The Oklahoma City Thunder crushed the Memphis Grizzlies in the first two games of their first-round series, but the 68-win juggernaut came out in Game 3 like they thought they could waltz right into Memphis and easily take care of business. The Grizzlies had another thing coming for the Thunder, running up a 69-40 lead late in the first half and a 77-51 lead at halftime. Even a Ja Morant injury wouldn't matter, right?

Wrong.

Oklahoma City showed exactly why it's such a dominant force, storming back into the game as Morant could only watch from the bench. The Thunder caught up early in the fourth quarter and then used a strong closing surge to steal a 114-108 victory, going up 3-0 in the series in the process. Memphis went scoreless for almost five minutes to end the game.

The 29-point comeback is the second-largest ever in NBA playoff history, trailing only the 2019 Los Angeles Clippers' 31-point comeback against the Golden State Warriors. However, the 26-point halftime comeback is now the largest in playoff history, breaking the Cleveland Cavaliers' previous mark of 25 against the Indiana Pacers in 2017.

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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrate after a scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter of game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center.
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Morant left the game late in the first half when the score was 67-40, which should've been enough cushion to win the game and make this series interesting. But OKC's elite defense, which got torched in the first half, locked in for the second. Alex Caruso played a huge role, racking up four steals in the game and wreaking havoc all over the court with a stat-stuffing masterclass.

Offensively, presumptive MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 31 points, but he got major help from Jalen Williams (26 points) and Chet Holmgren (24 points). Holmgren hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 108 with 2:39 to play, and Williams hit what turned out to be the game-winning free throw. Holmgren added two more clutch free throws before Caruso delivered the finishing blow..

With Morant injured and a 29-point comeback in the books, it would be a shocker if this series isn't over after Saturday's Game 4. Maybe the Grizzlies have one more surge in them, but they have to be ready to be done after what has transpired this season.