The Memphis Grizzlies played better in Game 2 on Tuesday than they did in Game 1 when they suffered a humiliating 51-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, they still got blown out on Tuesday night, 118-99, as OKC took a commanding 2-0 lead in their first-round NBA playoff series.
The silver lining for the Grizzlies here is that this series now shifts to Memphis for Games 3 and 4. They may be down, but the Grizzlies are not out quite yet, and this series still has a long way to go.
This is the tone Ja Morant took during his post-game press conference as he was asked about his team’s shot selection on the evening. As a team, the Grizzlies went 42.9% overall on 39-of-91 shooting.
Morant had no issue with the shots his team took, and he made this clear as he sent a blunt message to the Grizzlies after another deflating loss.
“We took them all year,” he said of the Grizzlies’ shot selection in Game 2.
“We’ve got to be better. I’ll be better, we’ll be better.”
After their blowout loss in Game 1, Morant pledged that his team would “never play that bad again.” To be fair, they looked like a better team in Game 2. At the end of the day, however, a loss is still a loss, and Memphis is now down 2-0.
Morant has committed to “be better” again after their loss on Tuesday night. The good news for him and the Grizzlies is that they still have to turn this series around.
Game 3 in Memphis is on Thursday, and that has now become a must-win game for the Grizzlies.
Not as bad a blowout, but Memphis Grizzlies down 2-0 to OKC Thunder in series. Here are 3 takeaways
The Memphis Grizzlies declared that a better version of the team would take the floor on April 22 for Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
They were right. They looked improved, playing with more offensive urgency and showing more signs of life. However, that still wasn’t enough against the top-seeded Thunder, who jumped out early and managed to keep the Grizzlies from getting too close.
After Memphis cut OKC’s lead down to 10 late in the third quarter, the Thunder responded with a 10-0 run that carried into the fourth. The Grizzlies are now down 2-0 in the first-round series after losing 118-99 at Paycom Center.
They will have a chance to get back in it at home on April 24 (8:30 p.m. CT TNT, FanDuel Sports Network).
Here are three takeaways from Game 2.
A game of adjustments
A number of Grizzlies players and interim coach Tuomas Iisalo talked about watching film and making adjustments heading into Game 2. But early in the first quarter, it was more of the same for Memphis.
The Grizzlies got off to a slow start and fell into an even bigger first-quarter hole than that of Game 1. Offense was hard to come by, with the team shooting 22.2% and totaling 17 points.
Iisalo added Luke Kennard to the rotation in Game 2. Kennard’s gravity as a 3-point shooter helped with spacing, and OKC players closed out with urgency when Kennard had the ball.
Turnovers doom Memphis again
At one point in the second quarter, Memphis trailed 55-38. OKC had a 17-2 advantage in points off turnovers at the same time. If you take away the turnovers, the Grizzlies would’ve been down just two points.
Despite them focusing on limiting turnovers, they haven’t been able to get the job done against OKC’s stifling defense. They continue to be the biggest issue for Memphis.
The Thunder finished the game with a 27-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. stats
The critics were loud against Jaren Jackson Jr. after a subpar performance in Game 1. The Grizzlies’ star got off to a slow start, but he responded emphatically. Jackson scored 13 points in the third quarter and finished with a team-high 26 points.
A lot of eyes were also on Ja Morant, who struggled to get comfortable looks in the paint. Morant usually does a lot of damage in the interior, but that’s also the strength of OKC’s defense.
Morant finished the game with 23 points on 10-for-25 shooting.
What’s next
After Game 1, multiple Grizzlies players pointed to the cliché: A playoff series doesn’t start until the road team wins a game. Memphis is now down 0-2 after OKC protected its home floor.
The Grizzlies will get their chance at FedExForum on Thursday, and it goes without saying that it’s a must-win game. A loss would put them in an 0-3 hole, and no NBA team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit to win the series.