This isn’t normal. What the Oklahoma City Thunder have done through two games of their Round 1 series against the Memphis Grizzlies has put them in a spot to flirt with history.
Two games in, two blowout wins. The Thunder smashed open a 2-0 series lead without breaking much of a sweat in the fourth quarter. After clinching the NBA’s best point differential ever at plus-12.9 in the regular season, they’re off to a plus-70 point differential.
The Thunder had a historic 131-80 Game 1 win over the Grizzlies. They led by as many as 56 points and doubled them on the scoreboard for most of the second half. They also enjoyed a 118-99 Game 2 win. Not necessarily a historic lopsided score, but a standard wire-to-wire victory nonetheless.
Depending on how the Thunder perform at Memphis in Games 3 and 4, this could be one of the most one-sided playoff series in NBA history. Only the 1985-86 Los Angeles Lakers against the San Antonio Spurs had a higher point differential through two games at plus-75.
After being one of the greatest regular-season squads ever, the Thunder have translated their dominance to the playoffs through two games. What’s scary is that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been well below his standards. It’s been Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams who’ve stepped up.
The Thunder continue to be a basketball juggernaut. They might’ve numbed their fans to this type of success, but it’s important to remind folks what’s happening isn’t normal and that they might’ve broken basketball. In no way should an NBA playoff series look like a typical 16th seed vs. 1st seed March Madness matchup.