%). They’ve also turned the ball over 39 times, which leads the league thus far in the playoffs. When you’re turning the ball over and shooting at an abysmal clip, it’s not surprising that scoring points has been a challenge. The offensive battle has been a problem for Memphis.
The Grizzlies defense has given up quite a few points, but it has actually shown some promise through these first two games. If the Grizzlies can increase their scoring output while maintaining some of the defensive flashes, Game 3 could be a close contest – especially with homecourt advantage.
For that to happen, Ja Morant will need to come out on a mission with an aggressive, attacking mindset on offense, while Jaren Jackson Jr. will need to anchor that Memphis defense, showing why he is one of the best defenders in the entire NBA. The Thunder will need to be prepared for the Grizzlies to come out with a high level of intensity with their backs against the wall.
