Basketball Update: Memphis Grizzlies 110-105 take down Oklahoma City Thunder
Two nights after taking down the defending champions Los Angeles Lakers, the high flying Memphis Grizzlies added another feather to their cap as they squeaked out a 110-105 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In a gripping contest, both the teams took the match right down to the wire and it required some Zach Randolph’s brilliance down the stretch for Memphis to finally seal the game.
The surprise package of the night though was Tony Allen. The Memphis guard, who had made just one 3-pointer and had been embroiled in shooting woes all season long, got hot when it mattered the most. He knocked down a couple of crucial triple pointers in
the fourth period and slipped in two clutch charity throws with 15 seconds left to spark the Grizzlies to a hard fought win at the FedEx Forum.
The Grizzlies hit the ground running on Tuesday night as they sprung to 15-5 advantage within the first six minutes. Thunder though got a measure of the game soon and scored on their next six possessions to pull within two points. Rudy g*y however, was in
an unforgiving mood as he nailed three in row to boost the Grizzlies to a 31-27 lead at the culmination of first twelve minutes.
After braving out an up-tempo Grizzlies' offensive battery in the first frame, Thunder showcased some offensive wrath of their own coming into the second. James Harden ripped in one from beyond the arc to kick start a 13-4 run for the visitors that he capped
with another shot from downtown. The spurt that gave Thunder a 40-35 lead, changed the flow of the match and Oklahoma City started to intimidate the Grizzlies more.
Memphis however found their spark again, a minute from the break as they finished with six unanswered points to restore parity at 55.
The captivating contest ensued with all its pace in the third period with both teams launching one spurt after another. Memphis had slightly the better of the two teams in the quarter though as they outscored their opponents 24-22, to carry a 79-77 advantage
into the final quarter.
Grizzlies entered the fourth frame with all guns blazing as they stretched their advantage to 6-points early. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook however countered for the Thunder and reeled off an 8-0 run within a span of one minute to wrest a two point
lead.
This was Oklahoma City’s best shot of the night as Zach Randolph and Tony Allen took over the match from that point onwards.
With 7:19 left, Mike Conley made a jump shot to make the matters even. Randolph followed with three free throws and Allen made a triple pointer to start the Memphis surge. Thunder did not give up the fight from the other end but every time they came within
striking distance, the Grizzlies counter-punched.
The nerve wrecking saga entered its last minute with Thunder trailing by three. Randolph converted two free throws which gave the Grizzlies a 106-101 lead after 11 seconds but Kevin Durant responded with two from the line to slash the deficit to three again.
With 25 seconds remaining, Grizzlies centre Marc Gasol provided the electric match with another twist as he missed two free shots to throw the ball in Durant’s hands and the game wide open.
Westbrook then followed with an agonizing layup to make it one point game moments later. But Allens slipped in two free throws with 15 seconds left to spare Conley’s blushes as Memphis extended their lead to three.
The action though did not finish here.
Durant missed a crucial game-tying 3-pointer on the next possession and Randolph sealed the win with two more free throws.
Durant was heart-broken after the game as he said,
"We had the game. We played hard all the way through. I made some bad mistakes in the fourth quarter. It's going to be hard for me to sleep tonight. It's all a learning process for me.''
Zach Randolph had another phenomenal night, leading the Grizzlies with 31 points and 16 rebounds. Rudy g*y also hit his straps with 27 points as Memphis shot at 51.2%.
For Oklahoma City, Durant and Westbrook scored 28 apiece while James Harden came off the bench to score 17 points.
Tags: