After 3OTs, Grizzlies lose steam to the Thunder: Series tied 2-2

Memphis - (Ron Tillery reporting) What do you call an NBA playoff game that features collapses, comebacks, clutch shots, is a credit to both teams’ will to win and doesn’t abide by anyone’s clock?
A classic.

That best describes the Grizzlies’ 133-123 triple overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal Monday night at FedExForum.

Not only is the best-of-seven series tied 2-2 but it is clearly marking the infancy of a budding rivalry, and a long, fierce fight for the right to play Dallas in the conference finals.

Everything about the nearly four-hour affair between the Griz-Thunder suggested as much.
Memphis led by 18 points in the second period. Oklahoma City stormed back and took a 10-point advantage midway in the fourth.

The Griz got a clutch, fourth-quarter 3-pointer from Mike Conley to initially extend the game. Then, rookie Greivis Vasquez connected on a miraculous long-range shot that forced even more time.
In the end, though, the Thunder had more energy and more key players on the floor in the third overtime. With the game knotted at 121, the Thunder put away the Griz with a 10-2 run that included the final eight points of the game.

Game 5 is set Wednesday in Oklahoma City if either team has enough energy left to play it.
Griz big men Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol each played 56-plus minutes. Randolph finished with 34 points and 16 rebounds. Gasol had 26 points and 21 boards. The Thunder offset that with Russell Westbrook’s career playoff-high 40 points and Kevin Durant’s 35-point and 13-rebound outing.

“It’s a tough loss,” Randolph said. “You’ve got to give (the Thunder) credit. They played well and hit big shots. Their two star players hit big shots toward the end of the game.”

Oklahoma City, which lost Game 3 in overtime after blowing a 16-point lead, reclaimed home-court advantage in dramatic fashion.

“This game is something people are going to be talking about for a while,” Durant said. “I'm glad I’m a part of it.”
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Now that the series is tied 2-2, we are back to square one. Although the Grizz travel to Oklahoma for game 5, I am confident this series will go through for seven games, with that game back in Okc. We need this one. BELIEVE is the team's motto, and I am doing just that.  Before I conclude, I would also like to commend the fans for an outstanding SUPPORT system for our Memphis Grizzlies. This game goes down in NBA history.

BELIEVE MEMPHIS: GRIZZ MANHANDLE SPURS 104-86

Electrifying! Magnificent! Exhilarating! BEASTLY! All those are words than be used to describe the level of intensity and endurance displayed by the Memphis Grizzlies as we hammered the San Antonio Grizzlies in Game 4 at Fedex Forum in Memphis, TN. You can literally feel the energy from the team and let me give a big HI-FIVE to all the ENTHUSIASTIC fans who came out and rallied the Grizzlies on!!!

Ronald Tillery - (Commerical Appeal) Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins walked into the locker room at halftime and basically hypnotized his players into thinking they were down a bunch.


They trailed by only two points, but Hollins wasn’t at all happy with the energy level. So he implored his troops to rush out into the second half and play with a sense of desperation.
“We responded well,” Griz forward Zach Randolph said.

That would be an understatement.

The Grizzlies opened the third quarter on a 14-0 run fueled by the scrappy, defensive play that has defined their season and pulled away Monday night for a 104-86 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.

A sold-out crowd of 18,119 in FedExForum watched the Spurs fall into a trance, too. San Antonio wilted, turning the ball over seven times in the third, after hitting Memphis with its best half of basketball in the series.

“They put their foot on our neck and they never let up,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
Memphis, the eighth seed, is on the verge of making top-seeded San Antonio cry uncle. The Griz now own a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, which shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5 on Wednesday.

The Griz are trying to become the second eighth seed to beat a No. 1 seed since Golden State upset Dallas in 2007. Like he has all series, Hollins refuses to look too far ahead.
Perhaps that’s a show of respect to the Spurs. But the Griz didn’t have much regard for the former champions in a game they led by as many as 24 points. Neither team won by more than six points in the first three games.

Arthur electrified the towel-waving crowd by making a series of 18-foot shots as the Griz established their lead. An Arthur jump shot ended that decisive third. The Griz won the period 30-15 and led 78-65 when the final frame began.


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