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The Sports Network
The Oklahoma City Thunder may have won
Game 2 of their Western Conference semi-final with the Memphis Grizzlies, but
by no stretch of the imagination was it an impressive victory.
Toronto, Canada (Sports Network) - The Oklahoma City Thunder may have won
Game 2 of their Western Conference semi-final with the Memphis Grizzlies, but
by no stretch of the imagination was it an impressive victory.
Seeing a 21-point lead midway in the fourth quarter cut down to as little as
seven isn't the way to close out a playoff game - particularly at home.
The Thunder got careless down the stretch and didn't show any sense of urgency
until Memphis had whittled the lead down to 10 and even then it was apparent
that the Grizzlies were putting in a greater effort.
It was disappointing to see Oklahoma City get so lax late in the game because
up to the point where it had built that big lead, it was playing exceptional
basketball, getting significant contributions from its bench and basically
shutting down the Grizzlies' interior tandem of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.
OKC gave the Memphis pair fits, holding them to just 18 points on 5-for-22
shooting - a significant improvement from the 54 points on 21-for-33 shooting
the duo had in Game 1 - and actually managed to outscore the Grizzlies in the
paint 38-34.
However, with the near collapse it almost seems like all that hard work to
neutralize Randolph and Gasol was for naught as Memphis still nearly went up
2-0 in the series despite being forced to switch up its plan of attack.
A seed of doubt could've been planted into the minds of the Grizzlies had the
blowout remained intact, but now Memphis should be feeling very confident
heading into Game 3 with home court on its side because it's unlikely that the
Grizzlies' two big men will struggle at home.
Another positive for the Grizzlies as it heads back to Memphis is what Mike
Conley and O.J. Mayo showed in Game 2. The two guards carried the load
offensively for their team and looked like a very good backup plan to the
ineffective inside assault.
If Conley and Mayo are able to have similar performances in the next two
nights, the Grizzlies will more than likely return to Oklahoma City Arena with
a 3-1 series lead.
In order to ensure that doesn't happen and come away with at least a split,
OKC will need to focus on what it did well in Game 2.
Other than the job that Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison did on
Randolph and Gasol, the real key to the Thunder's win was the fact that they
got out in transition, beating Memphis in fast-break points, 17-6.
Getting out into the open floor will be the best way for Oklahoma City to
score against a Memphis defense that's given up an average of 14.3 points per
game less in this post-season at home than away because it eliminates any
chance of the Grizzlies setting up their defense where they're very effective.
The balanced attack between the Thunder's three leading scorers, Kevin Durant,
Russell Westbrook and James Harden, will also be required to leave Memphis
with at least one "W."
In Game 1, Durant and Westbrook both had exceptional games, scoring 33 and 29
points, respectively. In spite of this, their team still lost and that's
because Harden was stymied.
The second-year man out of Arizona State will need to produce as he gives the
Thunder not only a legitimate threat as a third scoring option, but as a
major sparkplug off the bench. He's the kind of player who can get hot in a
hurry and when he sees shots go in he becomes more aggressive and will start
to attack the basket.
This adds an interesting dimension to OKC's offense as it can have three guys
who are able to create their own shots and get to the free throw line -
something that will put major pressure on even a good perimeter defensive team
like the Grizzlies.
So far, the Thunder haven't been as good as they probably should've been. With
the series shifting to Memphis now they'll find themselves in a similar
predicament to what the San Antonio Spurs were in. If they don't manage to
split, they're playoff run will come to an end in either Games 5 or 6.
The Sports Network
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