Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (68-14) from the Western Convention (68-14) will face the Memphis Grizzlies with a serial to the eighth (48-34) within the first spherical of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The 2 franchises haven’t gathered within the playoffs since 2013-2014, when Grain-n-grind misplaced a collection within the first spherical in opposition to the Kevin Thunder Durant, 4-3.
What we all know of thunder
They’re nice. The Thunder received 68 video games. Of the opposite six groups to do, 4 of them received the championship. The opposite two received one in a single season. Oh, and Oklahoma Metropolis recorded the second finest internet observe within the historical past of the NBA (+12,8), dragging solely the long-lasting 72 Win 1995-96 of Michael Jordan.
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They’re led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the favourite of the MVP of the League. The 26 -year -old collected a median of 32.7 factors (out of the 52/38/90 of capturing), 6.4 assists, 5 rebounds, 1.7 interceptions and a block in 34.2 minutes per recreation. He makes his method the place he desires, and he can mark all over the place, specifically the road of free throws.
Attempt to cease it. You may’t. He scored a minimum of 20 factors in every match however a this season – the fourth recreation of the yr. He scored greater than 30 factors in additional than half of his matches, bringing 40 on 13 instances and 50 4 instances. You get the purpose. He obtains his, and it results in many victories. He additionally performs in protection. Exhausting.
Everybody on the Thunder performs protection. As onerous as potential. They’re rabid, scribbling the ball wherever it goes. Put it on the bottom at your individual danger. The hole between their protection and the second holding of the NBA is the same as the hole between a protection of the highest 10 and one in Bas-20. That’s to say that the hole is vast.
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Behind Sga are Jalen Williams, 24, and Chet Holmgren, 22. Williams made his first crew of stars this season, with a median of 22-5-5, and Holmgren (15-8-2) may have achieved so if he had not misplaced three months in opposition to a fractured proper hip. Oklahoma Metropolis continued to realize in his absence, and as soon as Holmgren returned, he unlocked a double -port vary that made the Thunder much more harmful.
Behind them is a wave of proficient contributors, together with Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu sleeps, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins and Alex Caruso. Even Ousmane Dieng on the finish of the bench provides them good minutes. It’s a testimony of each the identification of skills and the event of it in OKC.
What we all know of grizzly
They pulled their head coach Taylor Jenkins, among the best coaches within the NBA, with 9 video games within the common season. The Grizzlies had beforehand modified the workers of Jenkins coaches throughout the offseason, including, amongst others, Tuimas Iisalo, the Finnish assistant who has since changed him.
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The interior debate would have been centered on the offensive of Memphis, which for the season would have settled in sixth, producing 117.3 factors per 100 possessions. Superb! Solely, they ran a choose -and -roll – the just about omnipresent offensive of the NBA – much less usually than all the opposite groups. It may not sit properly with the chief of the famous person Ja MORANT. And it could not have labored within the playoffs both. So Memphis took the step, even when Iisalo was hailed for his offense extra centered on motion. That is a minimum of a wierd scenario.
It was additionally one other unusual season for extra, whose availability – for damage or suspension – was uneven all through his profession. He has not performed greater than six consecutive video games all season. He additionally reassembled the league workplace, insisting on A celebration of Gun Fingerwho, given his disciplinary issues spentwas not the perfect look. So he pivoted A celebration of the grenade as a substitute. Every little thing may be very infantile.
Morrant, when he’s in good well being, was not the famous person participant he was both. He has not achieved the star crew, though his efficiency since, when he’s truly on the basketball area, is significantly better. He collected on common 23.2 factors (on the 45/31/82 capturing), 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per recreation over the yr.
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One of the best participant within the Grizzlies this season was Jaren Jackson Jr. (22-6-2 on 49/38/78 Splits), the defensive participant of the yr in 2023 of the League. Desmond Bane (19-6-5 on 48/39/89 Splits) stays a productive shooter. Past them are a bunch of developmental success tales, together with Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells recruits, who each began for the grizzly ones this season – till Wells is present process an damage on the finish of the season.
Morant, Jackson and Bane as soon as fashioned the idea of an elevated massive three. Grizzlies boasted of one of many deepest lists within the league. They usually may compete with anybody on the West. They have been even that for a spell this season, a minimum of till they lose skills in an effort to cut back prices on the deadline for commerce.
Once more: it was a wierd yr in Memphis.
