Thunder complete third improbable recent comeback against Grizzlies, this time without their stars
Could this comeback, the Thunder's third of at least 19 points in Memphis since April, wake up the NBA champions from their recent slide?
No Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. No Chet Holmgren. Yet somehow, the Memphis Grizzlies seem bound to this fate when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit town.
The Thunder rallied from 21 points down Friday to steal a 117-116 win from the Grizzlies, marking the third time in 8 1/2 months that Oklahoma City has overcome a deficit of 19 points or more in the Grizzlies’ building.
On the final possession, veteran Thunder guard Alex Caruso defended the way he knows best: with disregard for his man’s space. He forced Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward to stumble into a desperate midrange prayer, the kind of possession these Thunder were built on but haven’t reveled in as of late.
The win advanced the Thunder to 32-7, securing a second straight narrow victory after a midseason lull in which they went 5-7 following a 24-1 start.
THE THUNDER COMPLETE THE 21-POINT COMEBACK AND WIN IN MEMPHIS ⛈️
Their largest comeback win of the season!!! pic.twitter.com/IE7wKwXvvi
— NBA (@NBA) January 10, 2026
This nagging FedEx Forum fate began last April when the Thunder overcame a 29-point deficit to win Game 3 of the two teams’ first-round playoff series, the second largest comeback in NBA playoff history. Grizzlies star Ja Morant exited that game with just over three minutes remaining in the first half and did not return. Memphis led by 26 points at halftime before Oklahoma City took control.
It followed the Grizzlies to these teams’ first matchup of the 2025-26 season in November, when Memphis conceded a 19-point lead before losing 114-100.
And it continued, improbably, on Friday.
Memphis, playing without Morant due to a left calf contusion, led by double digits at the end of each of the first three quarters. Yet without the reigning NBA MVP and their defensive anchor, the Thunder forced the Grizzlies to crumble in a way befitting of this series.
The finishing kick was the kind of run these Thunder, when healthy, typically dispense earlier. Oklahoma City outscored Memphis by 14 in the fourth quarter, making 4 of 9 3s in the period. Overall, the Thunder shot 24.3 percent from deep in the game, and its starters were just 5 of 22 from distance.
But the Thunder, as small as can be without injured centers Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams and Holmgren, pieced together a valiant comeback behind the efforts of eight-year veteran forward Kenrich Williams. The 31-year-old, who is the second-oldest player on the team behind Caruso and the second-longest tenured player behind Gilgeous-Alexander, is good for a handful of annual reminders of why he’s remained a core member of the Thunder. The big man in spirit finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and two steals while shooting 8 of 13 from the field. His corner 3 with 1:07 remaining put Oklahoma City ahead for the first time since midway through the first quarter.