NBA: Thunder tune up for play-in round with victory over Grizzlies
Josh Giddey #3 and Aaron Wiggins #21 of the Oklahoma City Thunder join teammates as they dump water on Tre Mann #23 of the Oklahoma City Thunder after his triple-double against the Memphis Grizzlies at Paycom Center on April 09, 2023 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Ian Maule/Getty Images/AFP
Tre Mann posted his first career triple-double by scoring 24 points along with career bests of 12 rebounds and 12 assists as the host Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 115-100 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in a game without playoff implications for either team.
Locked into 10th place in the play-in game, Oklahoma City (40-42) held out Luguentz Dort (right shoulder sprain), Josh Giddey (rest), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain), Jalen Williams (right wrist) and Jaylin Williams (lower back). The Thunder will visit the ninth-place New Orleans Pelicans in a play-in game on Wednesday.
Article continues after this advertisementSecond-seeded Memphis (51-31) played without Ja Morant (sore right hand), Desmond Bane (left knee), Jaren Jackson Jr. (left elbow), Dillon Brooks (right groin) and Tyus Jones (left foot).
Five players finished in double-figures as the Thunder defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 115-100 at Paycom Center.
🎥 Watch more | https://t.co/1lMkwm5dRG pic.twitter.com/KV3zP6cKR7
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 9, 2023
Mann made 9 of 16 shots and became the first Oklahoma City player other than Giddey to record a triple-double this season.
Article continues after this advertisementTwo-way player Jared Butler led the Thunder with a career-high 25 points on 10-of-21 shooting as the Thunder shot 50 percent. Olivier Sarr contributed 22 and a career-best 15 boards while Ousmane
Dieng also finished with a career-high 22 as the Thunder scored 60 points in the paint.
Memphis rookie Kenneth Lofton Jr. took advantage of increased playing time and led all scorers with a career-high 42 points and 14 rebounds. Lofton made 17 of 25 shots and exceeded his previous career high of 11 points.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. had a career day 😤
42 PTS (career-high)
14 REB
68% FG pic.twitter.com/NlUZvh3bZg— NBA (@NBA) April 9, 2023
Ziaire Williams added 24 and nine assists for the Grizzlies, who shot 43.5 percent and misfired on 30 of 37 3-point tries. Rookies Vince Williams Jr. and David Roddy contributed 15 and 14 points, respectively, for the Grizzlies, who open the postseason next weekend at home.
The first half featured 11 lead changes and eight ties and ended with Roddy’s 19-footer at the horn putting Memphis ahead 49-47 by halftime. The Thunder outscored the Grizzlies 12-6 over the final 2:42 to take a 85-73 lead into the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma City continued to pull away and opened a 96-73 lead on Butler’s fifth 3-pointer with 8:58 left in the fourth to clinch it.
