The Oklahoma City Thunder’s comeback against the Memphis Grizzlies was one of the most astonishing displays of resilience we have ever witnessed. They did it in unbelievable fashion, coming back from a 26-point halftime deficit to win 114-108 in Game 3 of their playoff series on Thursday. This victory establishes a new NBA playoff record for largest second-half comeback. It leaves the Grizzlies one step away from being eliminated.
The Thunder were faced with a deep hole as they moved into the second half. After a horrendous first 20 minutes, they were down by 26 points. Then Coach Mark Daigneault called an intentional play for Chet Holmgren to start turning the tides. Holmgren opened the third quarter with a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from the top of the arc. This goal proved to be the decisive turning point in momentum.
Chet Holmgren had an awesome third quarter, scoring 16 of his 24 points in that quarter alone. He displayed his shooting ability, knocking down 4 of 5 from deep. This effort played a big role in igniting the Thunder’s offensive explosion. Before this breakout, Holmgren had gone scoreless from the floor in first halves.
The Thunder mercilessly exploited Grizzlies star Ja Morant’s absence. He exited the game late in the second quarter after taking an address from a hard fall which caused his hip injury. His departure proved pivotal, as Oklahoma City outscored Memphis by a staggering 74-41 margin after Morant left the game with 3:14 remaining in the second quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pictured above was always going to play a key role in the Thunder’s upset win, and with good reason. He scored 31 points. His leadership and scoring ability were crucial in steering Oklahoma City’s runaway train through a tireless storm against the Grizzlies’ defense.
“If they could build it, we could erase it. That’s how we see it. That’s what we did.” – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Oklahoma City outscored Phoenix 36-15 in the third period. They forced Memphis into 8 critical turnovers, turning those miscues into 15 points off turnovers. The Thunder’s defense really locked up in the second half. They limited the Grizzlies to just 31 points and forced them into a horrific shooting punch of 9-for-36, including an unfathomable 3-for-20 from beyond the arc.
Chet Holmgren reflected on the impact of Coach Daigneault’s adjustments, stating, “Mark changed the trajectory of the game.” This sentiment was widespread in the Thunder locker room as players credited the profound halftime thoughts and adjustments as turning the game around.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, Scotty Pippen Jr. had been dazzling Memphis the first half, shooting 5-of-6 from long range. However, the Grizzlies struggled to maintain momentum after Morant’s exit and could not recover from Oklahoma City’s relentless push.
As the clock neared the final minute and then some, the Thunder made an unprecedented comeback. They didn’t just shift the momentum of this game, they carved their name in NBA playoff lore with this historic comeback.
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