Thunder take 2-0 lead with dominant Game 2 win over Grizzlies
The Oklahoma City Thunder once again played dominantly to take a 2-0 advantage in their Round 1 Playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies after securing a 118-99 Game 2 victory on April 23 (Philippine time) at the Paycom Center.
Thunder star and MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the West’s No. 1 seed with 27 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, while Jalen Williams added 24 markers, six boards, and four dimes to help Oklahoma grab their second straight win.
Chet Holmgren put up double-double numbers with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Alex Caruso—who didn’t attempt a single shot in Game 1—poured in 13 markers on 5-of-10 shooting from the field, grabbed four boards, issued three dimes, stole the ball thrice, and recorded one block.
Aaron Wiggins, their Game 1 hero, was limited to just eight points in seven minutes of playing time.
On the other side, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 26 and 23 markers, respectively. Desmond Bane and Scottie Pippen Jr. also posted double-digit numbers with 19 and 13, while Santi Aldama contributed 10 off the bench.
The Thunder started the game strong, finishing the opening period with a 32-17 advantage. They had a see-saw battle in the second quarter but still ended up on top at halftime with a 70-52 lead.
In the third canto, the Grizzlies tried to bounce back by winning the quarter 27-20, trimming the lead to just 11, 90-79.
But in the fourth frame, OKC proved too much to handle and secured the 19-point triumph by the final buzzer.
With the win, OKC will aim to notch another victory on Friday, April 25 (PH time), and take a commanding 3-0 lead against the Grizzlies, who will try to get back on track at the FedExForum in Memphis.
Trivia: NBA teams are 425-34 all-time (92.6%) when taking a 2-0 lead in a playoff series. The Thunder is 5-0 in those situations.
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San Miguel Beermen made a statement in Game 4 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals, against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 107-82, on Wednesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
CJ Perez spearheaded the charge with a near-complete performance, tallying 19 points, five rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block in almost 35 minutes of action. His energy sparked a game-changing 17-0 run in the fourth quarter that broke the game wide open for the Beermen.
Juami Tiongson added 14 points, while June Mar Fajardo turned in another monster game with 12 markers, a game-high 19 boards, three dimes, two deflections, and a rejection.
San Miguel’s well-balanced offense saw five players score in double figures, including Jericho Cruz and Rodney Brondial with 12 apiece, and Don Trollano who chipped in 11.
Game 5 is set for Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with both powerhouse squads looking to seize control of the series and inch closer to a Finals berth.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel bounced back in style, securing a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals series with a 100-90 win over the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
RJ Abarrientos came up huge with a near triple-double performance—24 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists—leading the Gin Kings back on top after dropping Game 2.
Jamie Malonzo added 20 points with four rebounds and two assists, while Japeth Aguilar chipped in 18 markers alongside seven boards, two dimes, three steals, and two blocks in a vintage two-way showing.
Ginebra also got key contributions from Scottie Thompson and Stephen Holt. Thompson tallied 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block, while Holt recorded 10 points, seven boards, and a deflection.
For San Miguel, Don Trollano kept them in the fight with 22 points and three rebounds. JuneMar Fajardo posted a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, along with three dimes and a block.
CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz added 11 points apiece, while Juami Tiongson rounded out the Beermen’s double-digit scorers with 10.
Ginebra edged SMB 23-20 in the opening quarter, but the Beermen fought back strong in the second to take a 50-46 halftime lead. That momentum didn't last, as Ginebra responded with a commanding 25-14 third period to retake control at 71-64, then sealed the win with a 29-26 finish in the final frame.
“I’m just real proud of the guys for steadying themselves,” said head coach Tim Cone. “We figured a couple of things out. I felt we played with a really good tempo, and then RJ played tremendous down the stretch to keep them at bay.”
Game 4 is set for Wednesday, July 2, at 5:00 PM at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters broke through in their best-of-seven semi-finals series in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup, taking Game 3 in dominant fashion with a 107-86 win over TNT Tropang 5G on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Anton Asistio powered the Elasto Painters with a personal playoff-high 24 points off the bench. He also tallied six assists and a rebound in just under 29 minutes of action, going 7-of-9 from the field, 4-of-5 from three-point range, and 2-of-3 from the four-point arc.
Caelan Tiongson added 16 markers, four rebounds, one assist, and a block, while Keith Datu delivered a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double performance to go with two assists and a rejection.
Leonard Santillan contributed 12 points and eight rebounds, while Andrei Caracut chipped in 10 points, four assists, and four steals, helping Rain or Shine build early momentum and keep control through most of the game.
TNT, on the other hand, struggled without RR Pogoy, Jayson Castro, and Rey Nambatac. Calvin Oftana led the Tropa with 16 points and eight rebounds but registered a -22 plus-minus while shooting just 1-of-6 from deep. Simon Enciso and Glenn Khobuntin added 12 points each.