Grizzlies hold on against Thunder - CBSSports.com

game - Google News Google News

Grizzlies hold on against Thunder - CBSSports.com Apr 3rd 2012, 03:04 CBSSports.com wire reports April 2, 2012 OKLAHOMA CITY -- O.J. Mayo scored 22 points, including a key 3-pointer with 17 seconds left, and the Memphis Grizzlies prevented Oklahoma City from tying for the NBA's best record by beating the Thunder 94-88 on Monday night. 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 hung on to snap the Thunder's six-game winning streak. Tony Allen added 15 points and Marc Gasol scored 13 for the Grizzlies, who were without starting point guard Mike Conley for a second straight game because of a sore right ankle. Kevin 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. The two teams that last year produced an epic seven-game Western Conference semifinal series -- including a triple-overtime game and one with a single overtime -- went right down to the wire again. Oklahoma City nearly erased a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes before Mayo connected on a 3-pointer from the right wing with two seconds left on the shot clock to bump the Memphis lead to 90-86. 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 six seconds left was off target, and Allen hit two free throws to seal it with four ticks left. The Grizzlies, enduring a grueling stretch in their schedule, won for the fourth time in five games. Memphis is in the midst of playing nine out of 11 games on the road and Monday's game also opened the team's only back-to-back-to-back stretch this season. Memphis allowed Oklahoma City a season-low two fast-break points -- coming on Westbrook's free throws with 1:12 remaining. Westbrook, who had missed 10 of his first 12 shots, drove for a basket to start a run of eight straight Thunder points. Serge Ibaka scored underneath with 7:05 left to get Oklahoma City within 75-74, then missed a free throw that could have tied it. 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 three 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. Oklahoma City, which won Game 7 on its home court in the West semifinals, had won all three previous meetings this season by a total of 15 points. 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. 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. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions