Well, it wasn’t as bad as the last game. Sunday’s 131-80 victory by the Thunder over the Grizzlies was a shock. Nobody expects Memphis to win this series, but to see that big a gulf between the two teams was jarring. At least tonight’s game was mostly respectable as the Thunder pulled out a 118-99 victory to go up 2-0 in the series.
It was mostly one-sided, but with plenty of strong performances. Let’s look at some of the player stats from Game 2 and look ahead to Game 3.
Big Time Performer: Oklahoma City Thunder G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Sunday’s performance by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was uncharacteristic, to say the least. It was his first game in a year scoring fewer than 20 points. That didn’t matter much in a 51-point blowout, but it was notable. Tonight, he got back into his MVP form with a 27/8/5 stat line along with a pair of steals. The shooting was a bit rough, as he was 10-for-29 from the floor, and he shot four free throws. Still, it’s a sign Gilgeous-Alexander is shaking off a subpar Game 1, and will look to put the screws on Memphis in Game 3. Expect a boatload of points from the presumptive MVP.
Big Time Performer: Memphis Grizzlies F Jaren Jackson Jr.
On a night when everyone in a Grizzlies uniform struggled, Jaren Jackson Jr. cooked. He recorded 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting along with six rebounds. It was a major step up from the four points on 2-of-13 shooting in Sunday’s blowout. Still, it wasn’t enough for Memphis to overcome this behemoth Thunder squad. Look for Jackson to pour on the shots this Thursday as the Grizzlies fight to save a rapidly collapsing season.
Stepping Up: Oklahoma City Thunder F Chet Holmgren
It’s been a weird career for Chet Holmgren. He missed his entire first season due to injury before playing all 82 games in a productive rookie campaign. This year, Holmgren missed the vast majority of the season due to a hip injury he suffered in the 10th game of the season. You wouldn’t know it watching him in this series. Holmgren scored 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting, had five blocks and recorded his second straight double-double. He’s been a monster defensive presence against this large Grizzlies team. I’d hammer his rebounding line once again for Game 3, as Memphis cannot stop missing shots, in part due to his presence.
Stepping Up: Oklahoma City Thunder G Jalen Williams
Few players make consistent all-around contributions the way Jalen Williams does. The 24-year-old All-Star followed up a 20/5/6 Game 1 stat line with 24/6/5 tonight. His defense and tough shotmaking were crucial to Oklahoma City’s success, as usual. I’ll be keeping an eye on his points/rebounds/assists line for Game 3, as the Thunder will be motivated to put this series to bed as soon as possible.
