OKC Thunder fall flat versus Grizzlies – grades

The OKC Thunder followed up a huge win with a disappointing loss to the Grizzlies. Grades offer the details.

It was inevitable the OKC Thunder would have ‘one of those’ games. Every season a team will win five games they shouldn’t, lose five games they shouldn’t plus experience five routs on both sides of that equation. It’s the 5-5-5-5 rule.

Mark this up in the latter category of routs. Because of the hiatus, you’d have to go all the way back to the end of February when the team got blown out by the Bucks on the second night of a back-to-back.

Factor in the missing pieces and it adds to the equation. It’s one thing to be down Dennis Schroder but also missing Steven Adams is a huge loss particularly on a night when the team hits a cold offensive streak. Not having the big man in the game to deal with someone of Jonas Valanciunas’ size and sheer strength is a problem. But, it was the intangible things Adams does that was truly missing.

The Big Kiwi is often cited for ‘all the little things’ like his screen setting and captaining the defense, whether it be his help defense or funneling opponents toward his teammates. In a loss like this one, those little things suddenly don’t look so little!

OKC Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies – Grades

When Adams went down awkwardly in that Lakers game there was a fear he had been severely hurt. And while the team would prefer (or should) to avoid the Nuggets and landing in sixth it was better to let Adams get some extra rest if it means he can return for the next match.

This game marked the mid-way point of the OKC Thunder eight ‘seeded’ games and they’ll have four more to complete the season and try to draw even with one or both of the Jazz and Rockets to avoid that sixth seed.

They still have a back-to-back set to play on Sunday-Monday versus the now eliminated Wizards and the red hot Suns and games versus the Heat and Clippers to close out the schedule.

This is a game the team needs to register in terms of not bringing the effort defensively, but at the same time put in the rearview mirror and forget about.

The Grizzlies came in desperate and played like it. The Thunder came in riding the high of taking down the Lakers in a statement win. Neither is typical or indicative of what every game will be played like. Of note, the team who has typically taken teams to clutch time repeatedly is much more akin to who they are.

Without Dennis Schroder and Steven Adams, they failed to make the mark. OKC won the first quarter scoring 37 points to the Grizzlies 25 — they lost every other quarter by double-digits — enough said.

As for the individual player grades – – just like the last game produced a bevy of ‘A’ grades this time around the grades reflect the final score.