Thunder at Grizzlies
The Oklahoma City Thunder are trying to pull themselves out of a slump and find some momentum heading into the playoffs while also aiming for the best seed possible in a stacked Western Conference. The Thunder will try to put together back-to-back victories and stay in the No. 5 spot in the West when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
Oklahoma City could end up as high as third or as low as eighth in the West depending on how the final nine games of the season progress and it snapped a four-game slide with an impressive 116-109 triumph at Toronto on Friday. "We can't just get too high, we gotta stay pretty even-keeled," Thunder All-Star forward Paul George told reporters. "We can't just get emotionally too high, peak out and then next game comes, and we were just content with this win. We have to continue on with just building." The Grizzlies dropped four of their last five games and ran out of gas in the second half on Saturday while playing on the second night of a back-to-back. "I think fatigue caught up with us after last night's game," Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters after the 112-99 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. "The guys competed but we couldn't find that spark. We were flat."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, FS South (Memphis)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (43-30): Oklahoma City, which will play six of its final eight games at home after leaving Memphis, dropped a 123-114 overtime decision to the Raptors in the front end of the home-and-home on Wednesday and was down 10 at the half on Friday before turning things around after the break. "It felt amazing. We got back to our swag, kinda, how we play," reserve point guard Dennis Schroder told reporters. "We got some stops, got out in transition, sharing the ball. Everyone, from the first person to the last person, did a great job." Schroder contributed to the effort with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting while George poured in 28 in 41 minutes.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (29-44): Memphis' general fatigue did not seem to reach center Jonas Valanciunas, who collected 20 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday's loss. The former Toronto Raptor is averaging 25.3 points and 17.7 rebounds in the last three games and is up to 19.4 points and 9.9 boards in 15 games since joining the team. "It's my job to rebound and it's my job to clean up the boards after defense," Valanciunas told reporters. "That's the end of the defense - to get a rebound. We're trying to get better with that."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Thunder PG Russell Westbrook recorded his 28th triple-double of the season with 18 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds on Friday.
2. Memphis PG Mike Conley is averaging 28.6 points over his last seven games.
3. Oklahoma City took the last nine meetings, including the first two matchups this season.