After losing their first two games in the series, the Memphis Grizzlies were desperate to pick up a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder for their home crowd at the FedEx Forum. With Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies had everything in place for a statement victory, but it still wasn’t enough to prevent a series-deciding loss on Thursday night.
Memphis opened Game 3 with a 40-point first quarter, taking an 11-point lead after the first 12 minutes. Things continued to swing their way through halftime, when the Grizzlies held an impressive 26-point lead. When Ja Morant went down, the tides shifted in the game, giving all momentum to the Thunder and powering the second-largest comeback in NBA history. Oklahoma City is now up 3-0 after the 114-108 win.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the leading scorer for the Thunder with 31 points, four rebounds, and eight assists on 38.5% shooting. Jalen Williams was second in scoring with 26 points, six rebounds, and five assists on 56.2% shooting. At power forward, Chet Holmgren dropped 24 points and eight rebounds on 50% shooting.
Meanwhile, for the Grizzlies, star guard Ja Morant scored 15 points and five assists in limited time on the floor. Scottie Pippen Jr. stepped up in his absence with 28 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 50% shooting. In the frontcourt, Jaren Jackson Jr. totaled 22 points, seven rebounds, and two assists on 43.8% shooting.
No team in NBA history has ever come back from down 0-3, and it means that this series is effectively over. After showing such promise all season, the Grizzlies’ latest campaign is another failure, thanks to several key factors that cost them this pivotal Game 3 at home. Still, their biggest concern going forward is Ja Morant, who may not return to action again this season after a scary accident on the court.
Early Exit For Ja Morant
The Memphis Grizzlies are a different team when Ja is leading the way, and we saw that first-hand in the 2021-22 campaign, when they ended 56-26 in the regular season. When he was suspended in 2023 and proceeded to miss all but nine games, the Grizzlies fell to 13th in the West at 27-55.
Ja was cooking in this battle with 15 points, one rebound, and five assists in roughly 15 minutes, and when he went down late in the second quarter after making contact with Lu Dort, it marked the major turning point in the game. As the Grizzlies scrambled to adjust after losing their star, the Thunder took full control of the game, and they never looked back.
Over the final 24 minutes, the Thunder outscored the Grizzlies by 32 points, holding them to just 13 points in the final quarter to end the game. No timetable has been set for Ja’s return, but it’s hard to see the Grizzlies putting up a fight in Game 4 without his presence, especially since they already lost two when he was fully healthy.
Dominant Showing For Thunder Big Three
As the Grizzlies experienced a meltdown in the second half, the Thunder’s star trio pulled their forces together to lead a massive comeback effort. Just like they have all season, the Thunder turned to their most trusted scorers to set the pace and carry them to victory.
Shai was the best of the big three with 31 points, four rebounds, and eight assists, but Chet Holmgren was the hot hand from three, going 5-10 from beyond the arc for 24 points. With elite two-way play, Jalen Williams played his role to perfection with 26 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 37 minutes of play.
While the Thunder have depth and good coaching working in their favor, their success is primarily centered around their three young stars, and when they are clicking, there is very little you can do to slow them down. Tonight, they led the historic comeback in the second half in a show of force and effort that’s rarely seen in the first round.
Heartless Basketball In The Second Half
It really was a tale of two halves in Game 3. With Ja Morant and the energy of the home crowd fans, the Grizzlies got off to a scorching hot start to take a commanding double-digit lead. When they lost Morant, however, the Grizzlies collapsed, and they lost all confidence in their game.
The second half of the game can only be described as a heartless performance for the Grizzlies, who made careless decisions with the ball and costly mistakes down the stretch that ruined their chances to win. Desmond Bane, in particular, was playing without purpose on the court and finished with just 10 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on 21.4% shooting.
No matter which player goes down, teams are told to keep playing through it, but the Grizzlies folded without No. 12 on the floor, and it says a lot about their mental toughness in this series. Had they maintained composure and rallied together, the Grizzlies might have kept their lead in the game and given themselves a chance to make it a competitive series.
Game 4 is set for Saturday, but if today’s results are any indication, fans shouldn’t expect much for that matchup. It will likely be the last game of another wasted season for the Grizzlies, but at least now they can address some of their glaring issues to make improvements over the summer.
