Memphis Grizzlies finally bow out of the playoffs; lose game-7 to the Oklahoma City Thunder – Part 2
The third quarter turned out to be the deciding stretch in the game. Oklahoma City (OKC) Thunder came out after the interval looking to put the game, and the series, to bed. However, they couldn’t find their shots early on and
the Memphis Grizzlies slowly clawed their way back into the game, cutting the lead to 3 points with 4:52 left on the clock.
The threat of a Memphis rally fuelled the Thunder into action and they went on a 14-3 run that gave them a comfortable double digit lead. There was simply no time left for Memphis to strike back and the third period ended at 72
– 58.
The Grizzlies were solid on offense in the final period as they looked to mount another comeback in their fairy tale post season. However, despite scoring 32 points, they couldn’t get close to OKC.
Memphis didn’t get the stops at the defensive end as OKC just kept sinking shot after shot to upset any gains the Grizzlies had made on the offensive end. With around 2 minutes remaining in the game OKC launched the killer blow.
They made an 8 – 2 sprint that took the lead to 20 and ended all resistance from the Grizzlies. The game eventually petered out to a 90 – 105 win for Oklahoma City.
The victory finally brought the fascinating western conference semi-finals series to an end. Memphis coach Lionel Hollins blamed the loss on poor shooting. The Grizzlies shot below 40 percent, among other things. He also congratulated
Kevin Durant and the Thunder on the win, adding that he was proud that his team, the 8th seeds, had made it so far,
"We didn't make shots and we gave up 17 points in transition. They deserved to win, they earned this win. Durant showed the heart of a champion. But I'm also proud of my team and where we are and where we're heading in the future."
The Grizzlies lost out on the boards 39 – 44, although they did have the edge on the offensive rebounds 16 - 14. The major problem for them was the shooting. The Thunder also struggled with their shooting early on. OKC were 34.8
percent from the field in the first quarter, but improved later to end the game at 48.1 percent.
Russell Westbrook was immense for the Thunder and his triple-double performance complemented Kevin Durant’s 39 point effort perfectly. The latter might take most of the plaudits, but Westbrook’s effort did not go unnoticed by his
coach,
"He gets picked on a little bit, but one of the things (with) Russell, he keeps playing," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "He keeps improving, he keeps getting better and tonight he controlled the game."
Zach Randolph’s amazing post season also came to an end in the Oklahoma City Arena. However, re-iterating the fact that he is a class act, the player was full of praise for the man who ended his dream run, Kevin Durant.
"Durant is a special player, one of the best players in the NBA," said Randolph, whom Durant had earlier described as “the best power forward in the league”. "The kid is a gym-rat, he works hard. He's one of my favourite players.
You've got to give him kudos and give him respect.”
Oklahoma City will now play the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals starting Tuesday.
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