Apr 20, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Lamar Stevens (8) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) fight for control of the ball during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Oklahoma City has been one of the most dominant team’s in NBA history — it wasn’t crazy to suggest that dominance would continue, to an extent, in the playoffs. But even the biggest of Thunder fans couldn’t have predicted what would transpire on Sunday afternoon.
The Thunder completed one of its best games in franchise history — and certainly its best game in playoff history. Oklahoma City fully throttled Memphis 131-80, leading to the largest margin of victory to open a series in NBA history. It was a historic afternoon, and this team once again proved just how good it can be.
The blowout victory was great for the starters, who haven’t played a full game in quite some time. Oklahoma City got a week off, and rested its top players starting a few games before the season ended. They were able to get their feet back under them in a very relaxed environment. It was also good for the bench, too, and specially Oklahoma City’s rookie duo, Ajay Mitchell and Dillon Jones. It’s nearly impossible to find rookies low-stakes, valuable playoff minutes, but that’s exactly what the Thunder did on Sunday.
For Mitchell, extra court time means the world. He carved out a regular role in the nightly rotation early in the season, but a devastating injury shut him down for most of the season. Now that he’s back and healthy, all he needs is court time to shake off the rust. It was unreasonable to expect him to jump right back into the rotation, especially during the playoffs, but Sunday was a great opportunity. He played 14 minutes and contributed five points, two assists, and one rebound on 2-of-6 shooting.
Jones has regularly played at the end of games this season, but he got seven minutes of run, too. His minutes weren’t as impactful as Mitchell’s, but just as valuable.
Everything is different in the playoffs — including late game blowout minutes. The atmosphere, the stage, and the eyes are all heightened no matter what the score is. The Thunder’s rookie class got their first taste of playoff action on Sunday, and if it was any indication of the future, it won’t be the last.
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