Thunder Roll to 2-0 Series Lead Behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 27-Point Night

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander found his rhythm and the Oklahoma City Thunder kept their foot on the gas, cruising past the Memphis Grizzlies 118-99 on Tuesday night to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 27 points, shaking off a slow start to the series. Jalen Williams followed with 24 points, while Chet Holmgren was a two-way force, posting 20 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks.

Coming off a historic 131-80 blowout in Game 1, the top-seeded Thunder once again flexed their dominance. Tuesday’s win marked the sixth time this season Oklahoma City has beaten Memphis by double digits.

Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 26 points, and Ja Morant chipped in 23, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace. Memphis will look to respond when the series shifts to their home court for Game 3 on Thursday.

The Thunder stormed out of the gate with a 9-0 run and held the Grizzlies scoreless for the first three and a half minutes as Memphis missed its first 10 shots. Gilgeous-Alexander caught fire in the second quarter, drilling back-to-back threes in under a minute to give Oklahoma City a 17-point cushion.

By halftime, the Thunder had buried 12 threes — a franchise playoff record — and led 70-52.

Memphis showed signs of life in the third quarter, briefly trimming the deficit to single digits, but OKC kept control and entered the fourth with a 90-79 edge.

Cason Wallace provided a highlight-reel moment early in the fourth, faking out Zach Edey before soaring baseline for a one-handed slam that sent the crowd into a frenzy and stretched the lead to 97-79. The Grizzlies then went nearly four minutes without a point to start the final frame, sealing their fate.

With a two-game cushion and momentum firmly on their side, the Thunder are heading to Memphis looking to put a stranglehold on the series.