Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 35 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder overwhelmed the Memphis Grizzlies 128-97 on Friday night in an NBA Cup group stage game in Memphis.
The Thunder dominated from the start, shooting 55% overall and hitting half of their 26 three-point attempts through three quarters. By the end of the third, Oklahoma City was converting just under 60% of their shots and had stretched their lead to 32 points following a 12-0 run early in the quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 points, continuing his hot streak after scoring 43 and 42 points in consecutive wins over Cleveland earlier this week. Jared McCain contributed 21 points as the Thunder forced 18 turnovers, turning those into 30 points.
Memphis struggled to find their rhythm, particularly from beyond the arc where they entered the game leading the league in three-point percentage but finished shooting only 22% from deep. In the first half, the Grizzlies made just five of 26 attempts from three-point range. Ty Jerome led Memphis with 21 points while Zach Edey added 14. Rookie Cameron Boozer was limited to eight points but grabbed 12 rebounds.
Oklahoma City’s win extended their streak over Memphis to 16 games, including a four-game sweep in the first round of the 2025 playoffs.
Despite injuries to several key players, the Thunder have found consistency in their recent performances. Mitchell has averaged 21.6 points over his previous five games, thriving in an expanded role under coach Mark Daigneault.
The Thunder will host Washington on Saturday, while Memphis heads to Toronto on Monday.
According to Yahoo Sports.
