"Thunder Stage Incredible Comeback to Defeat Grizzlies in NBA Recap"
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 31 points while Jalen Williams contributed 26, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a surprising 114-108 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. This win puts the Thunder ahead 3-0 in their Western Conference first-round series.
Chet Holmgren scored 24 points, with 23 of them coming in the second half, as the Thunder overcame a 29-point deficit in the first half. They didn't take the lead until Williams made a free throw with 1:20 left in the game, putting them ahead 109-108.
In the second half, Memphis was without Ja Morant after he suffered a hip injury late in the first half. Scotty Pippen Jr. led the Grizzlies with 28 points, followed by Jaren Jackson Jr. with 22. Morant had 15 points and five assists in just 15 minutes before his injury, which was diagnosed as a left hip contusion. Without Morant, the Grizzlies struggled and were outscored 63-31 in the second half.
Morant left the game with 3:14 remaining in the second quarter after falling hard on his left side while attempting a layup on a fastbreak. He was undercut by Luguentz Dort on the play and had to be helped off the court by the Grizzlies' training staff.
In other playoff action, the Clippers dominated the Nuggets with a 117-83 victory, giving them a 2-1 series lead. Kawhi Leonard led the way with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists for Los Angeles.
James Harden had 20 points, all in the first half, along with nine assists and six rebounds. Norman Powell also contributed 20 points for the Clippers, while Ivica Zubac added 19 points and nine rebounds.
For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic recorded his 20th career postseason triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists. Jamal Murray also had 23 points and Aaron Gordon added 15 points and seven rebounds.
In the Eastern Conference, the Knicks defeated the Pistons 118-116 in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for New York with 31 points, followed by Jalen Brunson with 30 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter.
OG Anunoby also had a strong performance with 22 points for the Knicks, who now hold a 2-1 series lead. Brunson, who averaged 35.5 points in the first two games, also had nine assists and seven rebounds in Game 3.
For the Pistons, Cade Cunningham and Tim Hardaway Jr. each scored 24 points, with Cunningham also dishing out a game-high 11 assists. Dennis Schroder added 18 points for Detroit, who have not won a home playoff game since May 2008.
