Thunder 100, Grizzlies 86: Kevin Durant had 33 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as host Oklahoma City squandered a 25-point lead before holding off Memphis in the opening game of the Western Conference first-round series.
Russell Westbrook had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Serge Ibaka added 17 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots for the second-seeded Thunder, who also host Mondayâ??s Game 2. Oklahoma City posted a 51-41 rebounding advantage, blocked 10 shots and made 28-of-32 free throws.
Zach Randolph had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who shot just 25 percent from the field in the first half and 36.3 percent overall. Mike Conley added 16 points and 11 assists, Marc Gasol also scored 16 and Tony Allen had 13 points for seventh-seeded Memphis.
The Grizzlies trailed by 22 at halftime and dominated the first 15-plus minutes of the second half and pulled within 74-72 on Mike Millerâ??s 3-pointer with 8:45 remaining. Ibaka answered with a three-point play to start a 13-1 run as the Thunder opened up a 14-point advantage midway through the quarter and the lead remained in double digits down the stretch.
Memphis was just 5-of-29 shooting in the first quarter as Oklahoma City took a 29-16 lead and the Thunder led by as many as 25 in the second quarter before settling for a 56-34 halftime edge. Memphis got back within single digits with a 17-4 run to open the second half.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Memphis F Tayshaun Prince played just four scoreless minutes due to a stomach virus. â? Thunder PG Reggie Jackson had nine points, eight rebounds and four assists off the bench. â? Grizzlies G Nick Calathes was suspended for 20 games for a violation of the NBAâ??s drug policy. The league said that Calathes tested positive for the banned substance Tamoxifen.
