Skip to content
Sixers
Link copied to clipboard

Grizzlies down Thunder, 87-81, to take 2-1 lead

Playing at home, Marc Gasol hit two free throws with 1:03 left to put the Grizzlies ahead to stay in their 87-81 win Saturday over the Oklahoma City Thunder to take a 2-1 series lead in their Western Conference semifinal.

Playing at home, Marc Gasol hit two free throws with 1:03 left to put the Grizzlies ahead to stay in their 87-81 win Saturday over the Oklahoma City Thunder to take a 2-1 series lead in their Western Conference semifinal.

Gasol scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half as Memphis remained unbeaten at home in the postseason.

Memphis pulled out the win in an ugly performance for both teams following a three-day layoff since Game 2. After struggling at the free throw line in Oklahoma City, the Grizzlies hit all six at the line in the final 1:03 to clinch it.

Meanwhile, Thunder star Kevin Durant, a 91 percent free throw shooter in the regular season, missed two with 39.3 seconds left. He finished with 25 points but scored only two in the fourth quarter.

Memphis won despite not winning in the categories the Grizzlies usually dominate.

The Thunder outrebounded the Grizzlies, 51-44, with a 14-5 edge on the offensive glass; and outscored them, 44-30, in the paint with a 23-7 edge on fast-break points. But the Thunder didn't score after Derek Fisher hit a three-pointer with 1:58 remaining, sealing the loss.

Spurs roar back

Down and dominated during most of the first two games at home, the San Antonio Spurs once again showed why nobody should ever count them out.

Tony Parker scored 25 of his 32 points in a sizzling first half, and Tim Duncan added 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Spurs quieted the Golden State Warriors and their rowdy Oakland, Calif., fans in a 102-92 victory Friday night to take a 2-1 series lead in their Western Conference semifinals.

The Spurs outshot the Warriors, 50.6 percent to 39.3 percent, and curbed streaky shooters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson for the first time in the series.

"They had Curry in the first game. They had Klay in the second one," said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili. "It was time for one of us to get hot."

Thompson scored 17 points on 7-of-20 shooting, while Curry had 16 points on 5 of 17 from the floor and sprained his left ankle again in the final minutes.

"It's real frustrating, but it's a short turnaround," said Warriors center Andrew Bogut. "The series definitely isn't over. The short turnaround suits a younger team like us."

- Associated Press