Official Oklahoma City Thunder VS Memphis Grizzlies Series Thread: OKC Wins

[bossplaya0625]

Game 7 should be epic, its been a great series with these two young teams

Wonder if all this time off is gonna hurt Dallas

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by I AM THAT DUDE

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

Now thats how you call the past two games.

Double digit win by OKC in Game 5 and double digit win by Memphis in Game 6. I $%!%%%! called it. Now, lets $%!%%%! go!

Win or go home

 @ OKC having to go 7 games with the Grizz without their best two way player playing.

Shutup, you;'re the same kat who said Rudy Gay was the best player on the USA Team and needed to be the focal point. Your man boobooed in his pants one game

If Rudy was playing, you don't get the same production and minutes from everybody else. It's not as simple as just adding 20pts to whatever happened without them there.

This dude Scott Brooks on the post game lying, you ain't going to watch no film or draw up nothing. You're just going to "wing it" and count on the greatness of KD and Russ and hope they figure it out.

I'm at game 7, already got my ticket. All that's up in the air is am I going to spend the night again or drive up there Sunday morning since it's 3:30 which isn't too early.

Saying Rudy was one of the best offensive skilled perimeter players on that squad outside of KD is the truth. He's one of the few perimeter players in the league that you can't really guard. I know what he's capable of doing and you just keep thinking its not that simple. A blind man can tell you that adding Rudy Gay to whats already established will make this team that much better. No need to discuss that any further.

People blaming Rudy for Acie Law being the backup PG at the beginning of the year, Tony Allen getting DNP's, Thabeet getting minutes and Xavier Henry being in the starting lineup. Wouldn't you think that has more to do with the team playing bad or not hitting on all cylinders? No, you would rather blame a player that was having arguable his best season in the NBA and efficiently at that. Our ball movement was pretty similar 15 games before Rudy went down and how you think teams will stop Memphis when you get Zbo or Marc in the high/low or Zbo on the block? No more of that Tony Allen and Sam Young on the wing right? You have a guy that can create his own shot. Its like saying the Bulls are better off with their current team and having a SG thats capable of creating their own shot will hurt the teams offense.

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by I AM THAT DUDE

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

Now thats how you call the past two games.

Double digit win by OKC in Game 5 and double digit win by Memphis in Game 6. I $%!%%%! called it. Now, lets $%!%%%! go!

Win or go home

 @ OKC having to go 7 games with the Grizz without their best two way player playing.

Shutup, you;'re the same kat who said Rudy Gay was the best player on the USA Team and needed to be the focal point. Your man boobooed in his pants one game

If Rudy was playing, you don't get the same production and minutes from everybody else. It's not as simple as just adding 20pts to whatever happened without them there.

This dude Scott Brooks on the post game lying, you ain't going to watch no film or draw up nothing. You're just going to "wing it" and count on the greatness of KD and Russ and hope they figure it out.

I'm at game 7, already got my ticket. All that's up in the air is am I going to spend the night again or drive up there Sunday morning since it's 3:30 which isn't too early.

Saying Rudy was one of the best offensive skilled perimeter players on that squad outside of KD is the truth. He's one of the few perimeter players in the league that you can't really guard. I know what he's capable of doing and you just keep thinking its not that simple. A blind man can tell you that adding Rudy Gay to whats already established will make this team that much better. No need to discuss that any further.

People blaming Rudy for Acie Law being the backup PG at the beginning of the year, Tony Allen getting DNP's, Thabeet getting minutes and Xavier Henry being in the starting lineup. Wouldn't you think that has more to do with the team playing bad or not hitting on all cylinders? No, you would rather blame a player that was having arguable his best season in the NBA and efficiently at that. Our ball movement was pretty similar 15 games before Rudy went down and how you think teams will stop Memphis when you get Zbo or Marc in the high/low or Zbo on the block? No more of that Tony Allen and Sam Young on the wing right? You have a guy that can create his own shot. Its like saying the Bulls are better off with their current team and having a SG thats capable of creating their own shot will hurt the teams offense.

