Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 38 points as Oklahoma City beat Memphis 117-115 to complete a first-round sweep on 26 April 2025.
The Thunder became the first team into the conference semi-finals after surviving a late push from a Grizzlies side missing Ja Morant.
Gilgeous-Alexander finds his rhythm immediately
Gilgeous-Alexander made his first seven shots and scored 16 in the opening quarter. He finished 13 for 24 from the floor, with six assists and five rebounds.
“In the past, I would have shied away from the moment because of where my shooting was headed,” he said. This time, an uneven first three games did not change his approach.
Memphis pushes without Morant
Morant missed the game with a bruised hip suffered in Game 3.
Scotty Pippen Jr. replaced him and matched his career high with 30 points while adding 11 rebounds. Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama scored 23 each, and Zach Edey blocked seven shots.
Turnovers decide a close finish
Memphis committed 22 turnovers and the Thunder converted them into 33 points. Across the four games, Oklahoma City scored 105 points from turnovers to Memphis’s 40.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s step-back jumper made it 116-111 with 11.6 seconds left. Bane answered from deep, but the Grizzlies could not recover his intentional free-throw miss on the final possession.
Oklahoma City swept the series without its best offensive basketball, a warning for the rest of the Western Conference.
