Grizzlies vs. Thunder Final Score: Memphis Stymies Oklahoma City, 87-81, Takes 2-1 Series Lead
By Brad Rowland
In winning 56 regular-season games, the Memphis Grizzlies were anchored by their incredible defense, and Saturday night’s victory was no different. The Grizzlies held the vaunted Oklahoma City offense to 36% from the field and 28% from three-point distance in their 87-81 win, and they made things miserable for the majority of the Thunder’s roster.
Marc Gasol, the anchor of the Memphis back-line and the newly-crowned winner of the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award, led the Grizz on both ends, scoring 20 points and grabbing 9 rebounds, while also blocking 2 shots and changing countless others. He was flanked by 14 points each from Mike Conley and Tony Allen, and 20 combined points from Quincy Pondexter and Jerryd Bayless off of the bench.
From the beginning of the night, the Memphis defense was up to the task, holding OKC to just 31% shooting in the first quarter despite a strong start from Kevin Durant. They only led by a 4-point margin after the first period (thanks to 5 turnovers of their own), but the gauntlet was laid, and they kept up the pace throughout.
The biggest push for the Grizzlies came with a decisive 22-15 edge in the 3rd period. Memphis clamped down with a high-level intensity, forcing the Thunder to just 4-for-20 shooting in the quarter. This allowed the home team to take a 6-point lead into the final frame, and they would never relinquish the advantage.
On the Oklahoma City side, Kevin Durant was his normal, stellar self in this spot. Durant went for 25 points (on 9-for-19 shooting), grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds, and even added 5 assists and 3 steals for his trouble. Unfortunately for the Thunder, his teammates could not match his level of play, and even the normally infallible Durant missed back-to-back free throws during crunch time. Reggie Jackson had his best game of the playoffs for Oklahoma City, going for 16 points and 10 rebounds, but the supporting duo of Serge Ibaka and Kevin Martin each shot 6-for-17 from the field, and their efficiency was severely lacking for the majority of the game.
This was a night to appreciate the “beauty” of a defense working in unison, as the Grizzlies don’t “wow” the casual observer with highlight blocks or steals that lead to breakaway dunks. Rather, they rely on the impeccable reads of Marc Gasol and the high-impact ball pressure from Tony Allen and Mike Conley, and on Saturday, this was the perfect recipe to slow the Thunder’s offense to a halt. As the series leans in the Grizzlies’ favor, Oklahoma City will be forced to come with adjustments in order to summon their normally stellar offense (110.2 points per 100 possessions during the regular season) in the absence of their 2nd-leading scorer in Russell Westbrook.
Memphis has the opportunity to put a strangle hold on the series in Game 4, and they’ll take the court Monday night (9:30 PM ET on TNT) with visions of a 3-to-1 lead. Stay tuned.