Conley leads Grizzlies to valuable road win despite Durant’s best efforts.
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley led his team to a 99-93 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, as they tie the series 1-1.
Conley narrowly missed out on a triple-double with his 26 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists on the night, as he went 11-for-22 shooting. However, following an inspired fourth quarter he will be delighted to have helped clinch a vital road win.
Kevin Durant also just missed out a triple-double of his own, scoring 36 points as well as posting up 10 rebounds and 9 assists. However, it wasn’t enough to help the Thunder seal the win, having given up a staggering 30 points in the fourth quarter.
The Grizzlies had big production from both Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, who had 24 and 15 points respectively, and are arguably forcing their way towards being favourites for this series.
It was a nail-biting finish in Game 1 in which OKC ultimately prevailed, but despite the heroics of Durant they continue to struggle to dominate as they would normally in the absence of Russell Westbrook.
Derek Fisher had an impressive game as he scored 19 points, but the biggest source of disappointment for coach Scott Brooks will be the limited contributions elsewhere.
Serge Ibaka had 11 points while Reggie Jackson added a further 10, but it was Thunder sixth man Kevin Martin who managed just six on 2-for-11 shooting, and that simply won’t be enough for Oklahoma City if they have hopes of advancing.
Game 3 takes place in Memphis on Saturday night, and with back-to-back home games the Grizzlies have a great opportunity to put themselves in a commanding position before their return to the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
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