OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – APRIL 20: Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts after a … More
In the opening game of the Oklahoma City Thunder-Memphis Grizzlies series, the team with the best regular season record in the NBA threw the first punch.
It was a dominant 51-point victory for the Thunder that could have easily extended well beyond that mark if the primary rotation players hadn’t been pulled in the third quarter due to the lead. While Oklahoma City is a clear favorite in this first-round series, winning by the widest margin of a Game 1 in NBA history was unexpected. It was a two-way masterclass from the Thunder, proving this team has a gear that few others can touch.
Even then, the Grizzlies will still be looking to make a statement in Game 2 on Tuesday, hoping to tie the series 1-1 before heading back to Memphis. While a lot will need to change between the first and second contests for the Grizzlies to have a chance, anything can happen in the playoffs.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault expects Memphis to come out much better in Game 2, which is why he’s already preparing his team for the next battle and isn’t taking his opponent lightly despite the result of Game 1.
“They played 36 hours ago and had an emotional game. Then had to turn around at noon today which is a really tough turnaround,” Daigneault said postgame on Sunday. “So they’re going to be better on Tuesday. I thought we did a good job, but I don’t think we can expect that from them. They’re going to play a lot better than that. They’ll be fresher, and they have a lot of big-time competitors.”
The biggest of those competitors is Ja Morant, Memphis’ superstar, who had a similar sentiment when he spoke to the media after Game 1.
“We’ll never play that bad again,” Morant said. “If we win Tuesday, the series is 1-1. Then this game won’t matter.”
That’s why Oklahoma City needed to continue applying pressure for all 48 minutes of Game 1. While the Thunder didn’t play its best players during the last 14 to 16 minutes of the game, the intensity and effort were there until the final buzzer. That’s because ensuring momentum doesn’t trickle into the next game is critical in a series.
“You have to take a little bit of this win like they’re going to be a lot better in Game 2,” said Williams. “We were trying not to give them a lot of life. That’s a really good team over there so Game 2 is going to be completely different. We were kinda competing with ourselves in a way to make sure we are sharp for Game 2. That was kinda the biggest goal.”
In any series, Game 2 is among the biggest matchups of the slate. On one hand, the winner of the opener can take a commanding 2-0 lead. Conversely, the series can get tied up at 1-1 as the two teams travel to the lower seed’s home court for a pair of games.
As such, Oklahoma City winning on Tuesday is of extreme importance. Game 2 will tip off at Paycom Center at 6:30 p.m. CT on TNT.