Tête-à-tête
The Thunder swept its common season collection with the Grizzlies, 4-0.
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Memphis was with out greater than Morant or Jackson throughout three of the 4 conferences. Not that it might have been of significance. OKC, who was additionally with out key contributors to a few instances, additionally shouted the grizzly ones when they’re wholesome. SGA scored 35, 32, 41 and 37 factors within the 4 video games. Memphis had – or had – no reply.
The Thunder has outstripped the grizzlymen of 30.8 factors for 100 possessions when Gilgeous-Alexander was on the bottom, working offensive and defensive models which might have led the NBA by giant margins. It does not matter who was on the bottom with him. Hartenstein, Wiggins, Williams and Dort have been +21 in eight minutes. Wiggins, Wallace, Kenrich Williams and Ajay Mitchell have been +11 in 4 minutes. To return down the listing.
Match to look at
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in opposition to JA MORANT
Don’t suppose an excessive amount of about that. SGA and MORANT are two of the very best gamers in the entire league, and will probably be fascinating to see extra attempting to observe the rhythm of the Gilgeous-Alexander rating on this collection.
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Neither will spend a variety of time preserving the opposite, except, in fact, that they hunt within the Pic-And-Roll. Wells attracted many of the SGA task within the common season, and it’s not accessible. This accountability will now fall to Vince Williams Jr., who had a minimal of success Towards SGA within the common season. It’s fairly the request for a selection of mid -second, though Memphis requires a variety of his initiatives.
Conversely, the Thunder has a lot of choices to throw on MORANT. In accordance with NBA monitoring knowledgeDort, Caruso, Wiggins and Wallace spent 18:09 mixed on Morant, which throughout this era ended with 19 factors on a shot of seven out of 27 (25.9%) and eight assists in opposition to 4 reversals. Not nice.
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Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder
It is humorous: one of the crucial used alignments within the fourth quarter of OKC is its outfit in time of waste, as a result of the Thunder has exploded the doorways of so many opponents this season. The identical goes for 4 video games in opposition to Memphis.
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When the matches are shut, truthfully, the top coach of Thunder, Mark Daigneault, has countless potentialities. Anticipate SGA, Williams, Holmgren and Dort – a quartet that has outperformed the opponents of 13.5 factors by 100 vital possessions this season, in line with the cleansing of the glass – on the bottom in instances of disaster. From there, the Thunder can go small, play Wallace or Caruso or Wiggins or Isaiah Joe (for filming), or they’ll go massive, enjoying Hartenstein alongside Holmgren. He’s virtually unfair of the arsenal they’ve.
Memphis Grizzlies
When Push got here to push within the clutch of a recreation recreation in opposition to the Golden State Warriors, Iisalo trusted Morant, Jackson, Bane, Edey and Scotty Pippen Jr. This group barely performed collectively throughout the common season. There’s additionally a query of whether or not Edey on gradual foot can keep on the bottom on this collection. Thunder is measurement and athletics to make him terribly onerous for him. Once more, exchanging the filming of Santi Aldama for Edey was not a recipe for the success of the time of disaster both. To be frank, Iisalo will even have the possibility to have the opportunity of in search of an applicable clutch vary in opposition to OKC.
Prediction: Thunder in 5
Give a recreation to the grizzly ones, simply to be good. However OKC is extra involved about essentially the most severe groups, it should face the highway to the west than by a crew from Memphis which doesn’t appear to fulfill.
Paris Ribs in collection
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Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (-2000)
Memphis Grizzlies (+1000)
Collection schedule (all time is)
Sport 1: Solar, April 20 @ Oklahoma Metropolis (1 p.m., ABC)
Sport 2: Mar., April 22 @ Oklahoma Metropolis (7:30 p.m., TNT)
Sport 3: Sport, April 24 @ memphis (9:30 p.m., TNT)
Sport 4: Sam., April 26 @ memphis (3.30 p.m., TNT)
* Sport 5: Mon, April 28 @ Oklahoma Metropolis (TBD)
* Sport 6: Sport, Might 1 @ memphis (TBD)
* Sport 7: Sam., Might 3 @ Oklahoma Metropolis (TBD)
* If needed
No extra preview of the collection
East: Riders • Magic-Celtic • Pistons-Knicks • Bucks-Pacers
West: Thunder-Grizzlies • Warrior rocks • Wolves • Clippers-Nuggets