 

[i am that dude]

No, you didn't say outside of KD. You said KD included. It was after KD had a marginal game and everybody was expectedly overreacting (much like tonight) and talking about how he shouldn't be on the team, shouldn't be in the NBA,etc.

 

[i am that dude]

No, you didn't say outside of KD. You said KD included. It was after KD had a marginal game and everybody was expectedly overreacting (much like tonight) and talking about how he shouldn't be on the team, shouldn't be in the NBA,etc.

 

[memphisboi55]

I still say like i been saying for past couple years. Trade Conley please and get a better point. Or atleast let him be our backup.

 

[memphisboi55]

I still say like i been saying for past couple years. Trade Conley please and get a better point. Or atleast let him be our backup.

 

[|A-Man|]

Originally Posted by OHyeah10

I dont think the grizz would be this far if they had rudy gay still. the cohesion this team has right now is crazy

I think they'd have it if Rudy got hurt, recovered quicker, and was being worked back in to the game off the bench and not just thrusting him back to that go to guy role. Zach still breaks out along with Gasol and Rudy gets plugged in this round.

 

[|A-Man|]

Originally Posted by OHyeah10

I dont think the grizz would be this far if they had rudy gay still. the cohesion this team has right now is crazy

I think they'd have it if Rudy got hurt, recovered quicker, and was being worked back in to the game off the bench and not just thrusting him back to that go to guy role. Zach still breaks out along with Gasol and Rudy gets plugged in this round.

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by I AM THAT DUDE

No, you didn't say outside of KD. You said KD included. It was after KD had a marginal game and everybody was expectedly overreacting (much like tonight) and talking about how he shouldn't be on the team, shouldn't be in the NBA,etc.

I probably did say that, especially in international play. No other forward can stop Rudy on the block or slashing to the rim. He's not a high volume shooter like KD, but he gets it done in other ways. Rudy's problem was settling for outside jumpers too much and that's not where he's the most effective at. Tell me I'm wrong. Don't remember people or me saying he shouldn't have been on the team and crap though.

  

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by I AM THAT DUDE

No, you didn't say outside of KD. You said KD included. It was after KD had a marginal game and everybody was expectedly overreacting (much like tonight) and talking about how he shouldn't be on the team, shouldn't be in the NBA,etc.

I probably did say that, especially in international play. No other forward can stop Rudy on the block or slashing to the rim. He's not a high volume shooter like KD, but he gets it done in other ways. Rudy's problem was settling for outside jumpers too much and that's not where he's the most effective at. Tell me I'm wrong. Don't remember people or me saying he shouldn't have been on the team and crap though.

  

 

[useref15]

It'd be cool to see Memphis advance, but OKC vs Dal would really be the better series.

 

[useref15]

It'd be cool to see Memphis advance, but OKC vs Dal would really be the better series.

 

[jaysrcrak]

^yeah cuz Memphis would probably dominate Dallas like they did in the regular season.
Dallas is praying for OKC to win

 

[jaysrcrak]

^yeah cuz Memphis would probably dominate Dallas like they did in the regular season.
Dallas is praying for OKC to win

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by useref15

It'd be cool to see Memphis advance, but OKC vs Dal would really be the better series.

Do you really want to see Westbrook blowing by Dallas backcourt every possession?

Of course I'm bias, but....you have two divison matchups, zbo vs dirk, arthur back in his hometown, high powered offense vs. very strong defense, etc.

  

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by useref15

It'd be cool to see Memphis advance, but OKC vs Dal would really be the better series.

Do you really want to see Westbrook blowing by Dallas backcourt every possession?

Of course I'm bias, but....you have two divison matchups, zbo vs dirk, arthur back in his hometown, high powered offense vs. very strong defense, etc.

  

 

[i am that dude]

OKC vs Dallas would be an i35 matchup though, a Red River rivalry which already exists on the college sports (especially football) level making it to the NBA. The cities are separated by about a 3 hr drive and less than 30 minute flight. Perkins is from TX (Beaumont), KD and Ivey went to TX, don't know if Russ and Harden (LA) like In'N'Out but they can have that now on the road, Brooks played in Houston, etc. Most importantly though is the Red River rivalry extending to the NBA now.

