Thunder @ Memphis Grizzlies preview (Game 39 of 82)

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (31-7, 1st in the West) @ Memphis Grizzlies (16-21, 10th in the West)
When: Friday, 09 January 2026 at 7:00pm CST
Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis, TN
TV: NBATV & FDSN-OK
Offensive Rating: MEM: 112.4 (24th) / OKC: 118.0 (5th)
Defensive Rating: MEM: 114.0 (14th) / OKC: 105.0 (1st)
Net Rating: MEM: -1.6 (18th) / OKC: 13.0 (1st)
Current Streaks: MEM: 1-5 in their last 6 / OKC: 5-2 in their last 7

The Set-Up

A win is a win, right? While the way it played out may not have been what we wanted, the Thunder eventually outlasted the Jazz in overtime and won a close game. It was almost like you didn’t know how to feel about the win. Like, yeah, you won. But it was almost foreign. Jalen Williams said it best, after the Jazz game: “This is going to sound cocky, but the last 3 years we won so much that when we have a normal human stretch of losing a game or 2 that we shouldn’t have, the world freaks out.” That’s probably one of the best ways to frame it. The bar has been set so high by the Thunder that when they lose to inferior opponents or when they win a close game to a “tanking team”, the entire fanbase loses their collective shit. In addition, the team is dealing with variables that they haven’t dealt with in the past. A shortened offseason, constant injuries to key rotation pieces, a crappy schedule (again), and dealing with being every team’s SuperBowl every night. That takes a toll and I think we are seeing it now. But like any great team, it’s on OKC to weather the storm and come out prepared for those games of consequence in April, May, and hopefully, June.

This is the third and final meeting of the season between the Thunder and Grizzlies. OKC has won the first two meetings this season by an average of 15 points. Dating back to December 2022, the Thunder have won 15 straight meetings against the Grizzlies, to include the playoffs.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

Line: OKC -5.5
O/U: 230.5

Injury Report

OKC

Alex Caruso – Questionable (back)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (ankle)
Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf)
Chet Holmgren – OUT (shin)
Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
Nikola Topic – OUT (cancer treatment)
Cason Wallace – OUT (toe)
Jaylin Williams – OUT (heel)

MEM

Brandon Clarke – OUT (calf)
Cedric Coward – Questionable (ankle)
Zach Edey – OUT (ankle)
Ty Jerome – OUT (calf)
John Konchar – Doubtful (thumb)
Ja Morant – OUT (calf)
Scotty Pippen Jr – OUT (toe)
Vince Williams Jr – Questionable (knee)

Three Big Things

Rebounding – With Isaiah Hartenstein missing the last few weeks, rebounding has been a big issue with the Thunder. Chet Holmgren tries to do what he can, as he has been averaging 8.8 rebounds since Dec. 18th, but the lack of size and physicality on the front line has put the Thunder in precarious positions in close games. The Grizzlies come into this game as one of the best rebounding teams in the league, ranking No. 3 in total rebounds (46.3 per game) and No. 7 in Rebound Percentage. The Grizzlies may be without Zach Edey in this game, but Jaren Jackson Jr, Santi Aldama, and Jock Landale all average above or close to 6 rebounds a game, with Landale racking up nearly 3 rebounds on the offensive end.
Powering through injuries – With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren both being out for the Thunder, the onus of scoring will likely fall on Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. But whether we win or lose may rest upon the so-called “others”. Part of the reason why we were able to sustain and win during this stretch last season was because Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe got hot for about a 1-2 month stretch (from January to March). A performance like that will likely be necessary for the Thunder to win a game like this one.
Cam Spencer – Yes, Cam frickin’ Spencer. I can’t believe one of my points of emphasis is Cam Spencer. For some reason, we always get cooked by shorter, seemingly unathletic, point guards. Guys like, oh, I don’t know, Pat Spencer, TJ McConnell, Jose Alvarado, etc. But there always comes a point in the game, especially if it’s close, where the Thunder clamped down, don’t bite on the cute little fakes, and eventually make players like that a liability for the opponent. But if you are missing the bulk of your good defensive players and your interior defensive anchor is out, then this may be a game where a guy like Spencer could show out.

Pelicans vs. Thunder – Game 2 Adjustments

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Alex Roig

Series: OKC leads 1-0
When: Wednesday, 24 April 2024 at 8:30pm CST
Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
TV: TNT

Game 1 Notables

Pelicans shot 1/15 on corner 3’s, Thunder shot 3/10 from the same area.
Pelicans beat the Thunder 24-11 on 2nd chance points
Thunder beat the Pelicans 20-7 on fast break points.

Game 2 Adjustments

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – SGA had an okay game, by his standards. He scored 28 points, but was inefficient, shooting 46% from the field and 0 of 3 from deep. For the first three quarters of the game, SGA had 0 turnovers. In the fourth quarter, he had 3 HUGE turnovers. Additionally, three of SGA’s shots were blocked. Maybe it was nerves. Maybe it was the fact that the Pelicans’ defense was focused almost entirely on Shai. Maybe (hopefully) it was just a one-off. For game 2, I would like to see a more decisive Shai. Instead of stopping 8 feet from the basket to pump-fake and pivot in order to get Herb Jones or Trey Murphy III in the air, keep driving to the basket and force the refs to blow the whistle. More pick and roll action may be needed to get certain match-ups that are more geared towards SGA’s liking. When Jose Alvarado is in the game, that is the match-up that needs to be hunted. Same with CJ McCollum.
Trey Murphy – The Thunder cannot allow Murphy III to shoot that many threes. He almost single-handedly kept the Pelicans in the game when the Thunder made their runs. Murphy has the possibility of being the Pelicans’ best player in this series. The Thunder need to treat him as such.
Progress to the mean – Game 1 is entirely different if either team shoots closer to their regular season averages. I have more faith that Oklahoma City can reach those number when compared to New Orleans. Not only was the corner shooting atrocious for both teams, but the points in the paint were inefficient also. It’s a make or miss league, so hopefully making more tonight will lead to a Thunder victory.
Stop being loud on Thunder player free throws (BONUS) – Listen, I get it. SGA is our MVP and we want him to know how much we appreciate him. But, if we are loudly chanting “MVP” on first quarter free throws, I think it can throw anyone off their rhythm a bit. No one wants to miss the free throws where people are chanting “MVP” for them. Let’s wait until we are up by 8 with 22 seconds left to chant “MVP” then. Our guys will get enough distractions on their free throws when they hit the road.

Thunder @ New Orleans Pelicans preview (Game 71 of 82)

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Alex Roig

Oklahoma City Thunder (49-21, 2nd in the West) @ New Orleans Pelicans (44-27, 4th in the West)
When: Tuesday, 26 March 2024 at 7:00pm CST
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Offensive Rating – NO: 117.0 (10th) / OKC: 118.6 (5th)
Defensive Rating – NO: 111.4 (6th) / OKC: 111.4 (5th)
Net Rating – NO: 5.6 (4th) / OKC: 7.3 (2nd)

The Set-Up

For months, the big four in the Western Conference has been the Thunder, the Nuggets, the Timberwolves, and the Clippers. It was almost a forgone conclusion that those would be the top-4 seeds in the West. But lo and behold, a challenger has arisen from the Gulf Coast. For much of the first half of the season, New Orleans’ season was viewed as a disappointment. Injuries to key contributors like Trey Murphy III and Jose Alvarado had sapped a lot of the depth the Pelicans had. Zion Williamson was once again fighting the battle of the bulge…and losing. The turning point in the season for Zion (and for the Pelicans) was an embarrassing 133-89 loss to the Lakers in the In-Season Tournament semifinals that saw Zion get outscored, outworked, and outclassed by LeBron James.

Since then, New Orleans has gone 32-16 and Zion has reworked his game and his body to become his most optimal self. Williamson is noticeably slimmer than he was earlier in the season and his game has transformed itself into more of a point-Zion trajectory. He handles the ball more off boards and is second on the team in assists per game. The lost weight has allowed Zion to look more like Duke Zion and has made him a force to be reckoned with anytime he is remotely close to the basket.

This is the third and final meeting of the season between these two teams. On November 1st, Oklahoma City squandered an early 22-point lead in the first game to end up on the losing end of things, 106-110. The Thunder returned the favor in late January, handling the Pelicans easily in New Orleans, 107-83.

Magic Numbers

To lock up the 10th seed (play-in guaranteed) – 0 (Locked In)
To lock up the 6th seed (playoffs guaranteed) – 5

Betting Info

Line: OKC -1.5
O/U: 223.5

Injury Report

OKC

None

Dyson Daniels (knee) – OUT
Brandon Ingram (knee) – OUT

Three Keys Things

Rebounding – I know, I know. The Thunder have gotten better at rebounding in the 2nd half of the season. And, yes, the Thunder have slowly proven that if they can beat you at nearly every other aspect of the game, the rebounding becomes a moot point. But against a team like New Orleans, those 2nd chance points can tilt the game in their favor. The Pelicans are a top-10 team in 2nd chance scoring and the Thunder, of course, are still one of the worst rebounding teams in the league. Jonas Valanciunas has always terrorized the Thunder on the boards and tonight should be no different. It’s making sure that the Pelicans don’t make the Thunder pay on those 2nd chance opportunities.
SGA – Ever since the MVP discussion has gotten louder, SGA’s game has, unfortunately, petered off. Be it fatigue, wear & tear, injury, how teams are defending him, or all of the above, SGA just doesn’t feel like he has the same gear as he did pre-ASB. Hopefully it’s just a slump and he can work himself out of it. Many people forget that Jokic went through an early season slump that had many asking if he was out of shape from the celebratory off-season. Every player goes through periods like this. It just so happens that it’s louder for SGA because of where we’re at in the season.
Prime-time Match-Up – Despite New Orleans’ slow start to the season, they’ve been one of the best teams in the league over the past 2 months. And the Thunder have been about as consistent as they come. As we head into the playoffs, these are the types of match-ups that can serve as “canaries in the coal mine” to see where the Thunder are mentally heading into their first postseason as a collective.