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.
Second-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). Mann made 9 of 16 shots and became the first Oklahoma City player other than Giddey to record a triple-double this season.
Two-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 points 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.
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 on April 16 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 of the third quarter to take a 85-73 lead into the fourth.
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.
–Field Level Media
