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Durant scores 40, Thunder top Grizzlies

Jan 9, 2011 - 7:10 AM Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) - Kevin Durant scored a game-high 40 points to go along with eight rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder held on for a 109-100 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Russell Westbrook scored 22 points with 11 assists and Jeff Green added 15 points for Oklahoma City, which has won two-straight since falling to the Grizzlies 110-105 on January 4.

Zach Randolph led Memphis with 27 points and 16 rebounds. Rudy Gay scored 20 before fouling out late in the contest and O.J. Mayo added 11 points off the bench for the Grizzlies, who had a three-game winning streak snapped.

"Memphis has been playing good basketball. They're a matchup problem for everybody," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "Zach, the All-Star that he is, he gets rebounds. He challenges you every second of the shot clock."

Oklahoma City took a six-point lead into the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies trimmed the margin to two five times, but Durant and the Thunder used a 9-0 run to take an 11-point lead.

After Mike Conley missed a three-pointer, Westbrook was sent to the line just inside the final minute and made both. Nenad Krstic made the first of two from the line with 29.8 seconds left to put the Thunder up 106-97.

Krstic missed the second, but Durant grabbed the rebound and caused Gay to commit his sixth foul. Durant made both from the line to cap the run and extend the Oklahoma City advantage to 11 with 27.1 seconds left.

"We didn't play good team defense, didn't help each other out a lot," Gay said.

The Grizzlies called a timeout and Mayo connected on a long three-pointer with 24.8 ticks remaining to pull them within 108-100.

Forced to foul, Memphis sent Thabo Sefolosha to the line with 20.2 seconds remaining. He connected on 1-of-2 to account for the final margin.

Durant scored 10 points in the first quarter and the Thunder took a 27-20 lead into the second. The Grizzlies trimmed their deficit to 49-47 at the half.

Durant added 18 more points in the third quarter, including 7-of-7 from the line. However, the Grizzlies shot 52.6 percent from the field in the quarter to keep their deficit at a manageable 83-77 entering the fourth.

Game Notes

Conley finished with 10 points in the loss...Memphis scored 60 points in the paint...The Thunder shot 83.3 percent from the line on 42 shots...Westbrook was 10-for-10 from the charity stripe.