Thunder demolish Grizzlies, become sixth team to win playoff game by 50+ points

21 Apr, 2025

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Thunder Dominate Grizzlies in Historic Game 1 Blowout

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder opened their Western Conference playoff run with a commanding 131-80 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday — a 51-point victory that ranks as the fifth-largest margin in NBA postseason history and the biggest ever in a Game 1.

Oklahoma City led by as many as 56 points and became just the sixth team in league history to win a playoff game by 50 or more. Only two games have seen wider margins: the Minneapolis Lakers’ 58-point win in 1956 and the Denver Nuggets’ 58-point blowout in 2009.

Despite the lopsided score, Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a quiet night with 15 points on 4-of-13 shooting. The NBA’s scoring leader this season (32.7 PPG) didn’t need to carry the load thanks to a balanced effort. Jalen Williams scored 20 points, while Chet Holmgren added 19 points and 10 rebounds. The Thunder shot 50.5% from the field.

“We played to our identity,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Nothing more, nothing less. That’s going to be the key for us — just staying true to who we are.”

The Grizzlies, meanwhile, had a nightmare performance. They committed 24 turnovers and shot just 34.4% from the floor, including 6-of-34 from three. Desmond Bane scored nine points and finished with a minus-51 in 27 minutes. Ja Morant led Memphis with 17 points but struggled from the field (6-of-17) and downplayed any lingering effects from his sprained ankle.

“We will never play that bad again,” Morant vowed.

This loss came less than four years after Memphis handed OKC a 73-point drubbing in a regular-season game — still the largest margin of victory in NBA history.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault didn’t need his starters in the fourth quarter as the No. 1 seed cruised past the exhausted eighth-seeded Grizzlies, who were coming off a Friday night play-in win against Dallas. Game 1 tipped off just 38 hours later.

"Luckily for us, there's only one direction from here, and that's up," said interim coach Tuomas Iisalo, who replaced Taylor Jenkins after a March loss to OKC.

Jalen Williams echoed the need to stay focused despite the blowout.

“We’re competing with ourselves more than anything,” he said. “That’s a really good team. Game 2 is going to be completely different.”

The Thunder posted the best regular-season record in the league at 68-14, including a league-record +12.9 point differential, and swept Memphis 4-0 in the regular season with an average margin of 18.75 points.

Notable Historic Blowouts in NBA Playoffs

Nuggets def. Hornets by 58 (2009)
Lakers def. Hawks by 58 (1956)
Lakers def. Warriors by 56 (1973)
Bulls def. Bucks by 54 (2015)
Bucks def. Warriors by 50 (1971)
Thunder def. Grizzlies by 51 (2025)

Game 2 is set for Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

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