The Memphis Grizzlies took a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the final game of the regular season, but rookie Kenny Lofton Jr. made history in his first career start in the NBA.

He scored 42 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Grizzlies' 115-100 loss to the Thunder. Lofton Jr. was the first player to ever post a 40-point, 10-rebound game in his first career start since starts were officially tracked in 1970-1971, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

The game mattered much more for the Thunder, who were fighting for a spot in the NBA play-in tournament. They finished with a 40-42 record and made the play-in. They will face the New Orleans Pelicans next Sunday. The Grizzlies were locked into the second seed in the Western Conference, so they rested key players like Ja Morant. The loss drops the Grizzlies to 51-31. They will face the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves play-in game.

Lofton Jr. averaged 5.9 minutes played per game this season, according to basketball reference. The resting of starters like Ja Morant allowed Lofton Jr. to have his career night. He might not play a significant role in this year's playoff run, but maybe it provides some hope for Lofton Jr.'s future in the league.

Kenny Lofton Jr. went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. He played two seasons of college basketball with Louisiana Tech basketball. He averaged 14.3 points in those two seasons with the Louisiana Tech basketball program, according to sports reference.

It will be interesting to see what kind of role Kenny Lofton Jr. carves out with the Grizzlies in the future.