The Oklahoma City Thunder had wonderful success in stopping Memphis Grizzlies bully Zach Randolph in Game 2 of the teams' NBA Playoffs series. Z-Bo was unstoppable in Game 1, but couldn't get many clean looks in Game 2 on his way to a disappointing (and fatal, for the Grizz) 2-13 shooting night. The adjustments that the Thunder made may not hold -- Randolph is an excellent scorer who has too many moves to get held down for long -- but they certainly worked on Tuesday.
Thunder Vs. Grizzlies, Game 3: Russell Westbrook, OKC Try To Do It Again
On the other end, Russell Westbrook was in full control of his own body and his team. The third-year point guard scored 24 and toned down his aggressiveness to give co-star (and scoring champ) Kevin Durant some space; KD finished with 26 on 8-18 shooting and 10 free throws. The Thunder's offense rises and falls with Westbrook; when he's right, the team is almost unstoppable. When he's not? Flaws can be exposed.
For Memphis, it all comes down to Randolph succeeding and the other four players on the court with him filling gaps. That means Marc Gasol needs to stop Serge Ibaka in the paint and put pressure on Kendrick Perkins and Ibaka on the other end. It means Mike Conley's decision-making in the pick-and-roll -- quite good in Game 2, but inconsistent -- must be passable.
The teams tip off at 5 p.m. ET. Be sure to check out our Thunder vs. Grizzlies hub for full series coverage. For more on the Thunder, visit Welcome To Loud City. For more on the Grizzlies, visit Straight Outta Vancouver.
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