The Oklahoma City Thunder are the first team in the NBA to 10 wins this season after drubbing the Memphis Grizzlies on the road, coming back from a 19-point deficit.
Reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder recovered from a 19-point deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 114-100, at the FedEx Forum in Memphis on Monday (PH time).
The Thunder, who fell behind in the second quarter thanks to a 12-2 Grizzlies run powered by Jaren Jackson Jr., needed a big third-quarter surge to turn around for the convincing victory — becoming the first team in the NBA this season to reach 10 wins in the process.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sparked the comeback effort from 34-53 down by helping his team cut the deficit to 11, 51-62, heading into the halftime break.
Then in the third, the reigning MVP drilled the triple to tie the match with 2:30 ticks left in the quarter, 76-all.
Alex Caruso beat the quarter buzzer to make it a five-point OKC lead, 85-80, capping a 34-point scoring outburst in the period.
From that point on, it was all OKC as the champs never trailed again.
Gilgeous-Alexander paced the Thunder with an all-around game of 35 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
Chet Holmgren played supporting role with 21 points, seven boards, two assists, and a steal. Isaiah Hartenstein added a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Jackson Jr. paced Memphis in the losing effort with his 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Ja Morant, for his part, had 11 points, three rebounds, eight assists, and one steal.
The Thunder are currently rolling with a 10-1 slate while the Grizzlies continue their shaky start at 4-7.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.