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Jackson, Thunder outlast Memphis in OT to even series

Apr 27, 2014 - 5:48 AM Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Reggie Jackson bailed out the Thunder.

On a night Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook struggled shooting the ball, Jackson supplied a playoff career-best 32 points, including eight in overtime, to boost Oklahoma City to a 92-89 win over Memphis to even their Western Conference quarterfinal series after four games.

Jackson was averaging five points over the first three contests of the series, but stepped up big in the third straight OT contest in this set. He went 11- of-16 from the floor and pulled down nine rebounds.

"Offensively he attacked the defense and opened it up for everybody," Durant said of Jackson.

Durant had 15 points and 13 boards and Westbrook totaled 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, but the duo combined to shoot 11-of-45. Serge Ibaka provided 12 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks for the second-seeded Thunder, who shot 36.7 percent.

"Shots weren't falling, but that wasn't the whole game," Durant said. "(I was) trusting in my teammates and they knocked down some big shots tonight. We just have to keep trusting in the process. We found a way to win."

Marc Gasol had 23 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies, who had a chance to tie the game at the end but Mike Conley missed a 3-point shot. The seventh-seeded Grizzlies had a 15-game home winning streak broken.

Conley had 14 points and 10 assists, and Tony Allen ended with 14 points and 13 rebounds in defeat.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven set is Tuesday at Oklahoma City.

"I don't anticipate they will turn it over 21 times again nor will Durant and Westbrook go 11-for-45 again," Memphis coach Dave Joerger said.

OKC led by six points with just over five minutes left in regulation, but the Grizzlies scored nine in a row to grab a 76-73 lead following two Conley free throws with 3 1/2 minutes to go.

Memphis widened the gap to 80-75 following a Gasol jumper beyond the foul line with 1:20 left, but the Thunder scrapped to get the game to OT. Jackson drained a 3-ball with 59.2 seconds left, and Durant came up with a steal, which led to Jackson's floater in the lane to tie the game with 30.6 on the clock.

It was a wild finish to regulation. Gasol missed a foul-line jumper, and Allen got the offensive rebound, but Ibaka came up with the block under the hoop. Jackson then got the loose ball and had plenty of time to dribble down the court, but shot early well beyond half-court and the ball went out of bounds as time expired.

OKC used hustle plays to even this series with Jackson at the center of the effort. He dove for a loose ball on the floor with 1:08 left in OT. Durant then was fouled on a drive to the bucket and made two for an 88-87 edge for the Thunder with 62 seconds left.

Conley missed high off the glass, but he came back with a big steal. Westbrook missed a jumper, got his own rebound and tried to dribble the ball back out, but Conley stole the ball and called timeout with 30.9 on the clock.

Conley's jumper was then too strong and Jackson made two from the charity stripe with 12.2 seconds left. Conley then drove in for an uncontested layup with 3.8 seconds to go, but Jackson made two more foul shots less than a second later.

Zach Randolph was limited to 11 points for the Grizzlies, who made 37.2 percent from the floor.

"We have to do a better job of getting the ball to Zach closer to the basket," Gasol said.

Memphis led 18-15 after one quarter, but trailed 42-35 at the break. Durant had just three points in the first half, but Jackson had 11.

OKC widened the gap to 52-39 early in the second following an Ibaka layup and it became a 14-point difference on a Durant bucket in the final seconds of the period. Mike Miller then made two foul shots to close the stanza with the Thunder ahead, 64-52.

Allen's layup provided the hosts with a 74-73 edge with 3:54 left in the fourth. It was Memphis' first lead since early in the second quarter.

Game Notes

Prior to the game, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced former Memphis Grizzlies majority owner Michael Heisley died Saturday. Heisley, 77, was hospitalized last year after suffering a stroke shortly after returning from the NBA All-Star Game ... Memphis went 13-of-23 at the foul line ... Durant and Westbrook combined to shoot 2-of-13 from 3-point range.