Grizzlies at Thunder
The Memphis Grizzlies look to improve to 4-1 on a six-game road swing when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. Memphis opened the excursion by losing to Portland but rebounded to knock down the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets by an average of 15.3 points.
The Grizzlies close their journey against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday and just need to split the final two games to post a winning road trip. "It feels like we've finally got a good little stride going," point guard Mike Conley said after Wednesday's 119-99 win over the Nuggets. "I definitely think this is one of the best stretches we've played." The Thunder have dropped three straight contests and played one of their worst games of the season when they were routed 128-100 by the visiting Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. "Offensively, we get good shots," Oklahoma City center Steven Adams told reporters. "Sometimes it goes in, sometimes it doesn't, but you can't just let teams score a load of points."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Memphis), FSN Oklahoma
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (30-21): All-Star center Marc Gasol scored 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting against the Nuggets and is averaging 27.3 points over the last nine contests. But Memphis is just 5-4 during his splendid run and the big man knows it is because the defense has allowed an average of 110.8 points during the four defeats. "Offensively, we're playing good. We're moving the ball," Gasol told reporters. "We're finding the open guy and taking good shots, but defensively we need to tighten it up a little bit and be more disciplined."
ABOUT THE THUNDER (28-22): All-Star Russell Westbrook would play every minute of every game if allowed but coach Billy Donovan doesn't want to pump up his point guard's playing time in the wake of the recent injury to backup center Enes Kanter (broken forearm). Oklahoma City dropped its first three games without Kanter by an average of 19.3 points and Westbrook is among the players trying not to allow frustration to creep into the squad. "We've just got to know how important games are," said Westbrook, "especially being a young team we've got to embrace games like this, especially once you beat a team (like Chicago) earlier in the season they're going to come back and be ready to play."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams split two meetings earlier this season with the Grizzlies' win being a 114-80 rout on Dec. 29.
2. Memphis swingman Vince Carter recorded 14 points, six assists and five rebounds and made all three of his 3-point attempts against Denver.
3. Oklahoma City SG Victor Oladipo is 16-of-44 shooting over the past three games.