 

[pmatic]

Randolph Returns, Durant Disappears!

At halftime of Friday night's Oklahoma City Thunder/Memphis Grizzlies playoff game, the visitor held a 54-44 lead...and was 24 minutes away from advancing to the Western Conference finals against Dallas. I started writing my OKC/Dallas series preview because that's got to go up some time Saturday if they play Sunday. HA! Memphis had something else in mind, and stormed to a stunning 51-29 second half slaughter on the broad back of suddenly resurgent Zach Randolph.

Before Randolph found that second wind (though it might be a fifth wind given the grueling nature of this series), there seemed to be little hope for a Memphis rally. They had no zip in their 99-72 Game Five loss Wednesday. There was a point in the first half tonight which strongly suggested the tank wasn't going to be refilled.

I jotted down these numbers at one point in the second quarter on my legal pad:
Oklahoma City 10 of 15 on two-pointers (67%)
Memphis 10 of 31 on two-pointers (32%)

Oklahoma City was getting good shots and making them. Memphis still didn't have their legs back. Even short shots were hitting the front of the rim, or were off line, or had a flatter arc than needed. Whatever had been containing Randolph over the past few games (great defense, his own fatigue) was still working. The series seemed over.

At various times during the playoffs I've been watching the telecasts with the volume down. Writing something...dishwasher's running...whatever. The advantage of that is that your eye tends to catch when a team's energy level changes. For some teams, that's on defense. They just stop rotating or challenging drives to the bucket. For others, you see it with half-hearted offensive possessions and jump shots that fall short. It was clear in the third quarter that Oklahoma City lost their legs.

Memphis never found their legs when losing Game Five 99-72...immediately on the heels of a heartbreaking triple overtime loss a game earlier. Either OKC finally ran out of gas themselves in the second half tonight. Or, they started thinking about Dallas and lost the focus they needed to hustle all over the court. Regardless...

*Randolph would become unstoppable in the second half for Memphis. He was 7 of 13 from the floor, and picked up six more points from the free throw line to finish with 20 points in the last two quarters, and 30 for the game.

*Memphis as a team was 21 of 36 on two-pointers after the time I jotted down their poor start. Several other players took turns attacking the basket, which is characteristic of this team when it's clicking. 

*Oklahoma City suddenly stopped attacking, and settled for ill-advised three-point attempts. The Thunder were 4 of 25 from behind the arc on the night. In the three games in Memphis, the Thunder shot 4/21, 5/24, and 4/25 from long range (13/70 total). That's two overtime games, and possibly this delayed reaction fatigue spot suggesting that the Thunder must resist the urge to cross their fingers on treys when they get tired.

*Perhaps the most telling stat of the whole night, Kevin Durant only took FIVE two point shots in 37 minutes of playing time! He was 1 of 9 from behind the arc, 2 of 5 inside. This was either HORRIBLE decision-making, or the actions of a very tired player. For the series...

DURANT'S SHOT DISTRUBUTION
Game One: 16 two-point attempts, 5 trey attempts
Game Two: 16 two-point attempts, 2 trey attempts
Game Three: 17 two-point atempts, 7 trey attempts
Game Four: 14 two-point attempts, 6 trey attempts
Game Five: 10 two-point attempts, 4 trey attempts
Game Six: 5 two-point attempts, 9 trey attempts

Signs suggest he first started tiring in Game Three, the first overtime battle. Durant was 2 of 7 on treys in that game, and is 5 of 26 on treys in Games 3-6. Unless he sprained an ankle in practice and isn't telling anyone, the numbers above are showing you fatigue.  

And, THAT'S how you get a 51-29 second half. Randolph bullying a tired defense. No counterpunches from the fading foe.

