Insider Insights: Memphis falls to 6-19 in blowout loss to OKC Thunder

We finally made it to 25 games. If only us fans could have fast-forwarded past this game and get to December 19th at 6:30 PM CST. Unfortunately, time travel isn’t possible, so we had to faithfully watch one more Memphis Grizzlies basketball game without Ja Morant.

Nevertheless, the Grizzlies started a short two-game road trip by traveling to Oklahoma City to face the 16-8 Thunder. The Thunder, sitting in second place in the Western Conference, are playing some of their best basketball in years.

The new duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren have been giving teams problems all year, and last night was the same.

Memphis came into the game more short-handed than normal. Derrick Rose was inactive with hamstring soreness, and Bismack Biyombo was missing from the lineup with a sore back. Both have been key parts of the team, and their impact was missed.

The first quarter was the most competitive of the game. The game started with both teams making a lot of threes and the pace of the game drawing similarities to a track meet. The Grizzlies’ first 18 points came exclusively from the 3-point line as they went 6/10 from the field in the first six minutes of the game.

After a quick timeout by Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault, the Thunder seemed to get their act together and went on a 17-8 run to finish the quarter with a 34-26 lead.

In the second quarter, the Thunder started to blow the game open. Chet Holmgren made his presence felt with 2 blocks and 7 points in this quarter. He was changing the flow of the game with his rim protection and dunks.

His impact down low made the Grizzlies force contested three-point attempts that stalled the flow of the offense and gave momentum to the Thunder. His 7-foot-1 frame changed the directory of the game on both ends of the floor, which was felt for the rest of the game.

The biggest deficiency this game for Memphis was turnovers. In the first half, Memphis had 10, which led to a lot of transition opportunities for OKC. Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. tried to keep them afloat with 13 and 9 points respectively, but OKC finished the half with a 68-53 lead.

The 2nd half was all OKC. Chet and SGA dominated the game, and the Grizz got ice cold from the field. Holmgren was controlling the paint while SGA was living from the free throw line and mid-range. At one point in the third quarter, SGA shot as many free throws by himself as the Grizzlies shot as a team.

This was the worst quarter for the Grizzlies as they were outscored 26-13 in this quarter. The 4th quarter was all garbage time. Both teams unfilled their benches as the final minutes winded down in the game.

We saw the first NBA points of GG Jackson II, which was a bright spot in an overall underwhelming night for the Grizzlies. SGA finished with 30 PTS and 9 RBS in three quarters of play while Holmgren stuffed the stat sheet with 17 PTS, 6 RBS, and 7 BLKS.

first NBA points for @_ggjackson pic.twitter.com/1je79v0tNg

— Grind City Media (@grindcitymedia) December 19, 2023

Bane and Jackson Jr. filled in with 17 and 11 PTS respectively. Ziaire Williams produced a team-high 19 points with most of those coming in garbage time. The final score was 116-97 with the lead getting as high as 22 at one point.

Memphis finished with 22 turnovers on the game and was outscored 58-22 in the paint. Two categories in the negative that will play out in a loss almost every time.

This is the fifth time this year that Memphis has scored under 100 and Memphis’ fifth straight loss. Normally, this would feel like another deflating blowout loss, but last night was different.

Here’s why:

Christmas came early for Memphis

Very rarely does the energy of the on-the-court product match the energy of Grizzlies’ fans on social media, but last night was unique.

If you look at any Grizzlies’ fan discord or X (formerly known as Twitter) space last night it was filled with two moods. One mood was excitement that in less than 24 hours Ja Morant would return to the floor and the other was the overall feeling of indifference toward this game.

I really don’t care at all what happens in tonight’s game, too focused on tomorrow

— eric (@EricTweetsNBA) December 18, 2023

This has been a long 25 games for both the Grizzlies’ organization and the supporters of them. Everyone is tired of the losses, the depleted lineups, and the overall lack of excitement surrounding this team. It’s been a dark road, but we have finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel.

I don’t care bout that damn loss tonight lol Ja back tomorrow. Dassit

— Chris (@chriman_) December 19, 2023

It’s a feeling of relief that this season can start now, and you saw that on the floor. After the first quarter, the players just seemed to be ready to get the game over with and get to tonight. The energy on the bench was joyful and filled with holiday cheer.

There were no frowns or bad body language. There was laughter and smiles everywhere. I’m not trying to allude to Memphis trying to lose this game, but I am saying that just like everyone else, the players are ready to let loose and have fun with Morant back in the lineup.

This team has been lacking a feeling of swag and excitement since Morant has been gone. The guys on the team haven’t been having the type of fun we have seen over the past few seasons, and now that fun can begin.

Morant isn’t going to solve all the problems with this team, but the biggest problem thus far, his absence, is getting solved tonight. This starts the process of this team becoming what everyone thought it could be before the season started.

There have been reports coming out saying that the energy of the team was high after the game, because the guys want Morant back on the floor just as much as us fans do. It was said on the game broadcast that Marcus Smart is aiming to return during Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.

Safe to say the Grizzlies players are pretty amped up about Ja Morant’s return on tomorrow. Lots of excitement heading into Tuesday.

— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) December 19, 2023

With potentially two of your four best players returning in the same week, things are beginning to look up for Memphis. Despite the loss, tonight starts a new chapter in the 2023-24 season, and Morant will lead this team through that chapter.

The Grizzlies have put themselves in a deep 6-19 hole during the first quarter of this season. With Morant back, the push to playoff contention starts now. There’s no guarantee that Morant and the Grizzlies will be able to pull themselves out of this hole, but I think we can all agree it’s going to be entertaining to watch.

Optimistic/Pessimistic

What to be optimistic about? Morant and Smart are coming back this week. Simple as that. The healthier they get, the better.

What to be pessimistic about? This loss put Memphis at 6-19, so that hole may be too big to overcome when it comes to the playoffs. Health is still a big issue. Memphis is leading the league in games with 5 or more players missing.

Injury Analysis Part 4:

Games with 5 or more players missing

1. Memphis with 22 (😬)
2. Hornet at 2nd with 10, heavy factor in why they're bad
3. Pistons, Lakers, Heat and Suns round out the top 5.
4. Overall teams are 19-50 (Win% of 27%) pic.twitter.com/Pf8J9RW59E

— Sravan (@SravanNBA) December 19, 2023