Oklahoma City vs Memphis in 2024 is supposed to mean something.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ja Morant are two of the players poised to define the NBA over the next decade. Both teams are flush with talent that would start on more than half the league — but in OKC and Memphis, they hardly crack the rotation.
Unfortunately for the teams and the fans, that version of the Grizzlies didn’t show up.
Morant is sidelined with an injury to his AC Joint, top-ten pick Zach Edey was out with a concussion, Brandon Clarke was downgraded from questionable to out Friday afternoon and Marcus Smart has been in and out all season.
Needless to say, OKC waltzed to a 130-106 victory and got what is sure to be a brutal five-game home stretch off to a good start.
After Memphis raced out to a 9-0 lead, OKC tore them apart for the rest of the game.
Leading the charge was Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 35 points on 14-19 shooting and also had seven assists and six rebounds along with four blocks. Gilgeous-Alexander’s stat-stuffing night comes on the heels of what has been a heater for the MVP candidate.
Outside of a down game against the Hornets, Gilgeous-Alexander has fought his way into the thick of the MVP conversation with Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the Thunder on pace for nearly 70 wins, Gilgeous-Alexander has a real chance to bring OKC its first MVP trophy since 2016-17.
Between his ridiculous efficiency that is only reminiscent of Michael Jordan (It’s true, look it up!!!) and his above-average defense that is unique amongst fellow guards in the modern NBA, SGA is proving that he has a real case for being considered as one of the best guards we’ve seen post-Kobe.
Against Indiana over the weekend, Gilgeous-Alexander turned back the clock to the days of Kobe and MJ by showing off an array of back-to-the-basket moves that are unmatched by any guard in the NBA today outside of possibly Luka Doncic. Gilgeous-Alexander has also slowly been ticking upward from 3-point range over the last month, adding yet another weapon to his offensive arsenal.
Over OKC’s eleven-game winning streak, most of OKC’s opponents have been average or worse in the standings, but Gilgeous-Alexander’s brilliance has been on full display.
A win over a hobbled Memphis team won’t go down as one of the most important moments in OKC’s season, but it will be remembered as another notch on Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP belt if he is given the award at the end of the season.
Only time will tell if Gilgeous-Alexander will finally be discussed among the ranks of Jokic and Antetokounmpo, but those who have been paying attention to him and the NBA over the last few years know how special he is on both sides of the ball.
With each passing game, Gilgeous-Alexander’s stats creep closer to the exclusive group of MJ and Kobe and while that seems like an insane statement on the surface, it’s all in the numbers — all you have to do is look at them.
