Kendrick Perkins throws shade at Grizzlies over Taylor Jenkins firing amid Game 1 meltdown vs OKC

Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins shared his thoughts on the Memphis Grizzlies following their 51-point Game 1 loss to the NBA-best OKC Thunder on Sunday.

On Sunday, Perkins referenced former Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins, who was surprisingly dismissed by the franchise on March 28.

"Can’t blame Taylor Jenkins for this a** whipping," Perkins tweeted.

The eighth-seeded Grizzlies suffered a historic loss as they opened the 2025 NBA playoffs with a 131-80 defeat to the top-seeded Thunder. The win marked the fifth-largest margin in NBA postseason history and the largest Game 1 victory.

The Grizzlies fired Jenkins after six seasons with the team. The move surprised many, as the Grizzlies had just nine games remaining in the regular season. At the time, Memphis held a 44-29 record and had already secured a postseason berth. Jenkins, the franchise's winningest coach, had a 250-214 record.

Lead assistant Tuomas Iisalo took over as interim coach, guiding the team through the play-in tournament and securing the eighth and final playoff spot.

Perkins, who played 14 seasons in the NBA and won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, currently works as an analyst for ESPN.

Grizzlies star Ja Morant vows to bounce back after brutal beating

After Sunday’s Game 1 loss, Grizzlies star Ja Morant was asked what he told his teammates following the 131-80 defeat to OKC.

"We’ll never play that bad again," Morant said.

OKC's 51-point win was just seven points shy of the NBA record (58) set by the Denver Nuggets and Minneapolis Lakers on separate occasions. Denver defeated the New Orleans Hornets 121-63 in 2009, while the Minneapolis Lakers beat the St. Louis Hawks 133-75 in 1956.

Morant played just over 26 minutes in the blowout loss, finishing with 17 points and four assists on 6-for-17 shooting (1-for-6 from three). Game 2 of the Memphis-OKC first-round series is set for Tuesday.

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