Gosh, okay. So, let’s dive right into the madness that, um, was Sunday, the NBA playoffs came crashing in with, you guessed it, a mix of mayhem and maybe a sprinkle of basketball magic. Anyway, so four games, first-round chaos, ooh, and the classic No. 1 vs. No. 8 face-off — the kind that makes you wonder if anyone was trying. Almost like they were on different planets or something.
Oh, wait! There was also the No. 2 going against No. 7, but what really got everyone buzzing — and by ‘buzzing,’ I mean flailing like a confused bee at a rock concert — was the Thunder making the Grizzlies look like they accidentally entered the wrong gym. I mean, when you think about it, sports can be so unpredictable, right? But this? Phew! A total roller coaster, minus the fun.
I remember reading something somewhere, and I might be misremembering, but there was talk about predictions and rankings floating around the interwebs. Yahoo Sports had something to say, as did Kevin O’Connor, chatting about the crème de la crème players in the postseason. Who are we kidding though? It’s mostly just a guessing game.
Okay, quick recap. For anyone living under a rock or, I don’t know, forgetting what day it is: Thunder 131, Grizzlies 80. That score right there, it’s a whole story. Seriously, felt like watching a pro team take on, like, a school meetup. Were nine chalk outlines really needed on that court after? I’m joking, but also, sort of not. Somebody, somewhere, please clean this mess by Game 2 on Tuesday.
The Thunder, with their sneaky, relentless attack, started by throwing down some kind of basketball voodoo. Memphis grabbed a tiny lead (9-8, if we’re counting?) before OKC went, “Not today!” and blazed through, blitzing their way to a 32-20 first quarter. By the second, it was carnage. 31-10 — you’d blink, they’d score. The Grizzlies were gasping, hoping for a repositioning of the planets or something to save face. But no, the Thunder, like a broken record, hit them with a 44-point blitz. Ouch. If we’re talking boxing, the towel would be flying, fists in the air, backup singers crying a little.
And right when you thought Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was gonna break a sweat, he, believe it or not, barely dipped his toes into the chaos, dropped 15 points in short splurge time, and wrapped it with a bow. Happy Easter? More like, “Someone give Memphis a map” because they seem a bit lost.
Oh, and the frontcourt — what a spectacle! Jalen Williams led a no-frills feast with 20 points (who wouldn’t want to be him?) while some guy Chet Holmgren tossed 19 into the ring. Meanwhile, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey, um, yeah… no comments on them might be best. Four points apiece, roughly.
To bring the point home, the Thunder swatted anything and everything — eight blocks, in all — leaving Memphis to flounder. Shooting didn’t work, settling for blustery 3-pointers backfired (6-of-34, yikes), and in general, they were a bit rudderless with a 34% shooting average. Oof.
Not saying it’s over, cause, you know, best-of-seven means one down but six to go. But the Grizzlies will need some super glue (probably industrial-sized) to piece together a challenge by Game 2. Betting on a miracle? Nah, just hoping for a show is all.ttä
