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OKC Thunder playing some of their best basketball

By Rylan Stiles

Josh Giddey #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder goes to the basket against Yuta Watanabe #18 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on December 8, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
Josh Giddey #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder goes to the basket against Yuta Watanabe #18 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on December 8, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) /
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The OKC Thunder are playing their best basketball of the season, and the run was capped off with a big win over the Memphis Grizzlies, earning revenge against a squad that dominated them in their last matchup. Well, is dominated even a strong enough word?

We are not talking a 30 point blow out loss, or even a November Non-conference loss in college basketball as some directional school you have never heard of travels up to Allen Field House in Lawrence, Kansas, and gets shellacked to the tune of the Jayhawk faithful clamoring for the scrappy floppy-haired walk on to launch a three from the logo with 30 ticks left in the contest, we are talking about a loss by 73-points. 73. In an actual NBA game.

A record-setting, historic loss, that had the Fedex Forum chanting defense in the fourth quarter of a blow-game game so they could energize their squad to go for this historic mark. So when these two foes met again in Memphis, what happened?

OKC Thunder playing some of their best basketball as they earn revenge against the Memphis Grizzlies

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat Memphis 102-99 to the tune of five Thunder players reaching double-figures. The squad started slow, lacking energy and effort, which was surprising given the precursor to this matchup, but Darius Bazley in his new bench role came in and sparked the group.

Bazley, who has received a ton of backlash from the OKC Thunder faithful, logged 23 minutes while scoring ten points, seven rebounds, an assist, and four blocks. The former first-round pick was a big reason why the energy level of this team turned around. Of course, the Oklahoma City Thunder bench boss Mark Daigneault deserves a ton of credit for the in-game turnaround and the out-of-bounds plays he was able to draw up.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remained at an all-star level, even collecting the game-sealing steal finishing with three steals, four assists, five rebounds, and 23 points. His backcourt mate Josh Giddey saw one of his better offensive nights posting 19 points, dishing 11 assists, and hauling in five rebounds. Giddey shot 43-percent from the floor while knocking down three triples.

Can the OKC Thunder continue this momentum into this back-to-back set before tip-off as they take on the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns?

Next. Should the OKC Thunder trade for Cam Reddish?. dark

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