OKC's historic comeback to seal the Grizzlies' fate

The third game of the series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies left a mark in the history of NBA playoffs. After trailing by 26 points at halftime, the Thunder staged the largest comeback in a postseason second half to win 114-108 and take a 3-0 series lead.

The turnaround began right at the start of the third quarter when coach Mark Daigneault designed a play for Chet Holmgren, who made a three-pointer from the high perimeter. It was his first basket of the game and a clear sign that the second half would take a different direction.

On the other side, the Grizzlies suffered a tough blow with Ja Morant exiting due to a hip injury after a hard fall near the end of the second quarter. His absence was crucial for what followed.

Holmgren, who had not scored in the first half, ignited with 16 of his 24 points in the third period, including four three-pointers on five attempts. His offensive explosion coincided with the defensive awakening of the Thunder, who dictated the pace and suffocated the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies had dominated the first two quarters thanks to a stellar performance from Scotty Pippen Jr., who scored 23 of his 28 points before halftime and led the visitors to an 11-of-22 shooting from beyond the arc to take the lead. But after Morant's exit, the Thunder took over with a 74-41 run.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was pivotal with 31 points. Interestingly, he was also part of the Clippers team that erased a 31-point deficit against the Warriors in 2019, the largest comeback in playoffs since at least 1997-98. "If they could build it, we could erase it. That's how we see it," the shooting guard commented.

Jalen Williams, on his part, acknowledged how challenging it was to be in such a dire situation but highlighted the group's confidence in their ability to turn things around: "It's not something you want to repeat, but we know what we are capable of."

The change in attitude was also evident on the defensive end. The Thunder held the Grizzlies to just 31 points in the second half, with a 9-of-36 field goal shooting and 3-of-20 from three-point range. The Grizzlies committed 13 turnovers, more than the baskets they made.

"Mark changed the course of the game," Holmgren pointed out. "Having faith in me after the storm I had in the first half was crucial. When I saw that first shot go in, I felt good."

Alex Caruso, who recorded four steals in the second half, summed it up with a statement: "Our defense is our superpower. When we are connected on that end, we are an unstoppable force."

With this victory, the Thunder are just one win away from advancing, while the decimated Grizzlies, with no margin for error, are on the brink of elimination.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Remontada histórica de OKC para sentenciar a los Grizzlies