Thunder Earn Third Consecutive Win, Best Grizzlies in NBA Cup Opener

After a short two-game stretch in which it looked like the Oklahoma City Thunder might struggle to win games for the rest of the season with all the injuries, this team has bounced back. On Friday night, the Thunder won its third consecutive game, with all three victories coming against legitimate playoff-caliber teams.

The first two came against the Cleveland Cavaliers in back-to-back matchups, and Friday night’s victory came against the Memphis Grizzlies, who entered the contest with a 6-1 record. Now sitting at 7-2, Oklahoma City has climbed back toward the top of the standings and once again looks like a difficult team to beat despite its injury misfortune.

The driving force in Friday’s 128-97 victory was Ajay Mitchell, who scored a career-high 35 points on an ultra-efficient 14-of-20 shooting from the field. His 3-point shot was falling, and he also dished out five assists in another phenomenal performance.

In the absence of Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace, Mitchell is starting to look like a legitimate secondary star alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s proven he can score 30 points on any given night and is beginning to make a case for potentially being a sneaky All-Star selection if he continues playing at this level.

Gilgeous-Alexander was excellent as well, finishing with 28 points, four assists and three rebounds. He entered the night coming off back-to-back 40-point performances, but Oklahoma City didn’t necessarily need that type of production from him against Memphis. With shots falling elsewhere, Gilgeous-Alexander was able to take a step back offensively and allow his teammates to shine.

Although the game was competitive early, the Thunder took complete control in the second quarter and ultimately carried a commanding 71-49 advantage into halftime.

Shots were falling from all over the floor, the defense was clicking and Oklahoma City was forcing turnovers at a high rate. For much of the night, the Thunder looked like the team everyone expected to see entering the season before injuries completely changed the outlook of the roster.

That speaks volumes about the scheme and the coaching staff. Even without several of its most important players, Oklahoma City continues to execute its system and play the style of basketball that has made this franchise so successful. Regardless of who’s actually on the floor, the Thunder are finding ways to generate quality looks offensively while maintaining their defensive identity.

Oklahoma City will now look to build on this momentum Saturday night at home against the Washington Wizards, with an opportunity to extend its winning streak to four games.