Allen, Randolph sizzle as the Grizzlies edge out the Thunder in O.T.
Four nights ago, the Memphis Grizzlies threw away a fourth quarter advantage to go down against the Houston Rockets in overtime.
On Tuesday night, history almost repeated itself, when Memphis allowed the Oklahoma City Thunder to march back into the game before taking it by 105-101 in overtime. The Grizzlies weren’t willing to bow down this time though.
Despite going into the game without their leading scorer Rudy g*y, who injured his right toe, the Grizzlies displayed the intensity and spark which has carried them to a resurgent streak over the last few weeks. The Grizzlies had won a season-best five straight
and eight of nine immediately before dropping their last two games.
Grizzlies Coach Lionel Hollins made an inspired move to play Tony Allen in the small forward role to counter Rudy’s absence. Allen responded big time by posting 27 points, and proved to be more than just a savvy substitution.
Allen scrambled for five of the 11 Grizzlies’ steals and was instrumental in hounding Oklahoma’s’ Kevin Durant throughout overtime, which ultimately proved to be the difference. Even the Thunders coach was impressed. Scott Brooks said, "Certain guys in this
league compete every possession, and he's (Allen) one of them. He competes every possession, and I love guys that hate getting scored on."
Zach Randolph added 31 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, while Sam Young scored 14 points as the Grizzlies nipped a two-match losing streak.
Kevin Durant led the charge for the Thunder with 31 points and 10 rebounds. While Russell Westbrook followed with 21 points and a game-high 11 assists. The second year guard however, accounted for eight turnovers and missed two critical free throws down
the stretch, as the Thunder lost 105-101.
Despite playing without two key players, Memphis got off to a solid start, as they built a 12-6 lead just five minutes into the first quarter. However, the Thunder led by Durant soon took over.
The home team started their surge with a 9-4 run midway and then got ahead late in the period on the back of a 9-2 run. The first quarter finished with Oklahoma holding a 27-24 advantage. Spurred by the roaring home crowd, they again hit the ground running
in the second phase, as a three-point lead quickly swelled to nine-points.
Oklahoma City’s dominance continued throughout the first stanza, which ended with the Thunder leading 54-44. By half time, the stage was looking set for a Thunder victory.
Memphis however, decided to switch gears. Mike Conley got the Grizzlies going with a three pointer. What followed was a barrage of pinpoint shots and a spate of free throws that sparked the Grizzlies to a 74-71 lead at the end of the third. Memphis held
the Thunder to just 17 points in the third period, all of which came on shots from the field. The Thunder did not attempt even a single free throw in the third quarter.
Memphis on the other hand went 13-for-14 from the charity stripe during that stretch.
Oklahoma City however rallied back forcefully in the fourth. They started with a 10-4 spurt to snatch the lead and then kept the Grizzlies at bay until the midway mark. At that point, the visitors bounced back with a 10-4 run that placed them at 90-84 advantage
with a little more than five minutes to go.
The Thunder though came right back with an 11-2 spell to gain a 95-92, adding another twist to a topsy-turvy game. However, Allen stepped up to rescue his team by making a crucial three-point play in the last minute, as the teams headed into overtime.
Jeff Green spurned two scoring opportunities on back-to-back possessions early in the frame. This provided the Grizzlies some breathing space and they fully capitalised on it. After Randolph’s layup was countered by a Durant jumper, Sam Young's baseline
jumper propelled the Grizzlies to a 100-97 lead in the third minute.
The Grizzlies never looked back after that as the Thunder crumbled under pressure to hand over the game.
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