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Durant leads Thunder over Grizzlies 102-94

Dec 12, 2009 - 5:20 AM MEMPHIS, Tenn.(AP) -- Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder found out they could win a tough game in the fourth quarter.

They learned that right after they figured out how to blow a big lead in the third quarter.

Durant had 32 points and 10 rebounds to help the Oklahoma Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies 102-94 Friday night after they squandered what had been a 17-point lead in the first half.

The Thunder missed 17 of 20 shots in the third quarter and were outscored 28-10, giving the Grizzlies a 70-66 lead entering the fourth.

"That was one of the toughest third quarters we've played," Durant said. "That's a test that I think we passed. We came out in the fourth quarter against a good team and got the win."

Russell Westbrook scored 10 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, Nenad Krstic finished with 15 points and Jeff Green added 11 to help the Thunder snap the Grizzlies' three-game winning streak. Oklahoma City has won three of four.

Zach Randolph had 19 points and 20 rebounds for Memphis, Mike Conley scored 20 points and O.J. Mayo added 18.

Rudy Gay scored 16 points, but was 4 of 16 from the field. Memphis also hurt its chances by going 14 of 24 from the free-throw line.

"You've got to make free throws," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "We lost by eight and missed 10 free throws. If we make eight, we're tied and into overtime. If we make nine, we win the game."

Randolph's 13 rebounds in the third set a Grizzlies record for rebounds in a quarter.

Oklahoma City scored 10 consecutive points in the middle of the fourth to regain the lead. Westbrook's 3-pointer put Oklahoma City up 86-75 lead with 5 minutes left, and Memphis couldn't recover.

"We just plan ran out of gas," Conley said.

NOTES: Durant has led the Thunder in scoring 18 of the team's 21 games. ... Durant has seven straight games scoring at least 25 points. ... The game featured the two youngest teams in the NBA. The Grizzlies average age was 25 years, 92 days at the start of the season, while the Thunder's was 25 years, 130 days. ... Randolph also had several other franchise records for rebounds in the game, including offensive rebounds in a game with 11, breaking his own record of 10 earlier this year at Phoenix.