Memphis Takes Game 3 After Meltdown

Losing games like this make me furious. More furious than locking my keys in my car, driving through water immediately following a car wash, or even glancing at Jeff Foster.

I'm not saying Memphis can't win a game against the Thunder, as doing so would be idiotic. But when OKC blows a 16-point lead in their building in a crucial Game 3, I can't ignore the growing frustration building inside of me. The problems were glaring in Game 1. Then Z-Bo was contained for Game 2. The major issues appeared to have been addressed with only minor tweaks being needed from here on out. 

For the majority of Game 3, OKC played well. Good enough to win a pivotal road playoff game. Then, something happened. A switch flipped. The offense was taken for granted. Laziness reared its ugly head. Turnovers started piling up while shooting percentages went down faster than a skydiving rhinoceros. 

For 3 quarters, the Thunder were in control. They played their brand of basketball and forced the Grizzlies into submission. Then the 4th quarter began. 

Shots stopped falling, passes went to the other team or fans, and OKC began to lose energy. Combine that with Memphis creeping back into the game, and you have an entire arena of fans going absolutely berserk. 

Here's a stat for you. Memphis outscored OKC 23-10 in the 4th quarter. 10 points? But we have Kevin Durant, the back-to-back scoring champion, and Russell Westbrook, the uber-athletic All-Star point guard. Unfortunately, good players in a stagnant offense are as ineffective as bad ones. And it wasn't a few minutes that OKC's offense was downright horrible. It was an entire quarter. Where were the adjustments? Yes, I'm looking at you Scott Brooks. OKC is one of the worst teams at coming up with a high percentage shot out of a timeout. And that falls on the shoulders of Scott Brooks.  When things aren't working, change them up. What about Nate Robinson? The offense for the Thunder was so abysmal that Nate was as good an option as everyone else.

OKC played winning basketball for 3 quarters, and then fell flat on their faces. I give credit to the Memphis Grizzlies for stepping up, hitting shots, and never giving up against OKC. Memphis could have called it quits going into the 4th down by 13 but they kept fighting and salvaged their perfect home court record in the playoffs.

As for OKC, Game 4 is now Game 7. If OKC fails to steal a game on the road, they will be on the wrong side of history being made. 

Here is the box score courtesy of ESPN.

Next up: Game 4 @ Memphis Grizzlies, 8:30 pm CT on TNT.