Grizzlies-Thunder Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Apr 01 2012 6:53PM

After easily beating the team with the league's best record, the rejuvenated Oklahoma City Thunder have yet another game against one of their fellow championship contenders later this week.

The Western Conference leaders will try to head into that matchup with some considerable momentum by matching their longest win streak of the season and recording a season sweep of the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.

The Thunder (40-12) have handled the East's top two teams each of the past two weekends, following their March 25 rout of Miami by building a 30-point lead in Sunday's 92-78 win over Chicago. Russell Westbrook had 27 points and Durant added 26 to lead their team to a sixth consecutive win and clinch a third straight playoff berth.

"We just picked up the intensity, I think. Playing hard. I can't stop saying it," Durant said. "Every possession, we've just been trying to scramble as hard as we can on the defensive end and move the ball on the offensive end. We've got to keep it up."

Oklahoma City was 5-5 in the 10 games before its streak but now has a chance to move percentage points ahead of the Bulls for the league's best record if Chicago loses to Houston and the Thunder can beat the Grizzlies (28-22).

They'll try to avoid looking ahead to a two-game trip that begins Wednesday in Miami by earning a fifth straight win over Memphis, which is in the midst of a hectic stretch that includes some formidable opposition.

Oklahoma City has prevailed in its three games this season against Memphis by an average of five points. Durant hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer in the final minute of the most recent matchup, a 101-94 home win Feb. 3.

The All-Star had 36 points in that victory - including his team's final 10 - and has averaged 30.9 over the last 11 regular-season meetings.

The Grizzlies will try to contain him this time while boosting their playoff hopes. Memphis will play the first of three games in three days Monday and the third of seven in nine days.

It started that busy stretch with a 98-89 loss in Houston on Friday but bounced back with a 99-95 victory in Milwaukee the next day.

O.J. Mayo scored a season-high 24 points off the bench during his team's third win in four contests and helped overcome the absence of Mike Conley with a sore right ankle. The victory helped the Grizzlies move 2 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Utah in the West.

"That was a great team win and we needed it after a disappointing loss last night," coach Lionel Hollins said.

The Grizzlies got 51 points from their bench in the win over the Bucks - their second-highest total this season - and might need all the help they can get over the next few days.

After hosting Golden State on Tuesday, Memphis will visit fellow West contender Dallas to end its back-to-back-to-back set before traveling to Miami and facing the Mavericks at home.

Getting Zach Randolph back on track might help. The Grizzlies forward had 25 points in his return from a torn right MCL on March 16 but he's averaged 11.1 over the last eight games - 9.0 fewer than last season's average - while mainly coming off the bench.

Randolph has averaged 25.3 points during his last four regular-season games in Oklahoma City, and he'll next try to deny the Thunder their first season sweep of the Grizzlies since 2004-05.

It's unclear if Conley, who has shot 30.6 percent in his last three games at Chesapeake Energy Arena dating to Game 5 of last season's West semifinals, will be able to play Monday.

Oklahoma City is seeking its third seven-game win streak this season.

Grizzlies win 94-88 to snap Thunder's streak at 6

By JEFF LATZKE
Posted Apr 02 2012 11:46PM

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) O.J. Mayo passed up one 3-pointer with the Memphis Grizzlies' lead dwindling in the final minute.

He wasn't going to do it again.

Mayo scored 22 points, including a key 3-pointer with 17 seconds left, and the Grizzlies prevented Oklahoma City from tying for the NBA's best record by beating the Thunder 94-88 on Monday night.

"It was a good look. I had my feet set," Mayo said. "I just wanted to knock it down."

One possession earlier, Mayo was in about the same spot and passed the ball to Zach Randolph, who had to force a 3-point attempt that hit the backboard and didn't touch the rim for a shot clock violation.

Given another chance, he connected on a 3 to make it 90-86 with 17 seconds to play. The Grizzlies hung on from there to win for the fourth time in five games and snap the Thunder's six-game winning streak.

