The Memphis Grizzlies didn’t have an easy path to the 2025 NBA Playoffs. After a (121-116) defeat by the Golden State Warriors on April 15 it seemed their postseason dreams were over. However the Grizzlies bounced back defeating the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, April 18 to punch their ticket into the playoffs.
The victory set up a tough first-round game with the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference that is the Oklahoma City Thunder.
For Memphis, they will rely on Ja Morant. This season he has been averaging 23.2 points and 7.3 assists per game showing his ability to attack the rim. The combination of his agility with fast first-step movements creates defensive nightmares for opponents and Memphis will depend on his leadership and clutch shooting against the Thunder’s balanced lineup.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder enter the postseason with confidence and depth led by none other than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This season he has been averaging 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and five rebounds while shooting efficiently from all over the court.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Player Stats and Box Score
Memphis Grizzlies
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG % | +/- |
| Desmond Bane | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 25 | 25 |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 15.4 | 15.4 |
| Zach Edey | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 40 |
| Scotty Pippen Jr. | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 11.1 | 11.1 |
| Ja Morant | 17 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 35.3 | 35.3 |
| Santi Aldama | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 | 33.3 |
| John Konchar | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 25 |
| Marvin Bagley III | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 100 |
| Vince Williams Jr. | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 50 | 50 |
| Lamar Stevens | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22.2 | 22.2 |
| Luke Kennard | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 50 |
| Jay Huff | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 50 | 50 |
Oklahoma City Thunder
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG % | +/- |
| Jalen Williams | 20 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 62.5 | 44 |
| Chet Holmgren | 19 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 45.5 | 25 |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 87.5 | 35 |
| Luguentz Dort | 12 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 50 | 22 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 15 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 30.8 | 28 |
| Isaiah Joe | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 17 |
| Cason Wallace | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 100 | 30 |
| Alex Caruso | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Jaylin Williams | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 60 | 5 |
| Ajay Mitchell | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 | -1 |
| Aaron Wiggins | 21 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 53.3 | 21 |
| Kenrich Williams | 6 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 | 3 |
| Dillon Jones | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 50 | -4 |
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game Summary
Now coming to the game, in the first quarter things started slow as both Memphis and OKC were going back and forth. But midway through the quarter, OKC started to pull away. They picked up the pace and took control of the game. Morant only scored 5 points, while Gilgeous-Alexander added 6 points, helping OKC build a 12-point lead by the end of the quarter.
In the second quarter for the Grizzlies Desmond Bane stepped up but it wasn’t enough compared to Jalen Williams’ performance. Williams scored 10 points in the second quarter shooting 5-of-7 from the field. His effort helped OKC cross the 60-point mark and keep their lead strong going into halftime with the largest halftime lead in franchise history.
It was pretty clear from the second half who was going to win tonight. Morant had a few good moments, scoring 6 points in the third quarter, but that was all he could do. On the other side, Chet Holmgren stepped up big time, scoring 10 points in the second half. He helped OKC keep a lead of over 45 points for most of the half. In the end, the Grizzlies couldn’t keep up and crumbled to OKC with the largest margin in playoff Game 1 history.
The Final score of the game was Grizzlies (80) vs. OKC (131). It was a tough night for Morant and the Grizzlies. They will be meeting OKC again on Tuesday, April 22.