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Thunder at Grizzlies: Jerome faces a shorthanded Oklahoma City in the NBA Cup

Memphis opened the season with six consecutive wins, then lost two close games before its NBA Cup opener. Oklahoma City is also 6-2, but comes in off consecutive victories over Cleveland while adjusting to injuries affecting Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren. At FedExForum on Friday, Ty Jerome's scoring will test a Thunder defense whose supporting cast around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has changed.

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Wide view of the court and stands at FedExForum during a Grizzlies game in 2015.
FedExForum during a Memphis game in 2015. An archive image of the arena hosting the Grizzlies and Thunder. © Trev0B / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0; resized)
  • Competition: 2026/27 NBA season, Emirates NBA Cup West Group B play.
  • Matchup: Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies; both teams begin group play.
  • Tip-off: Friday 6 November, 7 p.m. CST in Memphis (8 p.m. EST); Saturday 7 November, 01:00 UTC.
  • Venue: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee.

Memphis's 6-2 start meets a different kind of test

The Grizzlies were the league's last unbeaten team. Their first loss came on Monday 2 November, 135-134 in overtime against New Orleans; their second came on Wednesday, 107-103 against Indiana at FedExForum. Ty Jerome's floater pulled Memphis within one point with 28.2 seconds remaining against the Pacers, but Aaron Nesmith's three-pointer secured the road win. Jerome and Cedric Coward scored 23 points each, while Zach Edey recorded 11 points and 13 rebounds.

That finish offers a useful warning for the hosts. Memphis created a shot near the basket under pressure, then allowed the decisive open perimeter attempt. Against a Thunder side that can punish turnovers and run, the shape of the defense after each possession could matter as much as Jerome's total. The guard opened the season with 45 points against Utah and scored 40 against New Orleans. His 23 on Wednesday were still substantial; Memphis does not need another 40-point night to compete, but it does need clean decisions when the game tightens.

Rookie Cameron Boozer, the third pick in the 2026 draft, gives Memphis another way to create from the frontcourt. Coward can add scoring from the wing and Edey supplies rebounding presence. Wednesday's performances do not establish Friday's lineup: the Grizzlies had not yet submitted game-specific availability designations when the latest report was checked.

The Thunder are winning with different pieces

Oklahoma City followed a 119-98 loss in Houston on 31 October with two wins over Cleveland: 117-112 on the road Monday and 124-116 at home Wednesday. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 43 points in the first game and 42 in the second. In the home win he also had eight assists; Ajay Mitchell scored 23, rookie Aday Mara had nine points and three blocks, and Isaiah Hartenstein collected 12 rebounds. Both teams are 6-2, but their most recent results point in opposite directions.

The injuries change where Oklahoma City can find an advantage. Williams and Wallace are missing from the usual perimeter rotation, while Holmgren's absence removes size and rim protection. More of the creation has fallen to Gilgeous-Alexander; Mitchell can provide another route and Hartenstein can connect possessions from inside. The Thunder scored 21 fast-break points and committed nine turnovers against Cleveland on Wednesday. Those are figures from one game, not a guarantee that Memphis will allow the same tempo.

The frontcourt matchup is worth its own attention. Edey grabbed 13 boards against Indiana and Boozer can start plays away from the rim. Hartenstein and Mara, meanwhile, combined rebounding with shot-blocking in the Cleveland game. If Memphis protects its basket without giving up transition opportunities after misses, it can make the Thunder work longer in the half court. If Oklahoma City forces turnovers and attacks before the defense is set, Edey's size may have fewer chances to shape the game. These are possible tactical outcomes, not announced lineups or coaches' plans.

This is the group opener for both clubs in West Group B, which also contains Minnesota, the LA Clippers and New Orleans. Friday's result will count in the Cup group and the regular-season standings. Oklahoma City swept three meetings with Memphis last season, but roster changes and this season's injuries limit what that history can tell us about the new contest.

Availability before the first game-specific report

The NBA's official injury report at 10:15 a.m. EST on Thursday 5 November still showed “NOT YET SUBMITTED” for both teams for Friday's game. It means the league had no matchup-specific designations from either club at that time, not that both rosters were healthy. For games that are not the second leg of a back-to-back, initial reports are due by 5 p.m. local time the day before.

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Jalen Williams: he sustained a broken left fibula and dislocated left ankle and underwent surgery in late October. No return date had been announced.
  • Cason Wallace: Oklahoma City said he underwent surgery on 30 October for a left shoulder labral tear and would be re-evaluated before the end of the regular season.
  • Chet Holmgren: on 30 October, the team reported treatment for a small right patellar tendon tear and estimated an eight-to-ten-week return to play.
  • Other absences, doubts and returns: the Friday report had no Thunder designations as of 10:15 a.m. EST. Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell, Hartenstein and Mara playing against Cleveland does not confirm that they will play in Memphis.

Memphis Grizzlies

  • Absences and doubts: Memphis likewise had no Friday designations in the 10:15 a.m. report. Scotty Pippen Jr. was listed out and Quinten Post questionable for Wednesday's game against Indiana; those were statuses for another fixture and cannot simply be carried over.
  • Potential returns: no clearance had been announced specifically for Friday. Jerome, Coward, Boozer and Edey appearing against Indiana is not confirmation for the Cup game.

How to watch Thunder at Grizzlies

  • Venue: FedExForum, Memphis.
  • Date and time: Friday 6 November, 7 p.m. CST in Memphis and 8 p.m. EST in the eastern United States. The NBA Cup schedule assigns this specific game to NBA League Pass.

United States — Friday 6, 8 p.m. EST / 5 p.m. PST

  • Oklahoma City market: the Thunder's official schedule lists KSBI OKC on television and Thunder+ for streaming for this game.
  • Outside the local markets: NBA League Pass lists the game, subject to location-based blackouts.
  • Memphis market: the schedules checked did not identify a game-specific local television outlet. KSBI and Thunder+ are Oklahoma City market services.

Australia — Saturday 7, noon AEDT in Sydney / 9 a.m. AWST in Perth

  • Streaming: NBA League Pass lists this game and the service is available in Australia. No separate live TV channel was confirmed for this matchup.

United Kingdom — Saturday 7, 1 a.m. GMT

  • Streaming: NBA League Pass lists this game and the service is available in the UK. No separate live TV channel was confirmed for this matchup.

Memphis wants to stop two losses from becoming a longer slide; Oklahoma City wants to take its response against Cleveland into Cup play. The decisive stretch may come when Jerome and Gilgeous-Alexander force the opposing defense to choose where the help comes from.