Memphis Grizzlies made history on Thursday night, topping Oklahoma City Thunder by 73 points difference! the widest margin in all of NBA history. The Rfinal result was 152-79 (yes, there is no error there), showing how Taylor Jenkins controlled a young and rebuilding OKC in a way never seen before. The craziest thing? They didn’t even have their main star, Ja Morant. Although to be fair, OKC didn’t have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey (West rookie of the month).
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Jaren Jackson Jr. was the leading scorer with 27 points, although it is just a detail within a truly collective night: nine Grizzlies players scored in double digits, shooting 62.5% from the field and 52.8% on triples. And while the result is eye-catching enough already, the final stat is a work of art that delivers some truly must-see gems.
We take a look at the most surprising facts of the record night of the Grizzlies.
The most surprising statistics of the Grizzlies-Thunder
- Memphis could have not scored in the final 21 minutes and 39 seconds and still win the game. The Grizzlies scored their 80th point with 9m39s to play in the third quarter, and OKC finished with 79 total points. Beyond the fact that the locals scored 72 more goals after that moment, they would have taken the match without scoring more.
- Grizzlies bench (83 points) beat all Oklahoma City Thunder. Six of Memphis’ nine double-digit players came from the bench. With De’Anthony Melton adding 19 points, the Grizzlies reserves scored more than the entire OKC roster. Santi Aldama (18 points), John Konchar (17), Xavier Tillman Sr. (11), Brandon Clarke (11) and Jarrett Culver (11) were the others above 10.
- Memphis edged Oklahoma City counting only the points in the paint. This is ridiculous. Memphis scored 82 points in the paint zone, and OKC finished the game with 79 totals. It seemed like a training line for homeowners.
- Santi Aldama had a +/- of +52 in 28 minutes played, the third best record of +/- in all NBA history. The Spanish rookie was part of the night for the books. In just his 11th game in the league, he posted the third best +/- ever. Until this game he had never exceeded double digits in points or rebounds, but he did it against OKC with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (-56) and Luguentz Dort (-53) finished with the second and third worst +/- in a game in NBA history. Of course, there will be some negative data on the other side. The rookie ex Villanova had the worst on the team, going 0-7 on shooting from the field and finishing with 2 points. To be good with him, he has been having a very good season as a rookie on the team (in his last five games he had completed two double-doubles, averaging 10.0 points and 7.6 rebounds). Dort, a defensive specialist who is beginning to gain ground on the other side, had the second worst +/- of his team, although he finished with 15 points. He is having averages of 16.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
- The Grizzlies’ fourth-to-fourth margin is remarkable. They outscored OKC by 15 points in the first set, by 21 in the second, by 15 in the third and 22 in the last. OKC wasn’t even close to taking a room.
- Memphis attack jumped from 12th to 6th place in the NBA in just one game. Going into the game, Jenkins’ men had an offensive rating of 109.1, 12th best in the league. After the performance against the Thunder, the offensive rating jumped to 111.1, ranking 6th.
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The most incredible data of the historic and record night of the Memphis Grizzlies against the Oklahoma City Thunder | NBA.com Spain | The Official Site of the NBA