In what could be the (new) most demoralizing loss of the season, the Memphis Grizzlies squandered a 21-point lead and were defeated at home, 117-116, by an Oklahoma City Thunder team without most of its top players.

This replaces the game I previously deemed our most demoralizing loss, when Memphis blew a 20-point lead and lost to the Washington Wizards on December 20.

Oklahoma City has now swept the season series 3-0, extending its winning streak over Memphis to 12 games and its overall winning streak to 16, including playoffs.

Déjà vu.

If it feels like we have been here before, that’s because we have.

There is a pattern developing here: Memphis, blowing a double-digit lead, and giving up a quarter’s worth of points off turnovers in a game they lose by single digits. The Grizzlies collapsed during the second half, a recurring trend this season. Their struggles with late-game execution and scoring in transition have repeatedly caused issues for them.

Friday night’s loss pours even more salt into an open wound for Grizzlies fans, just hours after the most notorious NBA news breaker, Shams Charania, announced that the Grizzlies front office is now entertaining potential trade offers for Memphis’ franchise star, Ja Morant. (More on that later.)

Grizzlies’ head coach Tuomas Iisalo commented postgame regarding the team’s inability to close out as being attributed to “overall, lack of execution.” He went on to add that “we maybe don’t have, in our current roster, a natural player who, in those situations, is a three-level scorer who we can just throw the ball to.”

And I beg to differ. The Grizzlies do have at least one player — Morant — who can do that, but he’s been struggling with injuries, along with half the roster.

The Grizzlies outrebounded the Thunder 52-36 and dished out 35 assists to OKC’s 24, but none of that would be enough to overcome Memphis giving up 25 points off 17 turnovers. They didn’t turn the ball over a single time in the first quarter, but then surrendered 10 points off turnovers in the second quarter and 11 in the fourth. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City gave up just five points off six turnovers … total, for the whole game.

Memphis finished the night with seven players in double figures but failed to score in transition in the second half, after scoring seven fast-break points in the first quarter.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a team-high 23 points on 9 of 14 overall shooting, and added seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block.

Cedric Coward scored 13 points, to go with 9 rebounds and four assists in his first game back since injuring his left ankle against the Lakers on January 4^th.

Jock Landale also finished the night with 13 points, and had 10 rebounds and two assists.

Jaylen Wells added 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Three players from the second unit finished the night in double figures:

GG Jackson led the bench unit with 18 points on 7 of 12 overall shooting and 3 of 8 from beyond the arc. He also had two rebounds and one steal.

Santi Aldama put up another solid game with 15 points on 6 of 9 overall shooting and 2 of 4 from beyond the arc, to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists.

Vince Williams Jr. scored 13 points on 4 of 8 overall shooting and 3 of 6 from three-point range, adding three rebounds, five assists, and one block.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will close out this four-game homestand Sunday afternoon against the Brooklyn Nets. Tip-off is at 2:30 PM CST.

In what could be the (new) most demoralizing loss of the season, the Memphis Grizzlies squandered a 21-point lead and were defeated at home, 117-116, by an Oklahoma City Thunder team without most of its top players.

This replaces the game I previously deemed our most demoralizing loss, when Memphis blew a 20-point lead and lost to the Washington Wizards on December 20.

Oklahoma City has now swept the season series 3-0, extending its winning streak over Memphis to 12 games and its overall winning streak to 16, including playoffs.

Déjà vu.

If it feels like we have been here before, that’s because we have.

There is a pattern developing here: Memphis, blowing a double-digit lead, and giving up a quarter’s worth of points off turnovers in a game they lose by single digits. The Grizzlies collapsed during the second half, a recurring trend this season. Their struggles with late-game execution and scoring in transition have repeatedly caused issues for them.

Friday night’s loss pours even more salt into an open wound for Grizzlies fans, just hours after the most notorious NBA news breaker, Shams Charania, announced that the Grizzlies front office is now entertaining potential trade offers for Memphis’ franchise star, Ja Morant. (More on that later.)

Grizzlies’ head coach Tuomas Iisalo commented postgame regarding the team’s inability to close out as being attributed to “overall, lack of execution.” He went on to add that “we maybe don’t have, in our current roster, a natural player who, in those situations, is a three-level scorer who we can just throw the ball to.”

And I beg to differ. The Grizzlies do have at least one player — Morant — who can do that, but he’s been struggling with injuries, along with half the roster.

The Grizzlies outrebounded the Thunder 52-36 and dished out 35 assists to OKC’s 24, but none of that would be enough to overcome Memphis giving up 25 points off 17 turnovers. They didn’t turn the ball over a single time in the first quarter, but then surrendered 10 points off turnovers in the second quarter and 11 in the fourth. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City gave up just five points off six turnovers … total, for the whole game.

Memphis finished the night with seven players in double figures but failed to score in transition in the second half, after scoring seven fast-break points in the first quarter.

Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a team-high 23 points on 9 of 14 overall shooting, and added seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block.

Cedric Coward scored 13 points, to go with 9 rebounds and four assists in his first game back since injuring his left ankle against the Lakers on January 4^th.

Jock Landale also finished the night with 13 points, and had 10 rebounds and two assists.

Jaylen Wells added 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Three players from the second unit finished the night in double figures:

GG Jackson led the bench unit with 18 points on 7 of 12 overall shooting and 3 of 8 from beyond the arc. He also had two rebounds and one steal.

Santi Aldama put up another solid game with 15 points on 6 of 9 overall shooting and 2 of 4 from beyond the arc, to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists.

Vince Williams Jr. scored 13 points on 4 of 8 overall shooting and 3 of 6 from three-point range, adding three rebounds, five assists, and one block.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will close out this four-game homestand Sunday afternoon against the Brooklyn Nets. Tip-off is at 2:30 PM CST.