The Memphis Grizzlies’ Game 1 showing against the Oklahoma City Thunder was less a playoff battle and more like a basketball massacre. The No. 1-seeded Thunder’s 131-80 victory over the Grizzlies wasn’t just humiliating — it was historic, marking the largest margin of a Game 1 win in NBA playoff history.
For the Grizzlies, it seemed like Murphy’s Law out there: anything that could go wrong, absolutely did. There wasn’t a single moment in the entire 48 minutes of basketball that Memphis showed the slightest sign of life. The Grizzlies struggled from the jump, finishing the night shooting a dismal 34.4% from the field and an even grimmer 17.6% from 3.
The ball gets heavy under pressure, and the Grizzlies exemplified firsthand just how heavy, coughing up 22 turnovers and failing to find any semblance of offensive rhythm.
Ja Morant, Grizzlies Keeping Heads Up vs. Thunder
Returning from an ankle injury sustained in a previous matchup against the Golden State Warriors, Memphis superstar Ja Morant seemed a shell of his usual All-Star self. Morant shot 35.3% from the field and 1-of-6 from 3, ultimately managing 17 points, three rebounds, and four assists.
Following the loss, Morant issued a six-word declaration and promise to his team and fanbase: “We’ll never play that bad again.”
Ja Morant after the Grizzlies 51-point loss to the Thunder:
“We’ll never play that bad again.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 20, 2025
Decisive and optimistic, Morant insisted, “If we win Tuesday, the series will be 1-1. This game won’t matter. We just gotta pick up our energy, effort, and physicality. … It’s playoff basketball. It’s what we wanted, it’s what we’re here for. We just gotta embrace it.”
It’s clear that Morant brushes off the historic and humiliating loss as a mere glitch in Memphis’ system. Morant’s six-word promise echoes the boldness and perseverance of its speaker.
But now, the pressure is on.
Tuesday’s Game 2 on TNT is now shaping up to be a referendum not only on Memphis’ playoff hopes but on Morant’s leadership and promise. While the lucky bounce of a ball can tip a close game in favor of a certain team, sheer luck does not make history with a 51-point loss.
Morant and the Grizzlies have a steep hill to climb, and they will have to do it fast. The question of whether Game 1’s historical loss was simply for the loss of trying on Memphis’ part or a simple explanation of OKC being a better basketball team by way of 51 points is now up in the air.
Was Game 1 simply an aberration, a fluke collapse caused by Memphis’s exhaustion from the play-ins, or was it a direct result of OKC’s firepower and incorrigible dominance?