Oklahoma City had pulled within a game of league-leading Chicago by blowing out the Bulls a day earlier, but the Grizzlies took the lead just after halftime and never gave it back.

Memphis won despite playing without starting point guard Mike Conley (sore right ankle) and reserve Dante Cunningham (sprained left ankle) for the second straight game.

"We're missing a couple guys that are big for us but we've got to keep playing," said center Marc Gasol, who had 13 points and eight rebounds. "We're a no-excuse team. We've got to play. We've got to do what we've got to do."

It was the latest chapter in a budding rivalry created by last year's epic seven-game Western Conference semifinal series - including a triple-overtime game and one with a single overtime.

Oklahoma City won Game 7 on its home court and had won all three previous meetings this season by a total of 15 points.

"It's always like this," Kevin Durant said. "This is our fourth time playing these guys. It's tough to beat a team four times in a row. They came out and made plays and you've got to give credit to those guys. They played hard."

Durant led the Thunder with 21 points and Russell Westbrook scored 19, with 12 coming as Oklahoma City tried to rally in the fourth quarter. After averaging 31.7 points and one turnover in his previous three games, Westbrook went 5 for 16 and committed four turnovers.

"We played them real strong. That's basically what it was," Memphis' Rudy Gay said. "It's tough to play against this team, especially here, but we basically just played hard and defensively got into them."

The Grizzlies moved up to fifth place in the extremely tight Western Conference, improving their position in the midst of playing nine out of 11 games on the road. Monday's game also opened the team's only back-to-back-to-back stretch this season.

"It's a very tough stretch," Gay said. "We need all that we can get right now, as tough as this stretch is."

"It's pretty much just go out and hoop every day. We play games every day, so we just try to go out and compete and give ourselves the best chance of winning," Mayo added.

Memphis allowed Oklahoma City a season-low two fast-break points - coming on Westbrook's free throws with 1:12 remaining.

"They didn't turn the ball over. A lot of people think we just get the ball out and run. Our fast-break points usually come off of us playing defense and tonight they took care of the ball a little better," Durant said. "We missed some in transition as well but, all in all, they did a great job."

The Grizzlies sustained an early 12-0 Oklahoma City run and kept it tight despite shooting only 31 percent in the first half. Memphis even led in the final minute before Thabo Sefolosha's 3-pointer from the right side gave the Thunder a 44-42 edge at halftime.

Gay and Gasol scored back-to-back baskets to start the second half, and Memphis continued to pull away before building its lead to 75-66 after a string of five straight points by Mayo. The last came on a free throw following Thunder coach Scott Brooks' third technical foul of the season with 10:03 remaining, one possession after officials overruled an initial decision to grant Harden three free throws and instead gave the Thunder the ball on the sideline.

Westbrook, who had missed 10 of his first 12 shots, drove for a basket to start a run of eight straight Thunder points and Serge Ibaka missed a free throw that could have tied it at 75.

Gasol answered with a basket from the right block and the Grizzlies were able to restore their nine-point lead with a 12-4 run, going up 87-78 after Randolph's basket inside with 3:16 to play.

Memphis then went nearly 3 minutes without scoring as the Thunder closed within one again following Ibaka's jumper and then a string of six straight free throws - with Westbrook hitting the last of his four in a row with 39 seconds remaining.

After a pair of free throws by Westbrook, Zach Randolph answered with two of his own with 13 seconds remaining. Durant's 3-pointer with 6 seconds left was off target, and Allen hit two free throws to seal it with four ticks left.

Notes: Brooks said before the game that Grizzlies reserve G Daequan Cook was cleared to play after missing the previous six games with a sprained ligament in his right knee. He was on the active roster but did not play. ... Oklahoma City assistant coach Maurice Cheeks was among the finalists who did not get enough votes for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The hall announced Monday that five-time All-Star Reggie Miller and longtime coach Don Nelson are among this year's 12 inductees. ... Oklahoma City was held below 90 points for the third time this season.

