The Thunder and Grizzlies’ first round series continues Tuesday with Game 2 in Oklahoma City. In Game 1, the Thunder embarrassed the Grizzlies and won 131-80. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Oklahoma City is favored by 14.5 points for Game 2 and this contest carries a total of 230 points.
Below, I break down Game 2 between the Thunder and Grizzlies and give a pick for the game via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Thunder vs. Grizzlies preview, prediction
The Thunder embarrassed the Grizzlies in Game 1 this past Sunday, beating Memphis by a whopping 51 points, which is the fourth-largest margin of victory ever in an NBA playoff game. Oklahoma City dominating Memphis was a continuation of what we saw in the regular season, as the Thunder went 4-0 vs. the Grizzlies and won all these games by double-digits. Including the Game 1 triumph, Oklahoma City is beating Memphis by 25.2 PPG this season.
The Thunder have been a historic team this season, as they won 68 games in the regular season and their 12.9 point differential is the best in NBA history. While it has the likely MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading its offense, Oklahoma City’s defense is the main reason for its success, as its defensive rating is the best in the league by a wide margin this season. The Thunder have two elite defensive big men in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein to protect the paint, and they have an incredible group of perimeter defenders in Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso to cause major issues for guards and wings. Overall, the Thunder lead the league in net rating at 12.8 this season, which was far ahead of the No. 2 Celtics at 9.4.
As for the Grizzlies, while they finished the regular season 48-34, this record is deceiving. After some lackluster play, the Grizzlies hit the panic button and fired head coach Taylor Jenkins with just a few weeks left in the regular season and under interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo, they are only 5-7, and four of those losses have been by double-digits. After a strong start, Memphis’ defense has slipped to 18th in rating since the All-Star break and its offense has also been subpar during this span, ranking 16th in rating. Overall, the Grizzlies rank 18th in net rating since the All-Star break.
While Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are great offensive players, this is such an awful spot for both players and it’s hard to imagine either of them playing well enough to give the Thunder real problems. Plus, the Grizzlies simply don’t have an answer for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the likely MVP only scoring 15 points in a 51-point win for Oklahoma City in Game 1 is a really bad sign for Memphis. Gilgeous-Alexander will likely have a much larger output in Game 2 and this once again could become a very lopsided affair.
Thunder vs. Grizzlies pick, best bet
With the Thunder firing on all cylinders and the Grizzlies still trying to find their groove under Iisalo, Oklahoma City should continue to dominate Memphis in Game 2. While the Thunder being favored by 14.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook seems like a tall order, it really isn’t for this powerhouse club on their home floor.
At home this season, Oklahoma City is 36-6 and 28-12-2, both of which are league-best records. Furthermore, the Thunder are 45-20-3 ATS after a win, which is also another league-best number. This isn’t a situation to get cute and backing the Thunder -14.5 is the right move Tuesday.
