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Player grades: Thunder enjoy 118-99 Game 2 win over Grizzlies

Apr 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2), guard Alex Caruso (9) and forward Chet Holmgren (7) celebrate after a play against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second quarter during game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

OKLAHOMA CITY — Running into Jalen Williams like a brick wall, Ja Morant lost control of the ball as Alex Caruso dove from behind. Cason Wallace picked it up for the easy steal and passed it to Williams. The All-Star muscled his way through Luke Kennard for the physical layup.

That defense-to-offense sequence summed up the game as it put the first seed up by 20 points. While not a historic 51-point win, the Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to a 118-99 Game 2 win over the Memphis Grizzlies to go up 2-0 in the Round 1 series.

Preparing for the Grizzlies to fight back out of pure pride, the beginning of this game was eerily similar to the last meeting. Both sides struggled to score before the Thunder slowly built a 32-17 lead after the first quarter. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench, OKC’s second unit had a hot start to the second frame.

The Thunder ballooned their lead to 23 points. They scored 38 points in the frame as the offense ran smoother. Like usual, it was their defense that was the sparkplug. Creating turnovers helped them get out in transition for easy layups before the Grizzlies could set their defense.

The Thunder entered halftime with a commanding 70-52 lead. Not exactly doubling up at the break like in Game 1, but close enough to it. They had the Grizzlies on the verge of quitting. After a dominating opening six quarters, the title contender naturally lifted their foot off the gas pedal.

That helped the Grizzlies get back into it. Credit them, they utilized the break to play sharper in the second half. Morant drove to the basket as his kick-out passes resulted in hot outside shooting. Memphis slowly chipped away at the scoreboard as the Thunder’s offense dried up. They eventually got within single-digit points.

The Grizzlies scored 27 points in the third quarter as the Thunder entered the final frame with just a 90-79 lead. Maybe in the early 2000s, that’d be a tight gripe. But in today’s league, the script could flip within a handful of possessions.

It didn’t take long for any concerns to be erased. The Thunder scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to get back up by 20 points. It turned into the Caruso Show as he was literally everywhere on both sides of the ball. He disrupted Memphis’ offense and hit on his looks.

The Grizzlies’ dreams will surely be haunted by the 31-year-old on their way back to Memphis. We always talk about how his value might not pop off on the box score, but they did tonight as the cherry on top of a chaotic fourth quarter to put this game away.

The Thunder scored 28 points in the final frame and led by double-digit points. The Grizzlies could’ve made it interesting, but instead were blitzed into submission for another snoozefest of a fourth quarter. Just like that, they’re up 2-0 in their first-round series. And none of it looked difficult.

The Thunder shot 43% from the field and went 15-of-45 (33.3%) from 3. They shot 13-of-16 on free throws. They had 21 assists on 45 baskets. Four Thunder players scored double-digit points.

Gilgeous-Alexander had a high-volume 27 points. Williams scored an efficient 24 points. Chet Holmgren tallied a 20-point double-double. Caruso scored 13 points off the bench.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies shot 43% from the field and went 10-of-31 (32.3%) from 3. They shot 11-of-14 on free throws. They had 17 assists on 39 baskets. Five Grizzlies players scored double-digit points.

Morant had 23 points on 10-of-25 shooting and six assists. Jaren Jackson Jr. was better with 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting and six rebounds. So did Desmond Bane with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Scotty Pippen Jr. had 13 points and Santi Aldama had 10 points.

This game is probably closer to what the rest of the playoff series will look like than Game 1’s historically lopsided affair. The Thunder led wire-to-wire, but there were moments of intrigue as the Grizzlies got within eight points in the second half.

Alas, that was it. All the Thunder needed to do was go on a mini-avalanche run to wash away the delusional hope of a miraculous comeback. The consensus viewed this as one of the easier Round 1 series to predict. And through two games, that’s been the case.

