Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered 38 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder past the Memphis Grizzlies 117-115 on Saturday night, completing a four-game sweep in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The Thunder, who posted an NBA-best 68-14 regular-season record, became the first team to advance to the conference semifinals and now await the winner between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.
Jalen Williams contributed 23 points, hitting a crucial three-pointer with 5:41 remaining that gave Oklahoma City a 10-point cushion, the first double-digit lead of the tightly contested matchup.
The Grizzlies were without Ja Morant, who was sidelined due to a bruised left hip sustained in Game 3, a setback that forced Memphis to play without its leading scorer.
Despite Morant’s absence, Memphis kept the contest close behind Scotty Pippen Jr., who matched his career high with 30 points and collected 11 rebounds, while Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama each added 23 points.
After a seesaw first half featuring six lead changes and five ties, the Thunder held a slim 60-59 advantage at halftime before extending the lead to 88-85 entering the fourth quarter.
Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Isaiah Joe each scored 11 points for Oklahoma City, with Hartenstein pulling down 12 rebounds to help control the glass.
Memphis nearly rallied late, as Bane’s three-pointer with 7.1 seconds left cut the deficit to 116-114, but Williams split two free throws and the Thunder sealed the win by securing the rebound on Bane’s intentional miss.
Oklahoma City overcame poor three-point shooting, connecting on just 7-of-35 attempts (20%), but compensated by hitting 80% of their free throws and forcing Memphis into 21 turnovers.
The Grizzlies shot 46.3% from the field and 38.7% from beyond the arc, but their inability to contain Gilgeous-Alexander down the stretch ultimately ended their season.
