OKC rolled over the Memphis Grizzlies 128-97 on Friday, a downright dominant win for a team missing *six* players from its lineup. That’s right, six! This wasn’t some lucky break, this was the Thunder asserting its dominance, even without Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams, Thomas Sorber, and Nikola Topić all sidelined for various injuries or recovery. Memphis came in with an impressive 6-2 record, but OKC was starved for a statement win, and they absolutely feasted.
Mitchell and SGA Went Full Apex Predator Mode
Ajay Mitchell was an absolute menace out there, leading the charge with a career-high 35 points! Dude was carving up the Grizzlies defense, shooting 14-for-20 from the field, including 4-for-7 from deep, in just 30 minutes. Five assists to boot? Talk about making a statement! And you know Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t about to be outdone. The man dropped 28 points himself, with four assists, on 11-for-22 shooting. Remember that second-quarter sequence? SGA hits an and-one triple, sticks out his chest, balls up his hands, and yells “And one!” right in their faces before dapping up Alex Caruso like his life depended on it. The crowd just melted back into their seats. That’s what happens when a real apex predator hits the court, and that’s exactly what SGA and this Thunder squad are in the Western Conference. They are not giving up their spot on top of the food chain, no matter what.
McCain Breaks Out of His Slump, Just When They Needed Him
Speaking of making statements, how about Jared McCain? He had been in a shooting slump, a brutal 1-for-22 from deep over his last four games. Woof. But Friday night, he finally broke out. He drilled a corner three late in the first quarter, forcing Memphis to call a timeout. Instead of busting out his signature three-fingers-up celebration, he just jogged back to the bench. His teammates, though? They were holding up three fingers for *him*. They know what he can do, and their trust paid off big time. McCain finished with 21 points, five rebounds, and a career-high four steals in 29 minutes, going 9-for-14 from the field and 3-for-8 from deep. With so many guys out, his floor spacing is absolutely crucial. That kind of team trust and individual resilience is exactly what you want to see.
OKC is now on a three-game winning streak, pushing their record to 7-2 after those two rough losses to Dallas and Houston where they got smacked by a combined 45 points. This team is clearly hungry. Next up, they’re at home against Washington on Saturday at 7 p.m. CST. You gotta believe they are looking to keep this momentum rolling and show the league that even short-handed, they’re a force to be reckoned with.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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