Erick Blasco

Collison has already made a difference---two good defensive plays, plus a putback.

Nice use of the pump fake to shed Allen. That's one way to create an easier shot. And nice defense by Collison. He's battled Randolph to a draw this series. Whoever wins that matchup could be huge.

You know, this is a reputation game for the Thunder, a lot like Game Four was. Durant was extremely clutch in that game, and Westbrook made some huge plays. However, in this game, the Thunder are going to need Durant to get shots that he wants to take, and shots going to the basket. He couldn't escape the Grizzlies ball denial and only looked to shoot jumpers in Game Six. That won't be good enough. He can't score off the dribble early in Game Seven either. And we've already seen Westbrook abort one possession with a bad shot.

Great step up by Gasol, great job by Allen at cutting off Durant's right side, Durant bricks a runner. For such a great scorer, few players shoot more ugly shots than Durant. Even LeBron is better.

The Thunder are icing wing/screen/rolls, but they aren't recovering or rotating out to Randolph. He's made two jumpers early. This will get his confidence up.

Westbrook dribble poked out of bounds---that's what, the third deflection by the Grizzlies? That's another reason why the Thunder offense has been so ineffective this series at having continuity.

Great great contest by Allen to block Durant's three.

Mayo made a mistake there not boxing out.

Yet another instance of a Thunder player getting his dribble poked away. Memphis' quick hands have made a killing on the defensive end.

I want to see how Durant and Brooks adjust to Memphis overplaying Durant. Westbrook was given well-deserved flak early in the series for jacking up awful shots and not moving the ball, but Durant couldn't get himself open in Game Six. I want to see how that situation is rectified.

I am SO excited for this game. Two good teams fairly evenly matched. Both teams play pretty well. Both teams have some flaws. There's an unstoppable force vs. immovable object matchup of the Grizzlies frontcourt on offense vs. the Thunder's defensive frontcourt, plus Kevin Durant vs. Tony Allen. Both teams have heart. This should be a blast. I can't wait until 3:30 Eastern Time*!!! * 12:30 Pacific

I don't think that's fair. I'm as critical as anybody about Westbrook (he's done this for three years, how come people are only up in arms now?), but Durant made himself invisible. I didn't see many instances of Westbrook breaking off the offense, and I only saw him overpenetrate once. You have to give him some free reign to score because he is a good scorer. He made several bad mistakes, but the Thunder didn't do much aside from use Durant as a screener to free himself up (which Allen and Battier hedged and recovered perfectly on). Durant didn't come to the ball, he still doesn't know how to set up his screens, and let's be honest, the bigs for the Grizzlies showed terrifically on OKC's various curls to get Durant a look at the top.

Down 13 with the second quarter winding down, and their season hanging in the balance, what a gutsy win for the Grizzlies. And what a fun Game 7 this should be.

Durant's been marvelous on himself. He hasn't drove the entire second half. And JVG is right. The same way Durant is being defended may be considered fouls in OKC.

Well, he's being smothered and his cuts to the ball have been really weak.

I think that was the first bad offensive set the Grizzlies have ran all second half.

And there's Battier making a play with his hustle.

Durant needs to secure that board. He can't let Battier come in from behind and poke it away as we see a horrendous closeout by Westbrook and a Mayo jumper.

The problem with not giving space to Randolph---every time he's put the ball on the floor, the Thunder can't stop fouling him.

The Grizzlies are 100000% committed to refeeding the post after the post player kicks the ball out. That's one reason they don't shoot a lot of threes, and it's one reason they're so successful in the post. When they feed their bigs, they're totally committed to feeding their bigs.

Randolph can't go into Knicks mode. The Thunder will let him take contested threes off the dribble all he wants.

The thing Arthur does have is terrific touch on his jump shots, and decent athleticism. I don't know how his handle is, but his shooting, athleticism, plus the fact that he doesn't make boneheaded decisions makes him a better version of Hakim Warrick.

Conley's quick hands keep him from getting torched at will, and Randolph has had a professional-grade second half. He's produced. Durant hasn't. The Grizzlies now have made up 17 points in about 17 minutes.

That's the first instance I've seen of Westbrook overhandling this game and it led to a turnover. And Randolph is playing great. On his drive, Cook HAS to dig in closer. Randolph's not a great passer on the move. Force him to make a pass on the move.

Didn't know Arthur could hit a reverse pivot fadeaway over Collison from 16 feet.