Let’s look at Thunder player grades:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: C

Apr 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) goes up for a basket as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) defends in the fourth quarter during game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

After Holmgren rejected Bane’s last-second shot, Gilgeous-Alexander grabbed the miss and jogged to the other side by himself. He threw down the one-handed jam in the final seconds. That likely felt good after another subpar outing. To put it short, this trend can’t continue.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 27 points on 10-of-29 shooting, eight rebounds and five assists. He shot 3-of-10 from 3 and went 4-of-4 on free throws. He also had two steals.

No denying it — the shot hasn’t fallen for Gilgeous-Alexander. He was 52% from the field in the regular season. Through two playoff games, he’s at an icy 33.3%. The jumper didn’t fall from either the mid-range or outside. The only saving grace was his attacks on the basket.

In the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander had his moments. He scored 10 points as his shot-making returned with the Thunder offense struggling. The Grizzlies threatened a comeback and the MVP candidate said enough was enough. But besides that, it’s been a rough first two games for him in their playoff run.

It likely won’t matter against the Grizzlies, but the Thunder need Gilgeous-Alexander to play better in future rounds. The NBA’s scoring champion has to get back in a groove and also get better luck on 50-50 shot attempts.

Jalen Williams: A-plus

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 22: Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies during Game Two of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center on April 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by William Purnell/Getty Images)

Getting the ball from Lu Dort, Williams hurried past everybody else on the court. It was another fastbreak situation he thrived in. Morant tried to bump him off course and Aldama tried to foul him to prevent the easy look. Didn’t matter. He still got up for the transition dunk.

Williams is two for two in this playoff run. He finished with 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting, six rebounds and five assists. He shot 2-of-6 from 3 and went 2-of-3 on free throws. He also had a steal.

The efficiency has carried over to the playoffs. Williams has been in attack mode at the rim in these first two games against the Grizzlies. He understands they have no solution to prevent that. Pair that with him getting into a rhythm with his mid-range jumper, he’s been the Thunder’s most impressive scorer so far.

A lot of questions surrounded Williams for the playoffs. The biggest question was whether he was a good enough second option on a title contender. He had an inconsistent year in that department but has aced all those tests to lead the Thunder to two blowouts.

Chet Holmgren: A-plus

Apr 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) goes up for a basket beside Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) in the fourth quarter during game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

After Cason Wallace collected the offensive rebound, Holmgren didn’t need much room to get up for the impromptu alley-oop. The second-chance lob was one of several highlights for the 22-year-old in another stellar playoff performance.

Holmgren finished with 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting, 11 rebounds and five blocks. He shot 3-of-8 from 3 and went 5-of-6 on free throws.

These first two playoff games have been the best Holmgren has looked since he returned from his hip fracture. He’s been a roaming scoring threat inside and his pick-and-pop action with Gilgeous-Alexander was relied on at the start to get the offense going.

On the other end, you know what Holmgren brings. Five blocks are fancy, but the consistent rim deterrence makes him a generational paint protector. The Grizzlies always thought twice before attacking the basket. His presence alone is a steroid injection to a team filled with high-flying defenders.

It’s been a forgettable first two playoff games for Gilgeous-Alexander, but that’s turned into a footnote because of how Williams and Holmgren have stepped up. Difficult to imagine that happening last year. Speaks to the individual growth that both budding stars have had this year.

Alex Caruso: A-plus

Apr 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) moves the ball around Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) in the second quarter during game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls can keep their box score stats. This game is exactly why you trade for Caruso. Through regular season frustrations with his workload and being extra cautious with minor injuries, patience best served for his inevitable contributions.

Some players are 82-game players, others 16. The latter perfectly fits Caruso. He finished with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting, four rebounds and three assists. He shot 3-of-6 from 3. He also had three steals and a block.

If you only get to watch parts of this game, watch what Caruso did in the fourth quarter. He flew around the court and was a magnet for the basketball. He was a millisecond ahead of the Grizzlies on their plays and precisely sniffed them out.

Each time Caruso threw his body to the court, the OKC crowd absolutely loved it. Some of the louder cheers from the active playoff fans were when he went the extra mile despite the scoreboard being lopsided. The playoffs were always going to shine what he brings to the table. He’s done that already through Game 2 of Round 1.

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This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder enjoy 118-99 Game 2 win over Grizzlies

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