Against all odds, a depleted Thunder squad erased a 19-point deficit, stealing a thrilling victory with stellar performances from unexpected heroes.
The Oklahoma City Thunder was as shorthanded as the team had been all season long Friday night on the road in Memphis against the Grizzlies. Oklahoma City was without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace, among others, and still came back from 19 points down to pull off a 117-116 victory.
This was a game the Thunder completely flipped a switch in the second half, winning the final two quarters 71-51 after digging that early hole. Oklahoma City shot 60.5% from the floor, forced eight turnovers that turned into 15 points, and somehow only led the entire second half for 1:07. That was all this team needed to steal it.
It was the Kenrich Williams game by all accounts. He had one of the best games of his entire career, finishing with 21 points and eight rebounds on 8-of-13 shooting. He played tremendous defense, was the catalyst for a team that’s looked sluggish of late, and felt like the energizer that changed the temperature of the night. He got a lot of help from Jalen Williams, who turned in his best game of the season with 26 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds, including 12 points in the fourth quarter. Just a remarkable performance from a shorthanded group.
The Grizzlies were missing players as well, most notably Ja Morant, but this was a win the Thunder really needed. Even in the middle of a slump, OKC went on the road, played without the vast majority of its starters plus several key bench pieces, and still found a way to come out with the win, which matters when you’re trying to avoid giving any slack in the standings with the lead you currently have in the race for the No. 1 seed.
From here, the Thunder will look to get healthier over the next 48 hours before taking on the Miami Heat on Sunday night back in OKC.