MEMPHIS – All season long, the Thunder has been working and building towards building a rhythm on both ends of the floor. On Tuesday night in Memphis, it finally all coalesced into 48 minutes of beautiful basketball.
In a 125-88 blowout over the Grizzlies, the Thunder executed on every phase of the game to make the result of this one obvious before the fourth quarter even began. The number one concern of any team playing the Grizzlies is to handle Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, which the Thunder did by being physical on the interior to force the Memphis big men into taking contest, long jumpers.
What was even more impressive defensively, however, was the way the Thunder shut down the engine of the Memphis offense, Mike Conley, who went 0-for-7 from the floor and was never able to get Memphis’ offense in rhythm.
For its own part, the Thunder didn’t manage to break free offensively until about midway through the second quarter, but once it hit fifth gear, it felt like all five players were running downhill on every possession. Led by Russell Westbrook’s career-high 12 assists in the first half, the Thunder made a blistering run predicated on pushing the tempo and getting out into space.
What was a one-point lead with five minutes to go in the half turned into a 12-point Thunder lead as Donovan’s team walked off the floor to end the half. Not only did the Thunder head into halftime on a hot streak, it emerged from the locker room blistering hot, with a 20-6 burst over the first seven minutes of the third quarter.
After racking up 19 assists on 23 made baskets in the first half, the Thunder followed it up with an unbelievable offensive display in the third quarter, racking up a 39-16 advantage during the first 12 minutes after halftime. During that period, the Thunder scored 16 fast break points, including 15 points on 10 forced turnovers.
Turning Point
There’s a reason why Donovan looks at assists first when he glances at the stat sheet after the game, and it was exemplified by the game-changing burst late in the second quarter when the Thunder went with a lineup of Westbrook, Anthony Morrow, Waiters, Durant and Ibaka. Over the final five minutes of the period, that group scored eight baskets, and all eight came on assists.
The offensive rhythm and flow was nearly perfect during the burst, fueled by getting into transition and pushing tempo after generating defensive stops. The Thunder’s 18-7 run was started by a Waiters drive-and-dish to Durant for a top-of-the-key three-pointer. After a hard-fought defensive stand, Westbrook then found Durant for a layup at the rim.
From there on out, Westbrook simply ran high screen-and-roll with Ibaka, finding his big man three times at the rim for easy finishes, and then Durant twice on a mid-range jumper and a three-pointer. Meanwhile, the Thunder’s suffocating defense forced Memphis into 3-for-11 shooting and a turnover
By the Numbers
6 – Number of Thunder players who scored in double figures, led by Kevin Durant’s 32 points, thanks to 31 total assists
16 – Assists by Russell Westbrook on the night, just one shy of a career-high, compared to just three turnovers
56.0-40.7 – The difference in field goal percentage between the Thunder and Grizzlies on the night
