Thunder at Grizzlies
THE STORY: Oklahoma City pulled off its own brand of a three-peat Sunday night, becoming the first team in the NBA this season to win on three consecutive nights with a 108-96 victory over San Antonio. The Thunder will try to make it four in a row Tuesday night when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies, who open a four-game homestand. Oklahoma City is first in the Western Conference. “You were hoping that you could win them all,” Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. “Fortunately for us, we did.” The Grizzlies probably can’t wait to get back home after falling to 1-4 on the road with a 90-82 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The Grizzlies showed they really miss injured Zach Randolph, as the Lakers outrebounded them 53-34. “We know we can play with anybody,” said Rudy Gay, who led Memphis with 19 points. “But it’s still deflating that you play a team like this close and then fall apart.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma (Thunder), SportSouth (Grizzlies)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (8-2): Backup guard Eric Maynor will be out the rest of the season after suffering a torn right ACL Saturday against Houston. Reggie Jackson replaced Maynor, who averaged 4.8 points and had 11 points in 23 minutes against the Spurs. “Eric's a tough kid,” Brooks said. “It's one thing to be out for a game or two, but the whole season is something else.” Of Jackson, Brooks said: “He doesn't have to score 20 points or have 10 assists, he just needs to be solid.”
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (3-4): The Grizzlies are 2-2 since Randolph went out with a partially torn ligament in his right knee on New Year’s Day, an injury expected to keep him out eight weeks. Coach Lionel Hollins seemingly has had enough of worrying about what the Grizzlies will do without Randolph. “Man, I don't want to talk about Zach Randolph. Zach is not here,” Hollins said. “This is our fourth game without Zach and we get beat and now somebody wants to ask me about Zach.”
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Memphis’ Marreese Speights, acquired from Philadelphia last week, had 17 points and seven rebounds against the Lakers.
2. Oklahoma City’s Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka each have blocked at least one shot in all 10 games this season. Ibaka’s streak is 23 games dating to last season.
3. Marc Gasol was 0 for 9 from the field and the Grizzlies were just 1 of 9 on 3-pointers against the Lakers.