While the ghost of Derek Fisher nearly won this game for Oklahoma City — seriously, the Grizzlies probably expected anything else before expecting Fisher to go for 19 points — Kevin Durant was undeniably the best player on the floor. He unleashed a 36-point, 11-rebound, 9-assist gem that had everyone believing he’d somehow beat a 56-win team going solo. In the final 7:30 of Game 1, KD outscored Memphis by himself, 12-10. Then at around the same point last night, after watching Serge Ibaka brick a three and Nick Collison fumble a pass away, Durant lost Tony Allen with a crossover and layup, then canned a triple before dropping a running three-point play off the glass a few minutes later. It was a night of highlights for Durant, including a ridiculous return-to-sender on Jerryd Bayless…
…and this one, which is probably one of the best plays of Durant’s entire career (definitely the best play of this playoff run so far).
But on the Thunder’s biggest possession of the game, down four with a minute left, Allen baited Durant, and the OKC star stepped on TA’s ankle and fell over. The Grizzlies now have the split they needed, getting six late points on two jump shots and a freebie from Mike Conley. Conley, the guy Chuck calls “the most underrated very, very good player in the NBA” finished with 26 points, 10 boards and nine assists. … We’re out like Derek Fisher’s “Secret Stuff.”
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