Grizzlies bring big momentum to Game 4 vs. Thunder

By J. Michael Falgoust, USA TODAY

MEMPHIS � Any hopes the Memphis Grizzlies had of a comeback appeared to be squashed Saturday when Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook sucked all the air out of FedEx Forum.

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  By Alonzo Adams, AP

  Forwards Shane Battier, left, and Sam Young are strong defenders and give the Grizzlies length on the perimeter.

By Alonzo Adams, AP

Forwards Shane Battier, left, and Sam Young are strong defenders and give the Grizzlies length on the perimeter.

Westbrook nailed a three-pointer at the top of the key to stretch the lead to 66-52. Then he walked toward his bench, letting out a long "Woooo" and punctuating it with a "Boom." He even held a pose after shaking Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley for a jump shot at 72-57.

That's when the wheels came off for the Thunder, who were outscored 23-10 in the fourth quarter as Memphis tied the score at 86 in regulation and pulled away in overtime to win Game 3 101-93. The Grizzlies enter Game 4 Monday (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT) with a 2-1 series lead.

"When you're up 16 on the road, you start to feel good," Memphis forward Shane Battier said Sunday. "You start to feel invincible. We've all been there."

Westbrook missed five of six shots in the fourth quarter, when he had three of his seven turnovers. Kevin Durant, the NBA's leading scorer for the last two regular seasons and averaging a playoff-best 31.6 points a game, missed five of seven shots then.

The Thunder's offense flat-lined. They relied on too many quick shots and resorted to too much one-on-one, with Westbrook looking for his shot instead of creating for teammates.

"It wasn't all Russell," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said after Sunday's practice. "It was some, so he's a part of it. It was Kevin, it was guys that were out there, including myself. We have to do a better job making sure we're all running every set, every offensive play with great energy."

But Westbrook has 18 turnovers in this series. He's also shooting 38.5% from the field, down from 44.2% for the season.

The usually low-key Durant was so frustrated at his team's performance that he mumbled an expletive as he walked away from the news media after Game 3. He expects better.

"We're good on bounce-back games, and hopefully tomorrow is another case of that," Durant said. "Going through adversity is part of the playoffs, and we just have to push through it."

The numbers don't lie about the Thunder's problems with ball movement. They were 24th in assists per game this season.

To get past the Grizzlies, who have physically strong and lengthy perimeter defenders in 6-8 Battier, 6-4 Tony Allen and 6-6 Sam Young, the Thunder have to create space to get cleaner looks at the basket.

It also will help them get into the lane for higher percentage shots. Westbrook and Durant are the best combination in the NBA in getting to the foul line. They average 15 points combined from there in the playoffs.

In Game 3, they made eight ? none for Durant.

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