"OKC Thunder about to catch 51 bullet holes from Ja Morant" - NBA fans roast Grizzlies after brutal Game 1 beatdown by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co

By Miguel de Guzman

Modified Apr 20, 2025 20:49 GMT

NBA: Playoffs-Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder - Source: Imagn — NBA fans react to OKC Thunder's 51-point victory over the Memphis Grizzlies (image credit: IMAGN)

The Memphis Grizzlies lost by a landslide to the OKC Thunder in Game 1 of their opening-round matchup on Sunday. The Grizzlies were outmatched in every aspect against the Thunder, who displayed total team effort on both ends of the floor.

OKC took the lead midway through the first quarter and never looked back. At one point, its lead grew by as much as 56. At the final buzzer, the score was 131-80, for a 51-point win.

Several Thunder fans also shared their predictions for the rest of the series and the playoffs.

OKC's 51-point victory nearly became the largest winning margin in playoff history. The Thunder were just nine points away from the record.

In league history, two teams have won by 58 points in the postseason. The most recent one was in April 2009, when the Denver Nuggets defeated the New Orleans Hornets 121-63 in Game 4 of the opening round.

The other one was in 1956 when the Minneapolis Lakers beat the St. Louis Hawks 133-75.

Ja Morant was seen laughing on Grizzlies' bench amid OKC Thunder's landslide win

The Memphis Grizzlies' performance against the OKC Thunder in Game 1 was embarrassing, even for the team's fans. However, Ja Morant found a little moment to laugh despite his team's loss.

With over seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, one of the cameras panned to the Memphis bench. Morant was laughing even though it was not clear why.

Morant, along with Marvin Bagley III, were the only bright spots in the defeat. They were tied as the best scorers of the team, with 17 points each. They were the only Grizzlies players to finish in double figures in any statistical category.

All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with four points on a 2-for-13 shooting. Desmond Bane had nine after going 3-for-12 and Scotty Pippen Jr. only had two on a 1-for-9 clip.

Meanwhile, six Thunder players finished in double-digit scoring. Aaron Wiggins finished with a game-high 21 despite coming off the bench. The starting five finished with at least 12 points each.

Jalen Williams had 20, Chet Holmgren finished with 19, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 15, Isiah Hartenstein had 14 and Lu Dort contributed 12.

About the author

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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