This image is an AI-generated illustration rather than matchday photography
Sixteen meetings, sixteen wins. Whatever the Thunder started against the Grizzlies two seasons ago, they have not stopped: Mitchell's 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting turned a tight first quarter into a 31-point road victory.
The first half that decided the game
Mitchell's line carried the night: 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting, four of seven from three-point range, five assists and a plus-33 rating in 30 minutes.
Oklahoma City was converting 69 per cent of its shots through the first half, including nine of 17 from three-point range, and it left the locker room 71-49 in front.
Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 28 on 11-of-22 shooting with four assists, three rebounds and a block after scoring 43 and 42 in Oklahoma City's two wins over Cleveland.
In the wider picture, Mitchell had been averaging 21.6 points across the five games before this one, and the Thunder's injury list has handed him a permanent share of the second-creator duties.
Jared McCain supplied 21 points from 9 of 14 and four steals, and the Thunder finished with 16 of 35 from three-point range at 46 per cent.
Eighteen turnovers and no answer
Memphis came in first in the NBA from three-point range and shot 5 of 26 in the first half, ending 10 of 45. The gap between those two facts is roughly the score.
Oklahoma City forced 18 turnovers and turned them into 30 points, and Memphis recorded no blocks on a night it shot 29 of 88 from the floor.
In the wider picture, this is now 16 consecutive wins against Memphis, a run that includes the four-game sweep in the first round of the 2025 playoffs.
Ty Jerome led the Grizzlies with 21 points and five of five from the free-throw line; Zach Edey added 14 points on 3 of 7 shooting with eight free throws and four offensive rebounds.
Rookie Cameron Boozer was held to eight points on 2 of 14 shooting although he collected 12 rebounds and four assists, and Quinten Post went scoreless in 15 minutes on 0 of 7.
The scoreboard after Friday
In the wider picture, Memphis played without Isaiah Stewart and Scotty Pippen Jr., and the absence of a rim protector showed in the 62 points Oklahoma City scored in the paint.
Beyond that, the Thunder improved to 7-2 and kept their home record intact at 4-0, while the Grizzlies dropped to 6-3 with a 2-3 mark at FedExForum.
Isaiah Hartenstein scored two points but delivered seven assists and finished plus-31, the highest rating on either side.
Bennett Stirtz added 12 points on 4 of 5 shooting with two steals, and Alex Caruso finished with six rebounds and a plus-23 in 20 minutes off the bench.
Oklahoma City returns home for a Saturday game against Washington; Memphis goes to Toronto on Monday still looking for a first win against this opponent in two seasons.
Editor's take: The free-throw line was the only place Memphis stayed honest: 29 of 31. Everything else about the night was decided at the other end.
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