Don’t give the Oklahoma City Thunder the NBA’s Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy yet.
It’s just Game 1 of a first-round Western Conference series.
But what a game it was for the Thunder.
The performance – a dominating 131-80 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday – was befitting of a team ready to make a championship run.
The Thunder were masterful offensively and defensively,
The Grizzlies were not ready to handle Oklahoma City’s talent, depth, intensity, speed, ball movement and commitment to defend.
It was a message the Thunder needed and wanted to send.
If one Jalen Williams (20 points, six assists, five rebounds, three steals) wasn’t enough, the Thunder have a Jaylin Williams (nine points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks) who does damage, too.
Every Thunder starter scored at least 12 points, led by Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren (19 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks), MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (15 points, five assists, two blocks) and Isaiah Hartenstein (14 points, eight rebounds, five assists).
The Thunder trailed 9-8 with 6:55 left in the first quarter, and once the Thunder went ahead 11-9, it was the beginning of the annihilation. The Thunder led 41-22, 55-22, 78-36, 99-48 and 122-67.
At one point in the third quarter, the Thunder outscored the Grizzlies 22-0 in fastbreak points, were 37-for-68 from the field and 13-for-32 on 3-pointers and had 27 assists on 38 made field goals – and the Grizzlies were 21-for-63 from the field and 3-for-22 on 3s.
There’s no more to be said about Game 1.
The Thunder were the best team in the NBA this season – a franchise-record 68 victories, and they were No. 1 defensively, No. 3 offensively (the only team to finish in the top three in both categories) and No. 1 in net rating, outscoring opponents by 12.7 points per 100 possessions. It was the second-best net rating in NBA history – behind the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. The other four teams in the top five all won titles.
Thunder executive vice president Sam Presti’s goal is to build a team that can win at a high level for several seasons. He has that team now with Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Holmgren, Hartenstein, Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins and Jaylin Williams.
Presti has never won Executive of the Year, and that’s a problem for other league executives who vote for the award. He is the best team-builder in the league – excellent in the draft, free agency and trades.
Now, it’s about winning a title. The Thunder lost in the second round last season, and that’s all the majority of the group has on its postseason résumé: one first-round series win. Among the West playoff teams, the Thunder have the second-fewest combined games of playoff experience. Jumping from that point to NBA championship is not an easy leap, but this Thunder squad has the goods to do it.
The Thunder will be tested once they dispatch Memphis. Denver or the Clippers await in the second round and then either the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors in the conference finals.
If Game 1 is the indicator, the Thunder are more than ready for the challenge. That Larry O’Brien Trophy gets a little closer with each victory.
