NBA
Quarter-Finals Round 5: Oklah.City T. - Memphis G. 84-88
Date: May 15, 2013
During available downtime in the final moments, Kevin Durant could be found leaning over, grabbing his shorts in the universally recognizable sign: Yeah, the superstar was gassed. With the Memphis Grizzlies' 88-84 victory Wednesday night, he'll finally get some rest. The Grizzlies closed out the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games with their fourth consecutive win. But as a team brimming with confidence moves on to face either the San Antonio Spurs or Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, the No. 1 seed Thunder are left to wonder what might have been. If Durant's evident fatigue — he played all 48 minutes and struggled, hitting only five of 21 shots, including a 15-footer that would have tied it in the final seconds — wasn't the money shot, it came when TV cameras occasionally found Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, fresh off surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus, watching from a luxury suite. Westbrook's injury April 24 changed everything for a team that had hoped and expected to return to the NBA Finals. Despite a late, frantic rally, Durant had clearly worn down by the end, as had the Thunder. Memphis' grinding style on both ends had plenty to do with it, of course. Although the Thunder survived the first-round series with the Houston Rockets, they weren't able to overcome the Grizzlies. Durant didn't get much help Wednesday from teammates, and the superstar was unable to carry them. Down 10 late, the Thunder pulled within 86-84 in the final seconds. Durant drove, pulled up — and missed, his final shot of the season clanging off the iron like so many before. But at least he took it. The most telling sequence might have come at the end of the third quarter. Down 14 moments earlier, the Thunder had climbed to within two. And as the final seconds of the quarter ticked away, Durant dribbled, drove against Tayshaun Prince — and passed to the corner, where Derek Fisher's three-point attempt missed at the buzzer. Then again, Durant had already missed plenty, too — at that point, he was 4-for-16. As his shots fell short, he passed up opportunities. And for long stretches, the Thunder's best player disappeared. Which is why the Thunder eventually did, too. Zach Randolph led Memphis with 28 points and 14 rebounds. Most of the points came from deep inside, old-school, back-to-the-basket stuff, though he mixed in a few rainbow, uh, jump shots. "You don't think he can do it," Thunder coach Scott Brooks was saying before the game. "He doesn't look like he can do it. He just doesn't have that body that you think can score, and he doesn't jump high — but he obviously has the ability to put the ball in the basket." Much more inexplicably, Durant suddenly didn't, at least not for long stretches Wednesday. After going 2-for-13 and scoring only five points beginning with the fourth quarter of Game 4, Durant missed nine of 11 shots in the first half. For stretches, he seemed to stop looking. His first attempt of the second half — another miss — came almost five minutes in, with Memphis up by 14. A moment later, Durant rebounded his own free throw miss and scored. Next trip down the court, on a rare open transition three-pointer, he threw up an air ball. The Thunder climbed back into it, outscoring Memphis 16-4 to end the third quarter. But they were never able to retake the lead. By the end, as Durant kept grabbing his shorts, the Thunder struggled to score, and Randolph and the Grizzlies drained most of the life out of Chesapeake Energy Arena. When Durant missed what would've been the tying basket late, it was all over but the wondering. "When we have a healthy team we can score on just about any team in this league," Brooks said. "I'm not making excuses that we don't have Russell, I'm just saying that for what we do, scoring is never gonna be a problem for us." When they're healthy, that is. Memphis is among the NBA's best defensive teams. Even at full strength, the Thunder would've been challenged by the Grizzlies, who got a potent one-two punch inside all series long from Marc Gasol and Randolph. But the Thunder was a shadow of the ascending team that played in the NBA Finals a year ago and had aspirations — however unlikely — of dethroning Miami. Without Westbrook, the Western Conference's No. 1 seed was not its best team — and wasn't the best team in the semifinal series against the Grizzlies. Not that Memphis coach Lionel Hollins was in a mood to sympathize. "It's part of the season," he said. "Everybody has to stay healthy, which is part of being able to win." A few days after the injury, Westbrook told reporters: "Once I got the MRI, things got real." Without Westbrook, things got real tough for the Thunder. Courtesy of: usatoday.com
