The Memphis Grizzlies did not have their best player on Thursday night and beat the Thunder by 73 points anyway.

They put up 152 on OKC sans Ja Morant and set a new record in the process, for the largest margin of victory in NBA history. At one point they were up by even more than that. They were winning by 78 in the fourth quarter.

As a result of this absolute obliteration, the Grizz set records in:

  • points (152)
  • bench points (93)
  • field goals made (60)
  • field goal percentage (62.5%)
  • assists (41)

The Grizz had NINE players in double figures, six of whom came off the bench. Every single dude on the Memphis bench played at least 10 minutes, and their bench outscored the Thunder’s starting five.

Say what you will about the Sixers’ Process, but they never lost like this. They at least played hard for the first three quarters, then fell behind due to a lack of talent. Oklahoma City is 6-16 this year and they compete in most games, but the wheels came wobbling off the wagon on Thursday.

We’ve been over it before, but this Thunder tank is nothing different than what the Sixers did a few years ago. Is OKC getting crushed for it? Nope. There’s very little in the way of lambasting. Most people are giving them a free pass, probably because their tank is only in year two and because they play in a small market in the Western Conference. It’s easier for them to skate by. They also have a veteran GM who has been around for some time and garners more respect in the league. Sam Presti took that franchise to the Finals in this decade and so he’s got a completely different track record than Sam Hinkie.

Regardless, you could ask the same questions everybody asked the Sixers. When does this end? Should the NBA step in? Does Adam Silver need to install one or more Colangelos out there in Oklahoma? Maybe bring Barbara Bottini with them?

These are valid queries.