A short-handed Thunder side still has too much for Memphis
Oklahoma City arrived in Memphis without Jaylen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren, and it did not matter. Ajay Mitchell put up a career-high 35 points on Friday night, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 and Jared McCain hit a season-high 21 in a 128-97 NBA Cup group-stage win.
Williams (ankle surgery), Wallace (shoulder surgery) and Holmgren (knee) were all out. The Thunder shot 55.4% from the field, went 16-of-35 from three and scored 62 points in the paint. It was their third win in a row and their 13th straight regular-season victory over the Grizzlies.
The game was settled in the second quarter. Oklahoma City led 35-28 after one, then outscored Memphis 36-21 in the period behind Mitchell, who scored 12, and Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored eight. A mid-range jumper from Gilgeous-Alexander made it 58-40, the biggest deficit the Grizzlies had faced all season. The Thunder led 71-49 at the break after Cedric Coward’s three-pointer closed the half.
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Memphis cools off after the 6-0 start
The Grizzlies opened the season 6-0 and have now lost three in a row. Ty Jerome led them with 21 points and Zach Edey had 14, while Jerami Grant and Coward added 10 apiece. Rookie Cam Boozer grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds but scored only eight.
Shooting was the problem. Memphis hit 33% overall and went 10-of-45 from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City opened the third with a 12-0 run, capped by back-to-back threes from Mitchell and McCain and another from Kenrich Williams, and the lead reached 32. It grew to 37 late in the fourth.
With three starters sidelined, the depth is what stands out. Mitchell and McCain filled the scoring gap without any strain on Gilgeous-Alexander, who needed just 28 points to anchor the win.
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