Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 35 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 28 and Jared McCain added a season-high 21 to lead the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder to a 128-97 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies Friday night in an NBA Cup group-stage game.
The Thunder, playing without injured starters Jaylen Williams (ankle surgery), Cason Wallace (shoulder surgery) and Chet Holmgren (knee), won their third straight game by shooting 55.4% overall and going 16-of-35 from 3-point range. They scored 62 points in the paint and won their 13th straight regular-season game against Memphis.
Ty Jerome scored 21 points, Zach Edey had 14 and Jerami Grant and Cedric Coward added 10 apiece for the Grizzlies. Rookie Cam Boozer had a game-high 12 rebounds to go with eight points, but Memphis dropped its third straight game after opening the season 6-0.
The Grizzlies shot only 33%, including 10-of-45 from long range.
Leading by 22 at halftime, Oklahoma City never allowed the Grizzlies to mount a comeback. The Thunder led by 32 early in the third quarter following a 12-0 run that included consecutive 3-pointers by Mitchell, McCain and Kenrich Williams. OKC pushed its advantage to 37 points late in the fourth quarter.
The Thunder put the game away in the second quarter. Behind Mitchell and Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City outscored the Grizzlies 36-21 in the quarter and built a lead as large as 25 points. The Thunder shot 63.8% in the first half and had 38 paint points to Memphis’ 18. Mitchell had 12 points in the second quarter and Gilgeous-Alexander scored eight.
Ahead 35-28 entering the second, the Thunder gradually stretched their advantage to double digits. A mid-range jumper by Gilgeous-Alexander with 3:30 left in the quarter made it 58-40, the largest deficit the Grizzlies had faced this season.
The Thunder extended the lead to 22 points on a four-point play by Gilgeous-Alexander in the final minute of the opening half. OKC led by 25 points with 27 seconds left before Coward made it 71-49 on a 3-pointer as the half ended.
