Thunder rally past Grizzlies to take 3-0 series lead

(Reuters) - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and Jalen Williams had 26 to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to an improbable 114-108 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday to take a 3-0 lead in their Western Conference first-round series.

Chet Holmgren scored 23 of his 24 points in the second half as the Thunder overcame a 29-point first-half deficit. Oklahoma City didn't lead in the game until Williams dropped in a free throw with 1:20 remaining to go ahead 109-108.

Holmgren added two free throws with 57.4 seconds left and Alex Caruso scored on a breakaway layup with 19.4 seconds to go. The Grizzlies did not score in the final 4:51.

"We kind of reconnected to who we are (in the second half)," Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said.

"We were very out of character in the first half, and some of that had to do with how well Memphis played and the way they landed the first punch and multiple punches after that. So credit to them. But I thought our response in a game that doesn't feel attainable, our response was great."

Memphis played without Ja Morant in the second half after he sustained a hip injury late in the first half. Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 28 points to lead the Grizzlies. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 22.

Morant had 15 points and five assists in 15 minutes before the injury. He was diagnosed with a left hip contusion. Without Morant, the Grizzlies were outscored 63-31 in the second half.

Morant left the game with 3:14 to go in the second quarter after falling hard on his left side while soaring in for a layup on a fastbreak. Morant was undercut by Luguentz Dort on the play. He hobbled slowly to the sideline after spending several minutes on the floor being attended by the Grizzlies' training staff.

Morant returned to the court to take two free throws, which he missed, before being helped to the locker room.

Memphis interim coach Tuomas Iisalo said after the game that Morant would be evaluated on Friday, "and then we'll know more."

Memphis was coming off lopsided losses in the opening two games of the series in Oklahoma City -- by 51 points in Game 1 and by 19 in Game 2 -- but played with renewed vigor in their home playoff opener.

Down 26 at the half, the Thunder doubled up the Grizzlies 36-18 in the third quarter. Midway through the period, Oklahoma City trimmed the lead to 10 points, mostly behind Holmgren. The 7-foot-1 forward had 16 points during a 25-9 run to open the quarter. A 3-pointer by Williams as the quarter ended cut the Thunder deficit to 95-87.

"I give a lot of credit to Chet because he had one point at halftime," Daigneault said. "He had a very, very quiet, subdued first half. And then the mental toughness to stay in it ... was really impressive. And he did a good job defensively as well."

The Grizzlies built a double-digit lead in the first quarter. The catalyst was Pippen, who had four of the team's eight 3-pointers in the quarter. The Grizzlies led by 12 points on three occasions late in the period.

The Grizzlies extended their advantage to 28 points (65-37) midway through the second quarter following a 25-5 run that included 16 consecutive points. Morant scored nine points during the run, and Pippen had seven. The lead stretched to 29 points at 69-40 with 3:07 to go on a layup by Desmond Bane.

"We did a great job fighting for 48 minutes, but against this team it's not enough to fight, you also have to be able to execute," Iisalo said.

Memphis led 77-51 at halftime by shooting 57.4 percent and committing only three turnovers. The Grizzlies scored only 80 points in Game 1.