• 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.