OKLAHOMA CITY - Matapos sibakin ang top-seeded San Antonio Spurs, ang Oklahoma City Thunder naman ang sasagupain ng Memphis Grizzlies sa Western Conference semifinals series.
Ang Thunder at ang Grizzlies ang dalawang pinakabatang koponan ngayong season.
“We’re both bad teams that have risen up and become good teams,” sabi ni Memphis coach Lionel Hollins. “Our transformations started the same way, and they actually were ahead of us. We’re here, and they’re here.”
Noong 2009, sinimulan naman ng Thunder ang season na may 3-29.
Sa likod ng bagong coach na si Scott Brook, nagtala ang Oklahoma City ng isang 27-win improvement noong nakaraang season.
Naglista naman si Hollins ng isang 16-win improvement para sa Memphis.
“I think both teams really have done a good job of just playing hard and learning the game by playing with a lot of effort,” sabi ni Brooks. “You can make up for your mistakes and you will improve along the way much quicker if you’re playing with a lot of effort. Memphis does play hard, and I really believe that we play as hard.
Humugot naman si NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant ng 14 sa kanyang 41 points sa huling apat na minuto sa Game 5 para ibangon ang Thunder mula sa isang nine-point deficit at tapusin ang Denver Nuggets sa first-round series.
Umiskor naman si Zach Randolph ng 17 sa kanyang 31 points sa fourth quarter para ihatid ang Grizzlies sa panalo sa Game 6 laban sa Spurs.
May 3-1 record ang Grizzlies laban sa Thunder sa regular season kung saan nagtala si Randolph ng mga averages na 26.5 points at 13 rebounds.
Si ace defender Tony Allen ang inatasan namang magbantay kay Durant para sa kanilang second-round series