OKLAHOMA CITY — After an unprecedented 2024-25 regular season, head coach Mark Daigneault and his Oklahoma City Thunder made NBA history in their 131-80 series-opening blowout win against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Thunder’s 51-point victory is the largest Game 1 win the association has ever seen. However, on Tuesday, Daigneault is prepared to see a much different opponent in Game 2.

After Sunday’s historic win, Daigneault reminded reporters of what the Grizzlies had to overcome to earn a first-round series against the Thunder, and how quickly Memphis can adapt between now and Game 2.

“We did a good job tonally to start the game. We were ready to play, thought we were tight in our stuff, and like I said, set a good, but they played 36 hours ago, and had an emotional game,” Daigneault said. “Had to turn around and play at noon today, which is a really tough turnaround. So, they’re going to be better Tuesday. I thought we did a really good job, but I don’t think we can expect that from them. They’re going to play a lot better than that.

“They’re going to be fresher. They’re big-time competitors. So, we need to be ready to play on Tuesday,” Daigneault concluded.

Jalen Williams, Thunder send a Game 2 message in blowout

Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) and forward Jalen Williams (8) celebrate against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second quarter at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams says that an elite team understands its opponent in a best-of-7 series by sending a message for the next game amidst a blowout win. That was his team’s approach in the second half on Sunday after the Thunder built a 32-point halftime lead.

Williams led the Thunder to a 10-0 run to start the second half, which ballooned to a 24-9 run that eventually led to a 49-point advantage (112-63), heading into the final frame. Similar to Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault's sentiment, Williams says it was his team sending a message to the Grizzlies before Game 2.

“They just played like 36 hours ago,” Williams said. “So, they’re kind of coming in here. Still have to take a little bit of this win, with like, they’re going to be way better Game 2. So, we’re trying not to give them a lot of life in regards to that. That’s a really good team over there. Game 2 is going to be completely different. We’re kind of competing with ourselves in a way to make sure we’re sharper for Game 2 because we know what we’re going to get from them.”

Williams led the Thunder with 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Chet Holmgren finished with a double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds), and Aaron Wiggins led the bench with 19 points.