Thunder Stage Historic Comeback to Take 3-0 Series Lead on Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Chet Holmgren scored all but one of his 24 points in the second half as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a 29-point deficit after Ja Morant left the game with a hip injury and beat the Memphis Grizzlies 114-108 on Thursday night for a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.
Morant was hurt with just over three minutes left in the first half and Memphis leading 67-40. The Grizzlies led by 26 points at halftime.
The 29-point comeback was the second-largest in an NBA postseason game since play-by-play data began being recorded in the 1996-97 season.
It was the largest comeback in Thunder history, regular season or postseason.
The only one bigger: A comeback from 31 points down by the Los Angeles Clippers against Golden State on April 15, 2019.
The top-seeded Thunder, who won Game 1 131-80 in the fifth-biggest margin of victory in NBA postseason history, didn’t even have a lead in this one until the fourth quarter. Now, they can close out the series Saturday.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points for Oklahoma City and Jalen Williams added 26, including splitting a pair of free throws with 1:20 left to give the Thunder their first lead of the game.
Scotty Pippen scored 28 points, two short of his career high, to lead Memphis. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 22 points as Memphis saw its substantial lead evaporate in the second half.
Morant went down hard under the basket with just over three minutes remaining in the first half and was ruled out for the remainder of the game early in the second half with a left hip contusion.
Memphis was on a fast break after a Thunder turnover. Pippen was driving to the basket when he dropped the ball off to Morant at the rim. Luguentz Dort, who was stumbling at the time, fell into Morant while he was in the air, sending the Morant crashing to the floor. The play was reviewed for a flagrant foul, but was ruled a common foul.
Morant was being helped to the locker room but returned - noticeably limping - to shoot the free throws. He missed both, but the ball went out of bounds, allowing Morant to leave the game. He took his jersey off as he was helped off the floor.
Morant had 15 points and five assists when he left the game.
The Grizzlies had outscored Oklahoma City in only one period of the first two games of the series.
Things started out differently Thursday with the Grizzlies at home. Memphis jumped to an early lead behind its 3-point shooting. The Grizzlies kept the pressure by continuing to shoot better than 55% and benefitting from Oklahoma City turnovers, crafting a 25-5 run in the second quarter.
Memphis carried a 77-51 lead into the break. But the Thunder used a 36-18 scoring edge in the third quarter to claw back into contention.