Mitchell Scores 35 As Thunder Rout Grizzlies

Mitchell Takes The Expanded Role And Runs With It

Mitchell’s night was efficient as well as big. He went 14-for-20 from the floor, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, and finished with five assists, setting a career high in points for the second time this season. He scored 21 of his points in the first half, shooting 9-of-11 before the break, and he has now topped 20 points in five of his last six games while averaging 21.6 points across the previous five, per the AP report.

“I was just trying to be aggressive out there; see what the defense would give us, and just try to play the game,” Mitchell said in his postgame media availability, as reported by ClutchPoints. “Every night is going to be different. So, I just go into every game with the same mindset, going out there and playing, and not worrying about anything else.”

That mindset is showing up in the recent form line as well. Mitchell is averaging 26.0 points on strong shooting splits across his last three games, and on Friday he was the best guard on the floor on a night when the league’s reigning Canadian headliner was playing beside him.

Gilgeous-Alexander Keeps The Engine Running

Gilgeous-Alexander’s 28 points came on 11-for-22 shooting, a quieter night by his current standard, and that standard is the context. He scored 43 and then 42 points in Oklahoma City’s two wins over Cleveland before this trip, per the AP report, and the Thunder offence still produced 128 points on a night when he did not need to chase either number. Jared McCain added 21 points, so the Thunder backcourt supplied the bulk of the scoring through three quarters and put the game away early.

The team numbers explain the margin. Oklahoma City shot 55 percent from the field, forced 18 Memphis turnovers and turned those turnovers into 30 points. The Thunder led by 25 points near the end of the first half, then opened the third quarter with a 12-0 run that stretched the lead to 32. Memphis, which entered the game leading the NBA in three-point percentage, finished shooting 22 percent from distance, including five makes on 26 attempts in the first half.

A Short-Handed Group Keeps Winning

None of this is happening at full strength. Oklahoma City is playing without Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren, three starters lost to injury, and Holmgren is expected to miss eight to ten weeks with a right knee injury. The Thunder have gone 4-2 since losing the three of them, stringing together wins with a reshaped rotation, and head coach Mark Daigneault credited the group for settling in: “I thought we got our feet underneath us,” Daigneault said. “And gained some confidence. It was obviously a tough week. We have kind of a new collection of guys. We have to learn each other.”

Mitchell’s rise is the clearest product of that stretch. A player who has often been the second-leading scorer since the injuries is now producing career nights as a first option in stretches, and his own explanation stayed on the same theme. “Staying confident no matter what’s going on,” he said. “I know the amount of work I put in. So, when I go out there and it’s not falling, I’m not worried. I’m really focused on just helping this team win.”

Memphis Goes Cold, And Toronto Is Next

For Memphis, the bright spots were limited but real. Ty Jerome led the Grizzlies with 21 points, and Canadian centre Zach Edey added 14, while rookie Cameron Boozer was held to eight points but grabbed 12 rebounds. It is a third straight loss for a Grizzlies team that started the season 6-0, and the schedule does not soften: Memphis travels to Toronto on Monday to face the Raptors.

Oklahoma City, meanwhile, heads home to host Washington on Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back. A team missing three starters should be surviving nights in November. The Thunder are routing a playoff rival by 31 points on the road in NBA Cup play, with their Canadian star in cruise control and a career night from the guard the injuries pushed into the spotlight.