Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 35 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 128–97 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee, on Friday, November 6.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 points and Jared McCain scored 21 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder won their third consecutive game, while Memphis lost its third straight after opening the season with six victories.
Oklahoma City led 35–28 after the first quarter, then widened the gap with a 36–21 second period. That left the visitors ahead 71–49 at halftime, a 22-point advantage built before the break.
Both teams scored 27 points in the third quarter, preserving that margin at 98–76. The Thunder added nine more points to their advantage in the fourth, outscoring Memphis 30–21 to finish with a 31-point win.
The league’s official game summary lists Oklahoma City’s largest lead as 37 points. Memphis led by as many as six early in a game with two lead changes and four ties.
The Thunder held a 62–32 advantage in points in the paint and scored 30 points off turnovers, compared with the Grizzlies’ 14. Oklahoma City also led 14–8 in fast-break points.
The bench scoring was much closer, with Oklahoma City receiving 38 points from its reserves and Memphis getting 37. The difference came alongside the Thunder’s substantial advantages inside and in converting the opposition’s mistakes into points.
Ty Jerome led Memphis with 21 points. The result was part of West Group B play in the NBA Cup and left Oklahoma City at 7–2 overall and Memphis at 6–3.
Sources: NBA — Official Final Score and Game Summary, November 6. Field Level Media via Reuters — Independent Game Report, November 7 UTC.