OKC overcomes 19-point deficit to frustrate Memphis

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from 19 points down to stun the Memphis Grizzlies on the road, 114-100, during their Western Conference matchup in the ongoing NBA regular season on Nov. 10, 2025.

After a frantic first half that turned out to be a disaster for the reigning NBA champions, Oklahoma quickly flipped the switch in the second half and slashed out the bad habits they committed to complete the impressive comeback.

During the first 24 minutes of action, Oklahoma was forced to play Memphis’ desired pace, pushing the leather every time the Grizzlies scored on several fast-break opportunities.

As per OKC head coach Mark Daigneault, the high-octane action became the sole reason they stayed away from running their half-court execution, their usual offensive system that propelled them to a 10-1 win-loss record this season.

All hell broke loose midway through the second quarter when Memphis mounted its biggest lead of the ball game—to 19 points—forcing Daigneault to call another emergency timeout.

Everything went disoriented for the Thunder as they tried to catch up to Memphis’ offensive numbers with their own forced shots on the break, leaving the Grizzlies on an all-time high heading to the second half.

Just when the Grizzlies thought they could still set the tone early in the third frame, Oklahoma finally adjusted and picked them apart in the half-court.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kicked off Oklahoma’s comeback snowball, highlighted by huge bombs from the perimeter and a big-time three-pointer that equalized the ball game at 76-all at the 2:32 mark of the third period.

That’s what champions do—respond.

In just 11 minutes, the Thunder erased Memphis’ 19-point lead, en route to a demoralizing 63-38 scoring advantage in the second half.

Oklahoma pushed its cushion to as much as 14 points in the fourth as it capitalized on the exhausted Memphis squad that just lacked the firepower to sustain the Thunder’s scoring explosion.

Aside from a more patient offensive performance, the Thunder also deployed extra effort in defending their three-point territory, the area where the Grizzlies feasted in the first four minutes of the second quarter.

SGA sustained his MVP-caliber outing after leading the Thunder with 35 points built from an efficient 11-of-22 shooting from the field alongside seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals.

With the superb scoring performance, the superstar extended his streak of scoring 30 points or more to six consecutive games since their win over the Sacramento Kings last Oct. 29.

Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell added 21 markers apiece, while Isaiah Hartenstein capped off the dub with a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds.