If their opening 2025 NBA playoff showing against the Memphis Grizzlies is any indication, the Oklahoma City Thunder are who we thought they were.
The first-place Thunder and the No. 8 seed Grizzlies looked like they didn't belong on the same court in Game 1 of their first-round clash. Oklahoma City downright overpowered Memphis from the start, jumping to a 12-point first-quarter lead, though that was merely the beginning of an onslaught.
On a day when superstar floor general Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled mightily, specifically through 24 minutes of action, Oklahoma City was up by 33 at halftime! But again, the Thunder didn't stop pouring it on from there, nearly recording the largest blowout victory in the Association's extensive postseason history.
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What's the biggest blowout in NBA Playoffs history? Thunder-Grizzlies Game 1 nearly sets record
Oklahoma City led by as many as 56 points in the final frame before winning by 51 (131-80). If it held, that would be tied for second on the all-time list of playoff routs. In other words, the Thunder made headlines for outstanding reasons while the Grizzlies did quite the opposite, to put it mildly.
It's been roughly a decade since a playoff game was decided by (at least) the half-century mark. The Chicago Bulls embarrassed the Milwaukee Bucks in their 2015 first-round matchup, eliminating them -- on the road -- with a 120-66 shellacking. Getting sent packing, especially in that fashion, stings. But at least it happened at the end of the series, not the beginning.
Milwaukee had the benefit of going quietly into the night. They didn't have to play again or face their fans for approximately six months after the fact. Meanwhile, the same can't be said for the Grizzlies, who have yet to return their best-of-seven showdown with the Thunder to Memphis.
More recently, the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 115-70 in last year's Western Conference semifinals. The Wolves emphatically prevailed to force a win-or-go-home Game 7, ultimately dethroning three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and the then-reigning league champions on the road.
Following their drubbing of the Grizzlies, the Thunder became the fifth team to win a playoff game by at least 50 points. However, Oklahoma City is striving for much more than that: The Larry O'Brien Trophy.