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'They played well, we played terribly': Grizzlies hand Thunder the worst loss in NBA history
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- 'They played well, we played terribly': Grizzlies hand Thunder the worst loss in NBA history
MEMPHIS — The Thunder was missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , Josh Giddey and a handful of others on the second night of a home/road back-to-back.
And still, even with that context, it was ugly. Really, really ugly. Historically brutal.
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The Grizzlies, playing without star guard Ja Morant , destroyed the Thunder 152-79 on Thursday night in Memphis .
The 73-point margin of victory was the largest in NBA history. Cleveland's 148-80 (68 points) win over Miami in December 1991 was previously the most-lopsided result in league history.
It took 30 years for that record to be broken.
"This isn't indicative of who our team is, how we've competed all season from training camp all the way through the games," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "It's important I think to keep that in mind internally for us.
"When you compete, you have exposure to the highs and lows of competition, and the competition comes with great joy, and it also comes with grief and frustration and anger … That's why the joy feels so good, because when you get punched and you taste your own blood, it doesn't feel great."
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With Kenrich Williams and Derrick Favors also out, and Theo Maledon, Aaron Wiggins and Vit Krejci on G League assignment, the Thunder had 10 players available.
The Thunder rolled out one overmatched lineup after another, but the talent discrepancy was no excuse for the result. Losing by 30 points is one thing. Losing by 70 points is unprecedented.
"They played well, we played terribly," guard Ty Jerome said. "Honestly it might be as simple as that tonight."
Thunder center Mike Muscala said he and his teammates have to look themselves in the mirror.
"We didn't fight, obviously," Muscala said. "You'd rather go out fighting, you'd rather go out putting your best foot forward and playing together. I need to do a better job as a veteran of this team to be a model of that, to instill that."
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The Thunder lost to the Pacers 152-95 last season. The 57-point loss was the worst in Thunder history. This one trumped that by 16 points.
Some Grizzlies fans knew they were witnessing history.
"Get the record, baby!" one shouted.
The Grizzlies got that record, and another. Memphis' 152 points was the most in team history.
With the loss to the Pacers last season and the loss to the Grizzlies on Thursday, the Thunder now has the biggest home loss in NBA history and the biggest road loss in NBA history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
"My sophomore year in college, we were the first (No. 1) seed to ever lose to a 16 seed," Jerome said of UMBC upsetting Virginia. "Like, that's way more embarrassing than this NBA game.
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"We can't overreact to this. Yeah, it's embarrassing. We were embarrassed out there for sure, but you don't just put your head down and start abandoning ship or pointing fingers. Coach said after the game, and he's right, a crucial part of us right now is we have to stick together."
Here are four more takeaways from the game:
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By the numbers
Where to begin?
The Grizzlies shot 63% from the field, including 53% from 3-point range.
The Thunder shot 32% overall and 29% from 3-point range.
Points in the paint: 82-24 Grizzlies
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Second-chance points: 22-2 Grizzlies
Fastbreak points: 29-9 Grizzlies
Bench points: 93-35 Grizzlies
Assists: 41-14 Grizzlies
Rebounds: 53-26 Grizzlies
Biggest lead: 78 points (Grizzlies)
Grizzlies rookie Santi Aldama was a plus-52 in his 28 minutes.
Thunder rookie Jeremiah Robinson-Earl was a minus-56 in 24 minutes.
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JJJ, Grizzlies bench lead way
Memphis big man Jaren Jackson Jr. was a cool plus-42 in just 20 minutes.
Jackson shot 6-of-7 from 3-point range on his way to a team-high 27 points.
Jackson was Memphis' leading starter, but the Grizzlies bench outscored their starters 93-59.
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Killian Tillie was the only Memphis reserve who failed to crack double digits.
In the zone
The Thunder ran some zone defense against the Grizzlies.
It's a look OKC hasn't turned too much.
The Thunder had plenty of time to experiment Thursday night. By the end, OKC wasn't playing any defense at all.
"We worked on it in practice a couple weeks ago," Daigneault said of the zone. "It was part of our training camp package. We're trying to be careful not to introduce it too early in the season when we're still trying to develop our (man-to-man) habits."
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SGA, Giddey out
With Gilgeous-Alexander (concussion) and Giddey (flu) out, Tre Mann and Jerome started in the backcourt alongside regular starters Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley and Robinson-Earl.
The Thunder announced Thursday afternoon that Gilgeous-Alexander had been placed in the NBA's concussion protocol.
In the official team release, the Thunder noted that Gilgeous-Alexander sustained the concussion "following two common fouls late in the fourth quarter" Wednesday night against the Rockets.
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On the first, called against Rockets center Daniel Theis, Gilgeous-Alexander rose for a layup and was met in the air before falling hard and slamming his head on the court.
That play was not reviewed.
The next Rockets foul, 14 seconds later, was reviewed.
Garrison Mathews hacked Gilgeous-Alexander on another layup attempt, but the call was confirmed as a common foul.
"Those are hard fouls that concussed him," Daigneault said.
"I would've liked both to get looks. They looked at one of them.
"(Referee) Zach Zarba was on the game. He's a really steady hand. If there's anyone you want making judgment calls in those situations, he's in that category … so I have a level of trust in him, but those are hard fouls. (Shai's) out tonight because of those plays."
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Daigneault said Gilgeous-Alexander had a headache when he got on the plane to Memphis on Wednesday night.
Daigneault said the team wouldn't have brought SGA on the trip if it knew he was concussed.
Gilgeous-Alexander's symptoms worsened when he awoke from a nap on Thursday afternoon, according to Daigneault. That's when the Thunder placed him in concussion protocol.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Thunder vs. Grizzlies: Memphis hands OKC worst loss in NBA history
