NBA playoffs: Gilgeous-Alexander shines as Thunder sweeps Grizzlies in dramatic win

MEMPHIS: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 117-115 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, completing a dominant 4-0 sweep in their NBA playoff first-round Western Conference series at the FedExForum.

Gilgeous-Alexander was outstanding, scoring 38 points on 13-of-24 shooting. He also contributed 6 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds in a stellar all-around performance.

The Thunder held a narrow 34-31 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Grizzlies fought back to take a one-point deficit into halftime. The game remained tight, with the Thunder entering the final period with a 3-point advantage.

OKC surged ahead in the fourth quarter, establishing their largest lead of the game at 108-96 with just over three and a half minutes remaining.

However, Memphis refused to go down without a fight, as Desmond Bane nailed a three-pointer to cut the lead to 116-114 with only eight seconds left.

Jalen Williams then sealed the win for the Thunder, hitting a free throw to extend the lead to 117-114 with six seconds remaining. Bane made a free throw for the Grizzlies, but it was not enough as Memphis fell short in a heartbreaking loss by the narrowest of margins.

Gilgeous-Alexander spoke about the team's composure in clutch moments.

"It's something we work on all year, being able, at the end of the day, to just generate good looks down the stretch when the game gets tight," he said. "Defenses are more locked in, the game slows down, and it's a little bit harder to get quality possessions. We were pretty good at it today."

Williams also played a key role for OKC, adding 23 points to the victory. For the Grizzlies, Scotty Pippen Jr. put up a valiant effort, scoring 30 points to go along with 4 assists and 11 rebounds.

Despite the loss, Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo praised his team's resilience:

"We fought. There was zero quit in this team. Guys had every reason to just let this one slip away, but they didn't, and that says a lot about the character in this group and what type of guys they are."

With the series sweep, Oklahoma City advances to the Western Conference semifinals, where they will face the winner of the Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers series, which is currently tied 2-2.