Jared McCain’s jumper came back online at the perfect time for Oklahoma City.
After a rough stretch, the 22-year-old caught fire on a pair of catch-and-shoot chances and helped the Thunder race past the Memphis Grizzlies, 124-97, in the 2026 NBA Cup West Group B stage. Oklahoma City looked sharp from the start, building a double-digit cushion quickly behind a blistering night from beyond the arc.
McCain finished with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, added five rebounds, and knocked down 3 of 8 from 3-point range. He also chipped in four steals and a block.
The scoring burst wasn’t limited to the perimeter, either. McCain kept pressure on Memphis by attacking the paint, giving Oklahoma City another layer to lean on while his outside shot was falling again. The result was one of his most complete performances of the season.
“Getting those transition shots where you got to guard Ajay, me or Shai, them driving to the basket is awesome for us,” McCain said. “They make great decisions.
For us, we just continue that. At halftime, we just kept our foot on the pedal.”
McCain set the tone early with 12 points in the first quarter, helping the Thunder separate before Memphis could settle in. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander coming off back-to-back 40-point games and taking more of a supporting role, McCain and Ajay Mitchell delivered the first big punch. Their early burst made life miserable for a Memphis team that had arrived with some buzz of its own.
When McCain is locked in, the points come fast. That was the version Oklahoma City got here, and it fit neatly into the team’s more balanced offensive approach. The Thunder’s willingness to spread the load showed up clearly, and McCain’s performance made the decision to start him look like a smart one.
“I think we’re just playing together on a string. Defensively, we know what each other brings before and in the season, obviously,” McCain said.
“And then when people got hurt, we had to kinda figure it out. Now, we kinda know each other.
We know certain things we like to do on the defensive end.”
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