MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Chet Holmgren had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Jalen Williams added 23 points and six assists and Oklahoma City held off the Memphis Grizzlies 118-112 Saturday night to claim a share of first place in the Western Conference .
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points and Josh Giddey finished with 13. Oklahoma City’s fifth win in six games allowed the Thunder to tie Denver atop the West at 47-20.
Desmond Bane, playing his first game since Jan. 12 due to injury, led the Grizzlies with 22 points and seven assists. Jaren Jackson Jr. and GG Jackson finished with 19 points each for Memphis, which lost its second straight and fourth in five games.
After a closely fought game early, the Thunder were able to create a bit of a buffer in the third, pushing the lead to 14 points while shooting 53% at that point for the game. They went on a 19-5 run in the final minutes of the game.
Memphis battled back to a possession early in the fourth, but another Oklahoma City run, fueled by a couple of Holmgren baskets inside, pushed the Thunder’s lead to double digits, thwarting a comeback attempt by Memphis.
The Grizzlies received an offensive punch as Bane, who averages 24.4 points and is one of the team’s best 3-point shooters, returned after missing 29 games with a sprain on the left ankle. Additionally, Jackson, the team’s third-leading scorer averaging 22.4 points, played after missing two games with right quadriceps tendinitis.
The Thunder easily won the first two meetings between the teams this season, including a 124-93 decision on March 10.
FOLLOWING
Thunder: Host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
Grizzlies: Travel to the Sacramento Kings on Monday.
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