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Tag: Memphis Grizzlies

  • Oklahoma City Thunder Suffers Game 5 Defeat in OT

    Fans got their money’s worth and more when they were treated to free basketball last night when the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in overtime by a score of 100-99.

    Despite having home court advantage for situations like this, the Thunder just wasn’t able to pull ahead and secure a victory for Game 5 of the Playoffs. Instead, it was the Grizzlies who moved ahead, winning three games out of the series.

    “That’s what we do,” said Memphis forward Zach Randolph in an interview. “Nothing comes easy for us. We get it out the mud. We grind it. We’re underdogs and we just keep playing and playing.”

    In this fourth straight game that has gone into overtime between the two, the Thunder’s Kevin Durant missed a long three-pointer with 2.9 seconds remaining in the extra quarter. Serge Ibaka tipped the ball in, which seemingly made the Thunder the victors of the game.

    Officials reviewed the shot, however, and determined the ball was released after the buzzer. The three points were removed from the score and the Grizzlies took the win.

    ”I had a good look at it and I thought it was good when it left my hand,” said Durant.” And then Serge’s follow shot was just late. It was a tough finish but we’ve got to come back.”

    The Thunder displayed an impressive comeback attempt, as the team was down by 20 points in the third quarter. Oklahoma City only trailed by six at the start of the fourth quarter and eventually took a 79-78 lead.

    It was a series of events in overtime however that put the nail in the coffin for the Thunder. With 27.5 seconds left in the quarter, Durant made the first of two free throws, bringing the score to 100-99 in Memphis’ favor.

    Before Durant took his second shot, referee Joey Crawford took the ball from him and walked over to the scorer’s table. Crawford began shouting at the scoreboard operator asking him to make a change. The players were unaware of what Crawford was asking the scorer to do. After the delay, Durant, the NBA’s scoring champion who is an 87-percent free throw shooter during the regular season, missed the second shot.

    The two teams will face off against each other in Memphis tonight for Game 6 of the playoff series.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kevin Durant Hits Improbable Shot; OKC Loses

    The MVP race in the NBA this year was and still is absolutely no contest. Kevin Durant has been the best basketball player in the world in 2014, by far. His statistics prove just how unreal his 2013-14 campaign has been: 32 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. The only other player who comes close to KD’s numbers is LeBron James, and even he believes the honor should go to Durant: “I would say he’s the most consistent basketball player as far as the MVP this year, man. He’s put up some great numbers.”

    If that wasn’t enough proof that Durant should be this year’s NBA MVP, the closing seconds of regulation in Monday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies solidifies the argument.

    With the Oklahoma City Thunder down 5 with 13.8 seconds to go in the game, Kevin Durant received the ball in the very corner of the court from Russell Westbrook after the OKC guard nearly had the ball stripped. As KD received the pass, Grizzlies center Marc Gasol bodied him up, bumping Durant out of bounds. Before he landed, though, Durant threw up this circus shot:

    Kevin Durant Crazy 3

    Prompting this reaction from his teammates on the bench:

    OKC Bench Reaction

    While the celebration was definitely warranted, perhaps the moment of the shot created too much pandemonium and havoc, especially considering the Thunder would go on to lose to the Grizzlies in overtime, 111-105.

    When asked if the shot was the best of his still young career, KD replied with an NBA MVP-caliber answer: ”I don’t know, man. We lost, so it really don’t matter.”

    While Oklahoma City may be the No. 2 seed in the West and feature perhaps the two most exciting players in the league with Durant and Russell Westbrook, they have their hands more than full with the No. 7 seed Memphis Grizzlies.

    The match-up is so difficult for the Thunder due to the contrasting styles between the two teams: OKC wants to play loose and up-tempo, while the Grizzlies are looking to slow the game down and pound the ball down low to their two big men, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.

    ”Basically it’s just going to be a slugfest. We’re going to pound it. They’re going to run it. Whoever can come up with the most stops pretty much wins the game,” stated Tony Allen, the man who was tasked with defending Durant for the majority of the game.

    The validity of Allen’s statement rang true in the latter moments of overtime Monday night as the Grizzlies were able to pull away late by forcing OKC into bad shots. The Thunder shot under 40 percent in Monday’s contest, with Durant going 12-28.

