NBA Playoffs 2013: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Recap
By Phil Watson
The Memphis Grizzlies are going to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history after holding off the Oklahoma City Thunder late for an 88-84 win on Wednesday, May 15, in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
Oklahoma City trailed by 12 points with three minutes left in Game 5 before staging a furious comeback that fell just short. Kevin Durant missed a 16-footer that would have tied the game with six seconds to go. The miss capped off a terrible night for Durant, who was just 5-for-16 in the finale.
The Thunder played the series without All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook, but the Thunder came in with home-court advantage as the top seed in the West. Yet this series was seconds away from being a sweep by the Memphis Grizzlies; only a Durant jumper with 11.1 seconds left in Game 1 prevented that outcome.
Zach Randolph did some serious work in Game 5, scoring 28 points and recording 14 rebounds.
With the win, Memphis becomes the first team seeded lower than fourth to reach the conference finals this century; the last team to do it was the 1999 New York Knicks, who advanced to the NBA Finals as an eighth seed in the lockout-shortened season.
Game Scores (Memphis Grizzlies win series 4-1)
Game 1 at Oklahoma City: Oklahoma City 93, Memphis 91
Game 2 at Oklahoma City: Memphis 99, Oklahoma City 93
Game 3 at Memphis: Memphis 87, Oklahoma City 81
Game 4 at Memphis: Memphis 103, Oklahoma City 97, OT
Game 5 at Oklahoma City: Memphis 88, Oklahoma City 84
Series MVP
Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
(NBA.com photo)
The big Spaniard is light years from being the throw-in in the trade that sent his brother, Pau Gasol, from the Grizzlies to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008.
Marc Gasol did a little bit of everything for Memphis in this series, playing 41.9 minutes a game and averaging 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.8 blocks a night. He shot 48.6 percent from the floor (35-for-72) and was a solid 27-for-33 (81.8 percent) at the foul line.
The reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Gasol was the linchpin for a team defensive effort that harassed Durant into 42.1 percent shooting in the series and held the high-flying Thunder to just 89.6 points a game in the series.
That’s hardly a shock—Memphis was the top defensive team in the league this season, allowing 89.3 points a game in the regular season.
Gasol had a very nice effort in the Grizzlies’ Game 4 win with 23 points and 11 boards.
Biggest Surprise
Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies
(NBA.com photo)
Considered by many to be the finest perimeter defender in the NBA, the All-Defensive team selection had the unenviable task of being the primary defender on Durant in the series.
Not surprisingly, he did that job almost unfailingly well.
The surprise was how much offense he provided. Allen scored 10 points a game in the series for the Grizzlies in just 28 minutes a game. That came on the heels of a regular season during which he averaged only 8.9 points a game. Allen was also active on the glass, pulling down five rebounds a game and a whopping 11 offensive boards in the series—the second-highest total on the club behind Zach Randolph. Allen also had 2.4 steals per game against the Thunder.
Allen teamed with Mike Conley on this nice alley-oop in Game 5.
Biggest Disappointment
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
(NBA.com photo)
So how is a guy who averaged 28.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists considered a disappointment? While it’s true that the player who is used to being part of a dynamic duo was turned into a solo act with Westbrook’s injury, the Thunder needed more late in games than they got from their superstar.
In the series, Durant shot 42.1 percent (48-for-114). That’s low for a guy who entered the prestigious 50/40/90 club during the regular season after recording shooting percentages of 51 percent overall, 41.5 from 3-point range and 90.5 from the foul line.
From deep, Durant was 10-for-28 in the series (35.7 percent) and he even struggled—for him, anyway—at the line, hitting 38-for-49 (77.6 percent).
But late in games, the strain of carrying the Thunder on his back seemed to take its toll. In the series, Durant was 14-for-38 in the fourth quarter and overtime (36.8 percent). In the final three games, though, Durant truly vanished in the late going. He was 4-for-22 (18.2 percent) in the fourth period and overtime of Games 3, 4 and 5.
Regardless of Westbrook’s absence, that’s a disappointment. Durant did hit the game-winner in Game 1—the only win Oklahoma City would get in the series.
What’s Next
San Antonio or Golden State
(Image courtesy sportslogos.net)
The Grizzlies will wait to see whether they draw the Spurs or Warriors in the conference finals. Memphis split four meetings with their division rivals from San Antonio, with the home team winning all four games. The Grizzlies won 101-98 in overtime on Jan. 11 and 92-90 on April 1. The Spurs were 99-95 overtime winners on Dec. 1 and took a 103-82 decision on Jan. 16.
Against Golden State, Memphis swept three games, winning in Oakland, Calif., 104-94 on Nov. 2 and 94-87 on Jan. 9 and posting a 99-93 win at home on Feb. 8.