MEMPHIS 95, OKLAHOMA CITY 83
2-point pct: OKC 55%, Memphis 46%
3-pointers: OKC 4/25, Memphis 5/16
Turnovers: OKC 16, Memphis 11
1's and 2's: OKC 71, Memphis 80

Oklahoma City had a strong night on deuces because of the hot start. When things went south, they reverted to three's...which means the two's didn't have much of a chance to slump in the final numbers you see above.

Other notes:

*In its victories, Memphis has won 1's and 2's by scores of 105-83, 92-81, and 80-71. Oklahoma City is plus +16 on 1's and 2's in its three wins.

*In its victories, Memphis has won turnovers by margins of 7-18, 9-13, and 11-16. Oklahoma City has neutralized turnovers in its wins.

*In its victories, Memphis is +5 in rebounds. Oklahoma City is +12 in rebounds when they win.

*Even though Durant played poorly tonight, he still had a plus/minus of -2 in a 12-point loss. Russell Westbrook had solid numbers and maintained his composure. But, the Thunder were a stunning -19 with him on the court. Each guy played 37 minutes. Since Westbrook isn't in charge of guarding Randolph, it's hard to pin that big a negative on him. He was on the floor when the gas tank hit "E." He didn't drive the car into a tree.

What's a best expectation for Game Seven? Who's going to have their legs?! Its been a grueling series. And that's an afternoon game which means less preparation and rest time. If Durant plays like he did tonight, OKC is in trouble even with home court advantage. If Randolph plays like he did tonight, same thing. We've seen so much ebb and flow in this entertaining matchup that there may be at least two zigs and one zag left.
Link

 

[pmatic]

Randolph Returns, Durant Disappears!

At halftime of Friday night's Oklahoma City Thunder/Memphis Grizzlies playoff game, the visitor held a 54-44 lead...and was 24 minutes away from advancing to the Western Conference finals against Dallas. I started writing my OKC/Dallas series preview because that's got to go up some time Saturday if they play Sunday. HA! Memphis had something else in mind, and stormed to a stunning 51-29 second half slaughter on the broad back of suddenly resurgent Zach Randolph.

Before Randolph found that second wind (though it might be a fifth wind given the grueling nature of this series), there seemed to be little hope for a Memphis rally. They had no zip in their 99-72 Game Five loss Wednesday. There was a point in the first half tonight which strongly suggested the tank wasn't going to be refilled.

I jotted down these numbers at one point in the second quarter on my legal pad:
Oklahoma City 10 of 15 on two-pointers (67%)
Memphis 10 of 31 on two-pointers (32%)

Oklahoma City was getting good shots and making them. Memphis still didn't have their legs back. Even short shots were hitting the front of the rim, or were off line, or had a flatter arc than needed. Whatever had been containing Randolph over the past few games (great defense, his own fatigue) was still working. The series seemed over.

At various times during the playoffs I've been watching the telecasts with the volume down. Writing something...dishwasher's running...whatever. The advantage of that is that your eye tends to catch when a team's energy level changes. For some teams, that's on defense. They just stop rotating or challenging drives to the bucket. For others, you see it with half-hearted offensive possessions and jump shots that fall short. It was clear in the third quarter that Oklahoma City lost their legs.

Memphis never found their legs when losing Game Five 99-72...immediately on the heels of a heartbreaking triple overtime loss a game earlier. Either OKC finally ran out of gas themselves in the second half tonight. Or, they started thinking about Dallas and lost the focus they needed to hustle all over the court. Regardless...

*Randolph would become unstoppable in the second half for Memphis. He was 7 of 13 from the floor, and picked up six more points from the free throw line to finish with 20 points in the last two quarters, and 30 for the game.

*Memphis as a team was 21 of 36 on two-pointers after the time I jotted down their poor start. Several other players took turns attacking the basket, which is characteristic of this team when it's clicking. 

*Oklahoma City suddenly stopped attacking, and settled for ill-advised three-point attempts. The Thunder were 4 of 25 from behind the arc on the night. In the three games in Memphis, the Thunder shot 4/21, 5/24, and 4/25 from long range (13/70 total). That's two overtime games, and possibly this delayed reaction fatigue spot suggesting that the Thunder must resist the urge to cross their fingers on treys when they get tired.