    The momentum stays with the Grizzlies as the series moves to the Fed Ex Forum in Memphis for the next game. The series is currently tied 1-1, with Game 3 scheduled for Thursday night.

    (And another look because it is well-warranted.)

    Images via YouTube and Twitter , (1), and (2)

  • Jimmer Fredette Close to Becoming Free Agent

    According to NBA sources, Jimmer Fredette and the Sacramento Kings are close to finalizing a buyout agreement on Fredette’s contract.

    Once the buyout is finalized, Fredette still needs to clear NBA waivers. If that happens, though, he’ll soon be a free agent.

    Despite his outstanding college basketball career at Brigham Young University and being the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, Fredette has struggled to find his place with the Kings.

    Kings general manager Pete D’Alessandro said he has been working with Fredette’s representatives on the buyout agreement after trying unsuccessfully to place the third-year guard elsewhere prior to the NBA’s annual trade deadline last Thursday.

    He said that Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé “loves Jimmer and wants to do the right thing by Jimmer. We’re just talking about things at this point. There’s nothing done at this point.”

    “I think Pete D’Alessandro and Vivek Ranadivé, our owner, deserve a lot of credit,” head coach Michael Malone said prior to Tuesday night’s match up with the Houston Rockets. “Because we could just hold on to him and he could kind of finish out the season, go into free agency. But we’re trying to do this to help him out, to get (him) with a team where maybe he can get on a playoff roster and showcase his abilities in a different scenario…”

    Fredette didn’t play Tuesday night. The Kings lost 129-103 on home court.

    “His three years here have not gone the way he would have hoped obviously,” Malone said. “But I have a lot of respect for him as a man and how he’s carried himself through some difficult times, so hopefully this will all be resolved soon and I always wish Jimmer nothing but the best.”

    Among the teams rumored to be looking at signing Fredette should he become a free agent are the Memphis Grizzlies and the New York Knicks.

    Fredette boasts a loyal fan base that has carried over from his glory days at BYU. “Jimmermania” is still going strong, with the hashtag #freejimmer making the rounds on Twitter.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Zach Randolph Gives Shirt Right Off His Back

    Professional athletes have received a bad rap over the past decade due to the advent of 24/7 news stations and continual ESPN coverage. Many sports fans perhaps know more about their favorite athletes than their family due to the inane amount of coverage these athletes receive. Unfortunately for athletes, the media attention they do get is usually of the negative variety. Zach Randolph, forward for the Memphis Grizzlies, has been no stranger to negative media attention over the years. Randolph has been implicated with drugs and drug dealers, holds a checkered past during his youth, and has been known for his obscene antics on the court during his stint with the Portland TrailBlazers.

    However, Randolph has since matured and developed into an NBA player worthy of having many admirers. This month, Randolph received the November Kia Community Assist Award for his charity work with underprivileged children during the month of November:

    “As a part of the NBA’s Season of Giving, Randolph distributed 900 Thanksgiving food baskets at Booker T. Washington High School and Hamilton High School in Memphis. At both events, select families received tickets from Randolph to attend an upcoming Grizzlies game. Randolph also donated 500 turkeys and 500 spiral hams to be given away to 1,000 people at the Clarence Faulkner Community Center in Marion, Ind. In addition to Thanksgiving meals, he contributed 300 winter coats to students at Memphis’ A.B. Hill Elementary.”

    But it’s not these actions which have put Randolph in today’s spotlight. This time, it was Randolph’s actions on the court that brought a smile to a child’s face. During last night’s losing effort against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Randolph found himself riding the pine and chatting with a nearby fan. The fan, however, wanted more than a simple chat with the Grizzlies big man; he wanted Z-Bo’s shirt. Feeling the giving mood of Christmas, Randolph obliged and handed the kid the shirt right off his back.

    While many professional athletes use their positions of influence and authority to look out for numero uno, there are those who remember their upbringings and give back to those who need. Zach Randolph may have not been one of the giving kind at the beginning of his career, but recent actions prove that the All-Star NBA forward is becoming less of a Grinch and more of a Who – a trend which hopefully gains traction with professional athletes and millionaires worldwide.

    [Image via YouTube]