OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t just win their first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies. They steamrolled them. On April 26, the top-seeded Thunder sealed a 4-0 sweep with a gritty 117-115 victory in Game 4, sending a clear message to the Western Conference: this young squad is built for the long haul.
The Thunder, who finished the regular season with a franchise-best 68-14 record, made quick work of the eighth-seeded Grizzlies. Game 1 set the tone on April 20—a 131-80 blowout that marked the largest Game 1 margin in NBA playoff history. Seven Thunder players scored in double digits, with Jalen Williams dropping 20 points and Chet Holmgren adding 19 points and 10 rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s scoring champ, needed only 15 points to coast. The Grizzlies, hobbled without Ja Morant for much of the series, shot a dismal 34.4% from the field and coughed up 22 turnovers.
Game 2 on April 22 was no kinder. Oklahoma City cruised to a 118-99 win, leaning on their depth. Williams poured in 24 points, Holmgren added 20, and Alex Caruso chipped in 13 off the bench. Gilgeous-Alexander, despite a tough shooting night, still managed 27 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Memphis couldn’t find an answer, trailing by as many as 70 points combined over the first two games—a point differential topped only by the 1986 Lakers.
The series shifted to Memphis for Game 3 on April 24, and the Grizzlies showed some fight. They jumped to a 29-point lead, fueled by Jaren Jackson Jr. and rookie Zach Edey. But the Thunder’s defense, anchored by Holmgren’s five blocks and Luguentz Dort’s relentless pressure, clawed back. Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 30 points, and Oklahoma City stole a 109-108 thriller, erasing the massive deficit to take a 3-0 stranglehold.
Game 4 was a dogfight. Fifteen lead changes kept the FedExForum crowd on edge. Gilgeous-Alexander, shaking off a shaky 6-of-24 from three in the first three games, found his groove. He went 13-of-24 from the floor, sinking 11-of-13 free throws for a game-high 38 points. With the clock winding down, he drained a step-back jumper from the top of the key to give OKC a five-point cushion. The Grizzlies, leaning on Desmond Bane and a battered Jackson Jr., couldn’t respond. The final buzzer cemented the Thunder’s sweep.
Oklahoma City’s dominance wasn’t just about star power. Their bench outscored Memphis 33-14 in Game 2, with Aaron Wiggins and Caruso providing sparks. The Thunder’s defense, ranked among the league’s best, forced 22 Grizzlies turnovers in Game 3 alone, converting them into 32 points. Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein controlled the paint, while Dort and Gilgeous-Alexander swarmed the perimeter.
Memphis, finishing the season 48-34, faced an uphill battle without Morant, who sat out Game 3 after a hip injury. The Grizzlies now head into the offseason with questions, including a potential extension for Jackson Jr. and the future of their core.
The Thunder, the youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history, advance to the Western Conference semifinals. They await the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Los Angeles Clippers series. Game 1 of the next round is set for May 3 at Paycom Center.
Oklahoma City shot 50.5% from the field in Game 1. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 27.5 points per game in the series. The Thunder never trailed in Games 1 and 2. Memphis committed 88 turnovers across the four games.