Whelp that was quick but certainly not unexpected. The Oklahoma City Thunder have advanced to the Western Conference semifinals after completing a decisive four-game sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies. This triumph came even as their standout player and MVP finalist, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, navigated a shooting slump in the initial three contests of the series.
However, Gilgeous-Alexander rose to the occasion in Saturday’s pivotal Game 4. He poured in 38 points on an efficient 13-of-24 shooting performance, spearheading the Thunder’s 117-115 victory that sealed the series.
Here’s more as originally reported by ESPN sports, including player, coach quotes, reactions, and nitty gritty stats.
“I didn’t think he played any different,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault commented. “I just think he got into a groove.”
Before this game, Gilgeous-Alexander had uncharacteristically shot just 35.3% from the field across the first three matchups, marking his poorest three-game shooting stretch of the entire season. Despite this, the Thunder had convincingly won both home games in Oklahoma City and staged an impressive comeback from a significant 29-point deficit on the road in Game 3.
The regular-season scoring champion, Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 32.7 points per game with a 51.9% shooting accuracy during the season, started Game 4 with a flurry, sinking his first seven shot attempts and accumulating 16 points in the opening quarter.
“I’m impressed with my level to, I guess, stay with it,” Gilgeous-Alexander reflected, who also contributed five rebounds, six assists, and two steals in the closeout win. “In the past, I, for sure, would’ve turned down the aggressiveness a little bit. I think I made a jump as far as that this year. That’s something I’m definitely proud of. I try not to focus on the results and just focus on my mental development. I think I’ve taken a step forward in that and I had a night like tonight because of it.
“In the past, I definitely would’ve shied away from the moment because of where my shooting was headed. I think I’ve taken a step mentally, but I think I’ve done so all season and been paid off in the moment in the night where we needed it.”
Thunder forward Jalen Williams, in his first All-Star season, delivered consistently strong performances throughout the series. He averaged 23.3 points and 5.3 assists in the sweep, culminating in a 23-point, five-assist effort in Game 4.
Despite an uncharacteristic cold spell from beyond the arc on Saturday, where they connected on only 7 of 35 three-point attempts, the Thunder found success through the dynamic duo of Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams creating scoring opportunities. Their tenacious defense also proved crucial, forcing 22 turnovers from a Memphis team missing their star point guard Ja Morant due to a left hip contusion. Oklahoma City capitalized on these miscues, converting them into 32 points.
This trend of capitalizing on turnovers was a defining feature of the series, marking the second consecutive year that Oklahoma City has secured a first-round sweep. The Thunder amassed a total of 103 points off turnovers across the four games against the Grizzlies.