Terms:
Field Goals : 2PM-A (2 point Field Goal made-attempts) 3PM-A (3 point Field Goal made-attempts) FTM-A (free throws made-attempt)
Rebounds : OFF (Offensive) DEF (Defensive) TOT (total)
Fouls : CM (Committed) RV (received)
Blocks : FV (In Favor) AG (Against)
Other terms : MIN (minutes) AST (assists) ST (steals) TO (Turnovers) PTS (points) RNK (ranking)
Quarter-Finals Round 5: Oklah.City T. - Memphis G. 84-88
Date: May 15, 2013
During available downtime in the final moments, Kevin Durant could be found leaning over, grabbing his shorts in the universally recognizable sign: Yeah, the superstar was gassed. With the Memphis Grizzlies' 88-84 victory Wednesday night, he'll finally get some rest. The Grizzlies closed out the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games with their fourth consecutive win. But as a team brimming with confidence moves on to face either the San Antonio Spurs or Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, the No. 1 seed Thunder are left to wonder what might have been. If Durant's evident fatigue — he played all 48 minutes and struggled, hitting only five of 21 shots, including a 15-footer that would have tied it in the final seconds — wasn't the money shot, it came when TV cameras occasionally found Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, fresh off surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus, watching from a luxury suite. Westbrook's injury April 24 changed everything for a team that had hoped and expected to return to the NBA Finals. Despite a late, frantic rally, Durant had clearly worn down by the end, as had the Thunder. Memphis' grinding style on both ends had plenty to do with it, of course. Although the Thunder survived the first-round series with the Houston Rockets, they weren't able to overcome the Grizzlies. Durant didn't get much help Wednesday from teammates, and the superstar was unable to carry them. Down 10 late, the Thunder pulled within 86-84 in the final seconds. Durant drove, pulled up — and missed, his final shot of the season clanging off the iron like so many before. But at least he took it. The most telling sequence might have come at the end of the third quarter. Down 14 moments earlier, the Thunder had climbed to within two. And as the final seconds of the quarter ticked away, Durant dribbled, drove against Tayshaun Prince — and passed to the corner, where Derek Fisher's three-point attempt missed at the buzzer. Then again, Durant had already missed plenty, too — at that point, he was 4-for-16. As his shots fell short, he passed up opportunities. And for long stretches, the Thunder's best player disappeared. Which is why the Thunder eventually did, too. Zach Randolph led Memphis with 28 points and 14 rebounds. Most of the points came from deep inside, old-school, back-to-the-basket stuff, though he mixed in a few rainbow, uh, jump shots. "You don't think he can do it," Thunder coach Scott Brooks was saying before the game. "He doesn't look like he can do it. He just doesn't have that body that you think can score, and he doesn't jump high — but he obviously has the ability to put the ball in the basket." Much more inexplicably, Durant suddenly didn't, at least not for long stretches Wednesday. After going 2-for-13 and scoring only five points beginning with the fourth quarter of Game 4, Durant missed nine of 11 shots in the first half. For stretches, he seemed to stop looking. His first attempt of the second half — another miss — came almost five minutes in, with Memphis up by 14. A moment later, Durant rebounded his own free throw miss and scored. Next trip down the court, on a rare open transition three-pointer, he threw up an air ball. The Thunder climbed back into it, outscoring Memphis 16-4 to end the third quarter. But they were never able to retake the lead. By the end, as Durant kept grabbing his shorts, the Thunder struggled to score, and Randolph and the Grizzlies drained most of the life out of Chesapeake Energy Arena. When Durant missed what would've been the tying basket late, it was all over but the wondering. "When we have a healthy team we can score on just about any team in this league," Brooks said. "I'm not making excuses that we don't have Russell, I'm just saying that for what we do, scoring is never gonna be a problem for us." When they're healthy, that is. Memphis is among the NBA's best defensive teams. Even at full strength, the Thunder would've been challenged by the Grizzlies, who got a potent one-two punch inside all series long from Marc Gasol and Randolph. But the Thunder was a shadow of the ascending team that played in the NBA Finals a year ago and had aspirations — however unlikely — of dethroning Miami. Without Westbrook, the Western Conference's No. 1 seed was not its best team — and wasn't the best team in the semifinal series against the Grizzlies. Not that Memphis coach Lionel Hollins was in a mood to sympathize. "It's part of the season," he said. "Everybody has to stay healthy, which is part of being able to win." A few days after the injury, Westbrook told reporters: "Once I got the MRI, things got real." Without Westbrook, things got real tough for the Thunder. Courtesy of: usatoday.com