*Perhaps the most telling stat of the whole night, Kevin Durant only took FIVE two point shots in 37 minutes of playing time! He was 1 of 9 from behind the arc, 2 of 5 inside. This was either HORRIBLE decision-making, or the actions of a very tired player. For the series...

DURANT'S SHOT DISTRUBUTION
Game One: 16 two-point attempts, 5 trey attempts
Game Two: 16 two-point attempts, 2 trey attempts
Game Three: 17 two-point atempts, 7 trey attempts
Game Four: 14 two-point attempts, 6 trey attempts
Game Five: 10 two-point attempts, 4 trey attempts
Game Six: 5 two-point attempts, 9 trey attempts

Signs suggest he first started tiring in Game Three, the first overtime battle. Durant was 2 of 7 on treys in that game, and is 5 of 26 on treys in Games 3-6. Unless he sprained an ankle in practice and isn't telling anyone, the numbers above are showing you fatigue.  

And, THAT'S how you get a 51-29 second half. Randolph bullying a tired defense. No counterpunches from the fading foe.

MEMPHIS 95, OKLAHOMA CITY 83
2-point pct: OKC 55%, Memphis 46%
3-pointers: OKC 4/25, Memphis 5/16
Turnovers: OKC 16, Memphis 11
1's and 2's: OKC 71, Memphis 80

Oklahoma City had a strong night on deuces because of the hot start. When things went south, they reverted to three's...which means the two's didn't have much of a chance to slump in the final numbers you see above.

Other notes:

*In its victories, Memphis has won 1's and 2's by scores of 105-83, 92-81, and 80-71. Oklahoma City is plus +16 on 1's and 2's in its three wins.

*In its victories, Memphis has won turnovers by margins of 7-18, 9-13, and 11-16. Oklahoma City has neutralized turnovers in its wins.

*In its victories, Memphis is +5 in rebounds. Oklahoma City is +12 in rebounds when they win.

*Even though Durant played poorly tonight, he still had a plus/minus of -2 in a 12-point loss. Russell Westbrook had solid numbers and maintained his composure. But, the Thunder were a stunning -19 with him on the court. Each guy played 37 minutes. Since Westbrook isn't in charge of guarding Randolph, it's hard to pin that big a negative on him. He was on the floor when the gas tank hit "E." He didn't drive the car into a tree.

What's a best expectation for Game Seven? Who's going to have their legs?! Its been a grueling series. And that's an afternoon game which means less preparation and rest time. If Durant plays like he did tonight, OKC is in trouble even with home court advantage. If Randolph plays like he did tonight, same thing. We've seen so much ebb and flow in this entertaining matchup that there may be at least two zigs and one zag left.
Link

 

[i am that dude]

OKC vs Dallas would be an i35 matchup though, a Red River rivalry which already exists on the college sports (especially football) level making it to the NBA. The cities are separated by about a 3 hr drive and less than 30 minute flight. Perkins is from TX (Beaumont), KD and Ivey went to TX, don't know if Russ and Harden (LA) like In'N'Out but they can have that now on the road, Brooks played in Houston, etc. Most importantly though is the Red River rivalry extending to the NBA now.

 

[Mound Raised]

^f all dat red river !!!+

Go grizz

 

[Mound Raised]

^f all dat red river !!!+

Go grizz

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by moundraised23

^f all dat red river !!!+

Go grizz

Game 7 is when you throw all the "fatigue excuses" out the window. You either going to leave it all on the floor or your not.

I believe that type of scenario favors Memphis because that's just who they are, but OKC's crowd will keep the Thunder motivated. The best thing to do is to just play our game, keep our composure, etc. We've won @ San Antonio and almost beat them twice if it wasn't for that Neal shot. We beat OKC @ home as well. We are very capable of pulling this out, but we CANNOT shoot 35% from the field in the 1st half. If we shoot that terrible on the road, there is a chance the crowd can rally OKC into another double digit lead.

  

 

[statis22]

Royal Ivey's still in the league?