Skip Bayless calls out NBA's abysmal scheduling for 'Championship favorite' Thunders' playoff Game 1
The OKC Thunder are widely considered to be the best team in the NBA and the favorites to win the title. They coasted to the first seed in the West, finishing with a 68-14 record. On the other hand, the Memphis Grizzlies had to battle through the play-in to secure the eighth seed after a 48-34 record.
The two teams' first game of their first-round series tipped off on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, a schedule that sports personality Skip Bayless seems to have a problem with.
Bayless aired his frustration with the league's scheduling decision on X (formerly Twitter).
"THIS, NBA, IS WHAT YOU GET FOR DISRESPECTING THE TEAM FAVORED TO WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BY MAKING IT PLAY GAME 1 AT NOON," Bayless wrote. "LOW NOON. FOR THE TEAM THAT HAD THE GREATEST STATISTICAL SEASON EVER. KEEP IT IN THE SHADOWS, OUT OF THE WAY. JUST HAS "1 STAR." NOW UP 42 ON SUPERSTAR JA."
Premier games and marquee matchups in the NBA are typically held in the evenings. Usually, a game involving a top team such as the Thunder would be held much later. However, OKC's game against the Grizzlies was the earliest on Sunday.
The three other games scheduled to take place are the Boston Celtics-Orlando Magic, set to tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET. That will be followed by the Cleveland Cavaliers-Miami Heat matchup at 7 p.m. The final game of the day is between the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors scheduled at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Also read: Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets starting lineups and depth charts for Game 1 (April 20) | 2025 NBA Playoffs
The OKC Thunder dominated the Memphis Grizzlies in the first game
The OKC Thunder demonstrated why they were the best team in the West this year at the expense of the Memphis Grizzlies. After a brief back-and-forth early in the contest, the Thunder found their rhythm midway through the first quarter and never looked back.
At halftime, the Grizzlies were held to only 36 points with OKC up by 32. That lead would only get bigger in the final half as the Thunder executed their game plan to perfection on either end of the floor.
In the fourth quarter, their lead had grown to as large as 56 points. By the final buzzer, they had managed to keep the Grizzlies from scoring in the triple digits. The final score was 131-80.
The Thunder outplayed the Grizzlies in every aspect. They outrebounded them 61-52 and out-assisted them 37-18. OKC hit 50.5% of their shots while they held Memphis to only 34.4%.
Ja Morant and Marvin Bagley III were the only two players to score in double figures for the Grizzlies with 17 apiece.
Meanwhile, Jalen Williams (20 pts), Chet Holmgren (19), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (15), Isaiah Hartenstein (14) and Lu Dort (12) — the Thunder's starting lineup — all crossed the 10-point threshold. Aaron Wiggins, who came off the bench for OKC, scored a game-high 21.