 MEMPHIS G. (coach: Tuomas Iisalo)88 |
| FIELD GOALS | REBOUNDS | FOULS | BLOCKS | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | NAME | MIN | 2PM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OFF | DEF | RB | AS | F | RV | ST | FV | AG | TO | PT | RNK | +/- |
| 05 | eijdIlph, ciZh | 36 | 2-69 (39.6%) | 5-5 (5%) | 68-61 (90%) | 4 | 66 | 63 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 82 | 87 | 5 |
| 44 | GisIl, biQZ | 36 | 0-64 (42.0%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 6 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 65 | 64 | 5 |
| 66 | CIjlRF, baVR | 47 | 0-63 (40.9%) | 5-3 (5%) | 4-4 (655%) | 6 | 1 | 9 | 66 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 64 | 61 | 5 |
| OQajZR, wiFshiuj | 46 | 4-66 (89.4%) | 5-8 (5%) | 8-8 (655%) | 8 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 5 | |
| 7 | SllRj, wIjF | 87 | 3-0 (25%) | 5-6 (5%) | 4-4 (655%) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 66 | 66 | 5 |
| 85 | OIjdRxURQ, ruajZF | 86 | 5-5 (5%) | 8-8 (655%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 9 | miFlRss, zRQQFd | 85 | 6-0 (85%) | 6-3 (80%) | 4-4 (655%) | 5 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 5 | SQUhuQ, giQQRll | 7 | 6-8 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 5 |
| gIIlajD, KRFIj | 7 | 5-5 (5%) | 5-6 (5%) | 8-8 (655%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 5 | |
| vRuRQ, zIj | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | |||||||||||||||||
| giFR, SusUaj | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | |||||||||||||||||
| giLas, qd | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | |||||||||||||||||
| WQIURj, wIjF | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | |||||||||||||||||
| wIUil | 89-19 (35.4%) | 4-63 (86.3%) | 80-87 (21.8%) | 2 | 49 | 30 | 62 | 69 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 28 | |||
 OKLAH.CITY T. (coach: Mark Daigneault)84 |
| FIELD GOALS | REBOUNDS | FOULS | BLOCKS | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | NAME | MIN | 2PM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OFF | DEF | RB | AS | F | RV | ST | FV | AG | TO | PT | RNK | +/- |
| 40 | guQijU, KRLaj | 32 | 0-69 (87.3%) | 5-3 (5%) | 66-60 (94.4%) | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 86 | 2 | 5 |
| ziZVsIj, eRDDaR | 38 | 1-65 (15%) | 6-0 (85%) | 6-6 (655%) | 5 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 61 | 67 | 5 | |
| 7 | oMiVi, ARQDR | 49 | 9-60 (31.9%) | 6-8 (05%) | 5-6 (5%) | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 69 | 66 | 5 |
| yashRQ, gRQRV | 46 | 5-5 (5%) | 4-66 (89.4%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 5 | |
| biQUaj, KRLaj | 45 | 4-0 (15%) | 5-6 (5%) | 3-3 (655%) | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 65 | 65 | 5 | |
| 8 | ARfIlIshi, whiMI | 67 | 6-4 (44.4%) | 6-8 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 4 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 0 | ORQVajs, KRjdQaZV | 69 | 6-3 (80%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 6 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 5 |
| 3 | CIllasIj, XaZV | 61 | 8-0 (35%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 8 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 5 |
| mQRTRQ, eIjjaR | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | |||||||||||||||||
| 43 | whiMRRU, HishRRB | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | ||||||||||||||||
| PQUIj, gijaRl | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | |||||||||||||||||
| vaDDajs, gRijdQR | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | |||||||||||||||||
| zIjRs ooo, ORQQF | gXO - CIiZh's gRZasaIj | |||||||||||||||||
| wIUil | 80-07 (38.3%) | 1-80 (83.5%) | 61-86 (91.8%) | 64 | 46 | 33 | 67 | 80 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 63 | 23 | 07 | |||
Terms:
Field Goals : 2PM-A (2 point Field Goal made-attempts) 3PM-A (3 point Field Goal made-attempts) FTM-A (free throws made-attempt)
Rebounds : OFF (Offensive) DEF (Defensive) TOT (total)
Fouls : CM (Committed) RV (received)
Blocks : FV (In Favor) AG (Against)
Other terms : MIN (minutes) AST (assists) ST (steals) TO (Turnovers) PTS (points) RNK (ranking)
