The Memphis Grizzlies did not have their best game to start the NBA playoffs, to say the least. But one stat, in particular, really puts into perspective how historically bad Memphis, as well as how great the Oklahoma City Thunder, played on Saturday.
Almost from the opening tip, the Thunder were in complete control of Game 1 of their playoff series vs. the Grizzlies, who fell behind and fell even further throughout the contest. However, especially in the modern NBA, it is not always clear when a game is truly out of reach and a comeback no longer possible. Fortunately, we know when that happened in Game 1.
“[The] Thunder could have gone scoreless for the last 21 minutes of the game, and they still would have won,” Reddit user lifebylosh posted on the NBA subreddit.
Oklahoma City won the game 131-80, and while the Grizzlies would have kept Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Co. longer if they had a remote chance of pulling off of a comeback, the fact remains that Memphis scored as many points in 48 minutes as the Thunder did in about 26 minutes.




OKC scored its 79th and 80th points a little over two minutes into the second half thanks to a pair of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander free throws. Less than a minute later, Lu Dort hit a 3-pointer to boost the Thunder's total to 83 points, which would have been enough to beat Memphis without any more made baskets.
Hopefully for the Thunder, things continue as they started on Saturday. The No. 1 seed hosts Game 2 in Oklahoma City again before the series transitions to Memphis for Games 3 and 4.
As for the Grizzlies, they certainly hope that Morant's guarantee is accurate; after the loss, Morant said that his team would “never play that bad again.” While that may seem incredibly likely, it does not inspire a lot of confidence in the Grizzlies' hopes for the rest of the series.
Whoever wins the best-of-seven series between Memphis and Oklahoma City will play the winner of the Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers in the second round. The Nuggets defeated the Clippers in Game 1, which went to overtime.