Notebook: Grizzlies 94, Thunder 88

Posted Monday April 2, 2012 11:35PM

By Randy Renner, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Memphis guard O.J. Mayo drilled a long 3-pointer with 17.2 seconds left to play giving the Memphis Grizzlies the cushion they needed to hold on for a 94-88 win in Oklahoma City. Mayo finished with 22 points to lead Memphis. The game-winning shot was his only 3-pointer of the night. The Grizzlies had five other players in double figures. Tony Allen had 15 and Marc Gasol dropped in 13 points. Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins had said before the game that in order to secure their spot in the playoffs the Grizz needed to, "win this game tonight and a lot more." The first part of that mission was accomplished with tenacious defense that forced the Thunder into 18 turnovers resulting in 23 Memphis points. Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City with 21 points, Russell Westbrook had 19 (12 in the fourth quarter) but he turned it over five times. James Harden added 14. Memphis dominated the offensive glass and controlled the Thunder fast break holding OKC to just two points.

QUOTABLE: "We weren't running the ball like we would have liked. They got back and made us play in the half court. Give them credit they put their hands on us and were very physical."
-- Thunder head coach Scott Brooks.

QUOTABLE II: "We were able to be very physical with them. That's a big win for us."
-- Hollins

THE STAT: Thunder All-Stars Durant (8-for-20) and Westbrook (5-for-16) were a combined 13-for-36 (36.1 percent) and just 2-for-11 (18.2 percent) on 3-pointers...Oklahoma City scored just two fast break points on 0-for-4 shooting.

TURNING POINT: This one was a grinder, it was tied nine times and the lead changed hands 12 times but with the Thunder rallying to in the last minute to close the gap to a single point Mayo's bomb from 25 feet out detonated any OKC hopes.

QUOTABLE III: "Juice (Mayo) has hit a lot of big shots for us and he hit the shot that iced the game."
-- Hollins.

HOT: Both Thunder forward Durant and guard Harden started the game 3-for-4...Westbrook was 3-for-4 (12 points) in the fourth quarter...Gasol was 3-for-4 in the fourth quarter.

NOT: The Grizzlies shot just 31 percent (13-for-42) in the first 20 minutes...Zach Randolph was 1-for-5 in that time...Memphis finished the first half hitting just 30.6 percent (15-for-49)...The Thunder had stayed away from turnovers for the last several games but they came roaring back in the first half as OKC turned it over 12 times resulting in 16 Memphis points...Westbrook was just 2-for-12 after three quarters...Durant was 1-for-6 on 3-pointers in the second half.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Another sell-out crowd inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, the 42nd consecutive regular season full house and 51st straight counting last season's playoffs.

GOOD MOVE: Memphis guard Allen picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter while defending Thunder point guard Westbrook, "Let me stay in the game," Allen shouted to Grizzlies head coach Hollins after the second foul. Hollins didn't pull Allen and he hounded Westbrook into a 1-for-5 first quarter.

GOOD MOVE TOO: Memphis wanted to limit Oklahoma City's fast break opportunities and the Grizzlies did in the first half allowing OKC to run out only twice. The Thunder failed to score on both trips.

NOTABLE: This is just the third game this season Oklahoma City has been held under 90 points...OKC limited Memphis to just 39.1 percent shooting. The Grizzlies are the 15th opponent held to less than 40 percent shooting this season. The Thunder has now lost two of those games.

UP NEXT: For the Grizzlies, Tuesday vs. Golden State, Wednesday @ Dallas, Friday @ Miami. For the Thunder, Wednesday @ Miami, Friday @ Indiana, Sunday vs. Toronto.

• Grizzlies: Arthur
• Thunder: Jackson, Maynor

• Grizzlies: Mayo, Pondexter
• Thunder: Brooks

• Lead Changes: 12
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #16 David Guthrie, #74 Curtis Blair
• Attendance: 18203
• Duration: 2:15