Thunder, Clippers advance

NBA PLAY-OFFS, GAME SEVEN

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER 120 MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES 109

• Oklahoma win series 4-3

The Oklahoma City Thunder overpowered the Memphis Grizzlies 120-109 yesterday morning (Singapore time) to line up a clash with the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round of the NBA play-offs.

Russell Westbrook notched his second triple-double of the series with 27 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds.

Kevin Durant scored a game-high 33 points for the Thunder - who won the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series four games to three.

The Clippers advanced with a 126-121 game-seven triumph over the Golden State Warriors in Los Angeles.

Westbrook joined Rajon Rondo as the only players in NBA history to record triple-doubles in two game sevens. His first also came against Memphis in 2011.

The Grizzlies, missing the suspended Zach Randolph and with Mike Conley nursing a sore hamstring, gave it all they had, taking a 36-27 lead after the first quarter and leading by as many as 11 in the second period before the Thunder inexorably asserted themselves.

Durant, expected to be named the NBA Most Valuable Player next week, was a perfect five-for-five from three point range and pulled down eight rebounds in the victory.

"I was finally able to get out of my own way tonight," said Durant, who admitted he'd been stung by critical press after struggling offensively earlier in the series.

"I was thinking too much, worried about what you guys (the media) were saying about me."

IN CONTROL

Marc Gasol led Memphis with 24 points and six assists and Conley battled through his injury to score 20 points with nine assists.

Both added four steals, but the Grizzlies just couldn't stop the Thunder.

Leading by three points at half-time, the Thunder opened the second half with a 17-5 scoring run to take control of the contest. The surge included three three-pointers - two from Durant and one from Caron Butler.

Oklahoma City connected on 13 of 17 shots from the field in the third quarter. The Thunder led by as many as 16 before taking a 93-81 lead into the fourth, and the depleted Grizzlies never threatened in the final period.

The Grizzlies had led the series 3-2, but missed their chance to advance when they dropped game six in Memphis. Randolph, who led the Grizzlies in scoring with 18.9 points per game in the series, was suspended for game seven after punching Thunder rookie Steven Adams late in Thursday's loss.

The Thunder will host game one of the second-round series against the Clippers tomorrow.

The Clippers kept their post-season push going despite the controversy surrounding owner Donald Sterling.

Sterling was banned for life from NBA activities and fined US$2.5 million ($3.1m) by league commissioner Adam Silver after racially charged remarks he made in a private conversation became public last weekend.

The league is also taking steps to force him to sell the club.

"I just thought this team really needed the game," said Clippers coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers.

"I just thought, with all this stuff, this team just needed this win.

"Our guys fought the adversity, they went through it. It drained them, but they found enough energy to find a way to win the game."

Blake Griffin scored 24 points and DeAndre Jordan added 15 with 18 rebounds, the pair combining on a string of stirring plays down the stretch to secure the close-run victory.

Chris Paul scored 22 points and 14 assists for the Clippers, who got 22 from Jamal Crawford and 20 from J.J. Redick.

Steph Curry totalled 33 points and nine assists and Draymond Green added 24 points for the Warriors.

Golden State were quick out of the blocks and the Clippers never led in the first half. But Los Angeles outscored the Warriors 31-20 in the third quarter and took a three-point lead into the fourth, in which the lead changed hands six times as the teams fought for their playoff lives.

Yesterday's games were among a record five game sevens in the opening round of the play-offs. The total already matches the NBA record for the most seventh games in all rounds in any play-off year. - AFP.

OTHER RESULT

• INDIANA PACERS 92  
ATLANTA HAWKS 80

(Indiana win series 4-3)