The Oklahoma City Thunder were considered a heavy favorite to represent the Western Conference in the 2013 NBA Finals entering the postseason.
With premier point guard and team catalyst Russell Westbrook going down with an ankle injury in their first round series against the Houston Rockets, however, OKC has become an inconsistent squad, completely reliant on the play of All-Star Kevin Durant.
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Needing to find some offensive balance while figuring out how to slow down Memphis big men Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, the Thunder will visit the Grizzlies in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals as they attempt to even the series at two games apiece.
The contest will tip off on Monday, May 13, at 9:30pm, EDT. Television coverage will be provided by both the TNT network and Canada's TSN2 channel.
A dominating duo of Gasol and Randolph has created a defensive nightmare for the Thunder.
The 28-year-old Gasol is coming off a big performance in Memphis' 87-81 Game 3 victory. Guiding the team with 20 points and 9 rebounds, Gasol has been a severe matchup problem in the conference semis, averaging just under 19 points and 8 rebounds through the first three games.
While Gasol has been lighting up the Thunder, teammate Zach Randolph has put together a fantastic postseason as well. In the last victory, Randolph only scored 8 points on 4-of-12 shooting, but grabbed 10 rebounds to help the Grizzlies win the battle of the boards with OKC. In this series alone, the 31-year-old is totaling over 13 points and 9 rebounds per game.
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Knowing his team needs to win the upcoming crucial road playoff game, Kevin Durant wants his squad to put the Game 3 lost behind them.
"We can't come into practice today and with our heads down moping around because we lost the basketball game," Durant said to reporters from NBA.com. "We just got to keep moving forward, keep fighting and we'll be fine."
Even though the six-year man from the University of Texas leads the team in scoring, averaging over 30 points per game, Durant still feels he can do more to help Oklahoma City even the series and perhaps continue their quest to return to the NBA Finals.
"I can do a lot more. There's always things. No matter how good you play, you always can do more," Durant said to ESPN. "I gotta find ways to help my teammates out and put them in great position. Continue to just be a vocal leader, a positive leader on the bench and every time down the court."
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The Thunder could also use a more consistent effort from starting center Serge Ibaka. In three games this series, Ibaka has been significantly outplayed by the Grizzlies' big men. While he did score 13 points in the Game 3 defeat, the former first-round pick has only averaged 9 points and 6 rebounds against a physical Memphis unit.
Oklahoma City obviously needs to improve their offensive balance as relying solely on Kevin Durant may not be good enough to help them advance out of the conference semifinals.
As they attempt to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole, be sure to catch the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday, May 13 at 9:30pm, EDT. Television coverage will be provided by the TNT network and TSN2.
WATCH HIGHLIGHTS From The Grizzlies 87-81 Game 4 Victory:
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