Memphis Grizzles Rally from 17 down,Lead Series 3-1

14 May, 2013

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Lionel Hollins demands a certain standard from his Grizzlies that he didn’t get in the first half against Oklahoma City.

Well, they came through after halftime, and now the Grizzlies are just a win away from this franchise’s first Western Conference final.

Mike Conley scored 24 points, while Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol each had a double-double as the Grizzlies rallied from a 17-point deficit in beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-97 in overtime Monday night.

“They were able to overcome everything, and we just kept battling until we got a win,” Hollins said. “I’m glad it didn’t go into three overtimes, but I’m glad to get the win.”

These teams played three overtimes in Game 4 in 2011 in the Western semifinals, a game in which the Thunder rallied from a first-half deficit and won. Oklahoma City eventually won that series in seven games.

This time around, the Thunder had the 17-point advantage with the Grizzlies rallying back to grab a 3-1 series lead. The comeback came after Hollins spoke to them at halftime and even shut off the film early.

“We knew he was upset, and the guys responded to that,” Grizzlies guard Tony Allen said.

Allen’s driving layup opened overtime and put the Grizzlies ahead to stay. The win pushed the defending Western Conference champions to the edge of elimination. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.

Memphis has yet to lose on its home court this postseason and now is 19-1 here since Feb. 8. The Grizzlies won their third straight overall and seventh in eight games to grab a 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven series with a win that left Hollins very impressed with the comeback.

Kevin Durant scored 27 points. But the man leading the league this postseason in scoring missed all five of his shots in the extra period, including a layup in the final seconds. Durant went 2 of 13 in the fourth quarter and overtime and had only five points. He did score on a driving layup that forced overtime.

AP

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