3rd quarter report
There’s only one quarter left between the Thunder and the victory they were favored to get tonight. After three quarters, their offense really imposed its will, dominating the Grizzlies 102-73.
The Thunder came into the game having won five straight and are down to a quarter. Will they reach six, or will the Grizzlies step in and ruin it? We will know soon.
Who’s playing
Memphis Grizzlies @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Current records: Memphis 22-10, Oklahoma City 25-5
How to watch
- When: Sunday, December 29, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Or: Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- TV: Fan Duel SN – Oklahoma
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Online broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $77.77
What you need to know
After two games on the road, the Thunder return home. They played last yesterday, but they will still host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET at the Paycom Center. The Thunder defense has only allowed 103.2 points per game this season, so the Grizzlies offense will have its work cut out for it.
The Thunder are headed into this one after bettors pegged last week’s low/under at 216.5, but even that proved too high. They won against the Hornets by a score of 106-94 on Saturday.
The Thunder worked as a unit and finished the game with 29 assists. They easily outscored their opponents in this department as the Hornets only posted 17.
The Grizzlies’ season wasn’t great last year, but it appears the struggles are behind us. They came away with a 132-124 victory over the Pelicans on Friday. The win made Memphis two straight wins.
Several players had strong performances to lead the Grizzlies to victory, but perhaps none more than Jaren Jackson Jr., who scored 33 points to go along with five rebounds and four steals. Additionally, Jackson Jr. also racked up four threes, the most he’s had since November. Another player who made the difference was Ja Morant, who went 8 of 11 on his way to 25 points and seven assists.
Oklahoma City has been on a roll lately: they’ve won 14 of their last 15 games, which is a nice improvement to their 25-5 record this season. As for Memphis, their victory brought their record to 22-10.
Going forward, the Thunder are the favorites in this one, as experts expect to see them win by 6.5 points. This contest will be their 23rd in a row as favorites (so far in that stretch, they are 13-9 ATS).
Sunday’s game is shaping up to be a scrappy game: the Thunder haven’t given up the ball easily this season, averaging just 11.1 turnovers per game (they’re ranked first in turnovers per game in the total). It’s a different story for the Grizzlies, as they have an average of 16.2. Given the Thunder’s considerable advantage in this area, the Grizzlies will need to find a way to close that gap.
Odds
Oklahoma City is a solid 6.5-point favorite against Memphis, according to the latest NBA Odds.
Oddsmakers had a good idea of ​​the line for this one, as the game opened with the Thunder as a 7.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 230 points.
See NBA Pick for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Oklahoma City has won 6 of its last 10 games against Memphis.
- March 16, 2024 – Oklahoma City 118 vs. Memphis 112
- March 10, 2024 – Oklahoma City 124 vs. Memphis 93
- December 18, 2023 – Oklahoma City 116 vs. Memphis 97
- April 9, 2023 – Oklahoma City 115 vs. Memphis 100
- December 17, 2022 – Oklahoma City 115 vs. Memphis 109
- December 7, 2022 – Memphis 123 vs. Oklahoma City 102
- November 18, 2022 – Memphis 121 vs. Oklahoma City 110
- March 13, 2022 – Memphis 125 vs. Oklahoma City 118
- December 20, 2021 – Oklahoma City 102 vs. Memphis 99
- December 2, 2021 – Memphis 152 vs. Oklahoma City 79
