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The 30 greatest NBA team rivalries in league history

By Daniel Lubofsky

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder, Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder, Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

23. Best NBA rivalries of all-time: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

From 2011 to 2014, it seemed as though the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies were always in each other’s way come playoff time. Oklahoma City was the more glamorous and flashy of the two teams, but that never really meant anything to a Memphis squad with an on-brand style of play that helped shape a defining era.

These two originally met in a surprising conference semifinal in 2011 after the Grizzlies had dismantled the No. 1 seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round.

Most had assumed Memphis’ luck would run out against the burgeoning elite team. Instead, Oklahoma City required some heroics after falling 2-1 to eventually win in seven games, including a triple-overtime thriller to tie the series back up again at two apiece.

After a one-year hiatus, the battle would recommence, this time in the absence of Russell Westbrook. The Grizzlies would show no mercy in swarming Kevin Durant with every defensive option in the book, giving the superstar more than he could handle in what wound up being a five-game series victory for Memphis.

The following year was the rubber match and peak of this rivalry with several memorable moments that stick out of this decade. Durant hit a wild 4-point play late to help Oklahoma City come back and win Game 2. Reggie Jackson’s heroics helped the Thunder stave off a 3-1 deficit.

There was a one-point victory for Memphis in Game 5 with an MVP-level performance from the MVP himself in Game 6 to avoid elimination. If not for a Zach Randolph suspension for Game 7, the 120-109 win for the Thunder may have been a lot more dramatic.

In a way, the two teams were like opposites. The Thunder had the headliners with two megastars in Durant and Westbrook leading the charge. The Grizzlies were more of a well-rounded elite defensive bunch that could have any guy lead the way on any given night. It seems like opposites do attract and make for some very entertaining basketball in the process.