Three days after dismantling the short-handed Grizzlies, the Thunder head to Memphis for game three of four in the season series.
The current Memphis Grizzlies team is a far cry from the defensive juggernauts they were when they took the OKC Thunder to seven games in the semifinals as the No. 8 seed in 2011. That doesn’t mean their Grit N’ Grind persona has left the organization.
These two teams last played on Sunday when Paul George led the Thunder to victory with 33 points in the absence of Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. OKC needs that kind of production consistently from him if they want to make any noise in the Playoffs.
Aside from another great performance from George, the best part of the win over the Grizzlies on Sunday was the effort they received from the role players. Alex Abrines, Raymond Felton, Jerami Grant and Patrick Patterson all finished in double digits, something Billy Donovan and Thunder fans have been dying to happen.
Bench scoring has been one of the biggest weaknesses of the team to this point, so it was nice to see OKC shoot 44.2% and 16-37 from deep. The Thunder’s bench is 28th in the league in scoring with 25 points per game. They will need to have more games like Sunday (definitely not like yesterday) as well in order to contend.
Donovan continues to tinker with the rotation after Andre Roberson went down with his season-ending injury. At this point Thunder fans simply have to hope for the best with whoever is out there at the shooting guard position. Watching Terrance Ferguson go off for 24 points in LA and Abrines knock down four 3-pointers might give some peace of mind, but consistency remains to be seen.
The good news is that despite the second unit pulling teeth to put the ball in the basket, Oklahoma City has been one of the best defensive teams in the league. The Thunder is fifth overall in defensive rating, holding their opponents to an average of 102.7 points per game. This defensive intensity has been the cornerstone the team’s success and will continue to be down the stretch.