Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
Kevin Durant’s supporting cast came alive to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder out of a perilous 0-2 hole in the Western Conference semifinals.
Durant scored 26 points, James Harden led an outburst by Oklahoma City’s bench with 21, and the Thunder evened their series with Memphis by beating the Grizzlies 111-102 in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
After scoring just 16 points in a Game 1 loss, the Thunder’s bench tripled that amount and put Oklahoma City firmly in control with an 18-6 run to start the fourth quarter.
“It was a classic desperate team, more aggressive team,” Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. “I say the desperate team usually wins, and they were the desperate team in their play, which was a sense of urgency and aggressiveness.
“They came out and attacked.”
Russell Westbrook scored 24 and his backup, Eric Maynor, added 15 for the Thunder. Oklahoma City’s bench held a 48-29 scoring edge.
“That’s what they’ve done all year, and that’s why we are in this position, because they’ve done either a good job of catching up or extending leads,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “I thought they were outstanding tonight.”
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