Of all the words to describe the Thunder’s defense against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, “suffocating” was the most apt.
In the final game before the All-Star Break, Head Coach Scott Brooks’ club took care of business in resounding fashion. By jumping on Memphis early, then using a 20-2 second quarter run to deliver the knockout blow, the Thunder put together a wire-to-wire victory, to make it five wins in its last six games. The defense was stifling, holding Memphis to 37.2 percent from the field, including 2-for-12 from the three-point line.
The crucial burst for the Thunder came with just under six minutes remaining, leading 45-42 after the Grizzlies chipped away. From then until 50 seconds remained in the half, the Thunder completely branded its style of basketball onto the game. The Thunder forced Memphis to miss 11 out of 12 shots from the floor and turn the ball over once during that span. More importantly, however, the Grizzlies only got more than one shot on the same possession one time during that stretch, after a Kevin Durant block.
The Thunder was clearing the glass and getting out in the open floor, scoring ten of its 24 fast break points during that stretch.
“We were all over the floor,” Brooks said. “We were in a zone defensively… We’re going to compete. That’s what we do. That’s our trademark.”
“We’ve been much more focused and we haven’t had those bad stretches where we take plays off and teams make a run,” forward Nick Collison said. “That was big. For us to be able to get stops and get out and run against Memphis is what we wanted to do.”
Memphis cut the lead to just 11 with 6:13 remaining, but Durant hit a jumper out of a timeout. The teams traded stops until Nick Collison made a tip in, then an Andre Roberson steal led to a Serge Ibaka jumper on consecutive possessions to make it 99-82 with 3:41 left. That 6-0 bounce-back run was enough to force Memphis into a timeout and to seal the Thunder’s hard-earned victory.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led the way, with the reigning MVP scoring 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting to go with ten rebounds, while Westbrook added 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Serge Ibaka notched seven points and seven rebounds, but his energy on defense and in the paint was absolutely a factor throughout the night, even after he had to leave the game to receive stitches on his nose. Off the bench, Dion Waiters and Reggie Jackson provided a lift, scoring a combined 19 points while tallying four rebounds and four assists.
Collison Makes Impact off the Bench
With Steven Adams sidelined with a broken hand and after Ibaka took an elbow to the face, Nick Collison was left as the Thunder’s backup center and power forward for a large stretch of this game. In 28 minutes, Collison was physical, smart and effective, scoring 15 points, including a momentum-boosting corner three-pointer.
Collison was also a factor on the glass, grabbing nine rebounds, including five on the offensive end.
“If I’m aggressive and just play assertive, I play better,” Collison said. “It was good. I got some touches early and got a lot of minutes. It was a fun night for me.”
“He’s a pro’s pro,” Durant said of his longtime teammate. “That’s why we have him here. That’s why he signed his extension. He showed tonight why we need him. He’s one of those guys who always stays ready. It’s much more than what he did on the basketball court. It’s a joy playing with a guy like that. He’s just so selfless and all he wants to do is help the team win.”
It wasn’t just the way that Collison played around the rim that was so impressive. His defense all over the floor on Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph was admirable, as was the way he facilitated things in the flow of the offense with his screens, passing and dribble handoffs. The Thunder veteran was a steadying force and provided the Thunder with an extra boost of energy and savvy.
“We have to always fight them off their position,” Collison said of the matchup. “You just go and play good, physical basketball and its fun to play that way.”
Stats of the Night
9 – Blocked shots for the Thunder, led by Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant, who each had three.
24-4 – The Thunder’s advantage in fast break points on the night, where it shot 7-for-8 from the field
50 – Combined points for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in addition to 19 rebounds and 12 assists
The Final Word
“We played with good pace and did a good job of running and playing our game. It worked out for us.” – guard Russell Westbrook