Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder live streaming nba live online broadcast audio radio ticket video feed May 11, 2011

Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder live streaming nba live online broadcast audio radio ticket video feed May 11, 2011. Game Review: Scott Brooks knows what he's up against in trying to keep his young, eager Oklahoma City Thunder team off the basketball court for a whole day.

Even if that day started with the final stretch of a triple-overtime playoff thriller, a round of postgame interviews and a flight that didn't get back to Oklahoma City until around 3:30 a.m.
9:30 PM ET, May 11, 2011
Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City, OK

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"They will come in and do too much, but that's fine. They always do," Brooks said Tuesday. "That's what makes them players and the team that we are. Guys believe in coming in and working. Either they lift weights, get some shots up or work on their bodies on some of the aches and pains that you go through and everybody has."

Depth Chart

Memphis (PPG) v Oklahoma City (PPG)
PG M. Conley 15.9    R. Westbrook 26.1
SG S. Young 8.3    T. Sefolosha 4.8
SF T. Allen 8.9    K. Durant 30.9
PF Z. Randolph 23.3    S. Ibaka 10.7
C  M. Gasol 16.0    K. Perkins 4.6

Less than 14 hours after their marathon 133-123 victory in Game 4 at Memphis, Serge Ibaka and Nate Robinson were out shooting and Kevin Durant and other teammates were in the building while Brooks met with reporters. Two hours later, there were still sneakers squeaking in a closed gym on what was supposed to be mostly an off day for both teams.

Neither was holding a formal practice. The Grizzlies traveled in the afternoon, gathering at the airport and watching film on the plane before Game 5 Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.

"It's not a lot of rest but it's not a lot for each team," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. "I'm sure they'll have a little more bounce in their step being at home and having won this game versus us having lost it. But we'll be there."

Memphis guard O.J. Mayo said it would "be a tough challenge, but if I pick any group to go on the road with an obstacle and a challenge like that, this is the group I'd like to go in there with."

Instead of taking a commanding 3-1 lead with a chance to close out the series in front of a sold-out FedEx Forum in Game 6, they'll need to win again at the Oklahoma City Arena -- where they won once in the regular season and again in Game 1.

"It feels much better being 2-2 and Game 5 on our home floor. It would have been a tough mountain to climb being down 3-1. Not impossible, but very tough," Brooks said. "We're excited. Guys, there's plenty of energy in their bodies. They're going to have energy."

After four games -- and two wins apiece -- Memphis has outscored Oklahoma City by just 2 points, 440-438. The teams are also about even in steals (36-32 Grizzlies), blocks (32-31 Grizzlies) and 3-point shooting (both around 31 percent). Oklahoma City holds a slight edge in shooting percentage from the field and foul line, which the Grizzlies have counteracted by grabbing 17 more offensive rebounds.

"We're very even as you can see. Every game has really showed that," Brooks said. "Both teams are very good and both teams, it's even. It's even. It's why we're 2-2. It's two very good teams getting after each other."

The Thunder trailed by 18 in the first half of Game 4 before rallying to take a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, only to have Memphis tie it up on a late 3-pointer by Mike Conley. Oklahoma City had chances to win in the final seconds of regulation, the first overtime and the second overtime before Durant finally took over.

"It was a great win for us," Brooks said. "We're very excited. It was a crazy environment. It was a lot of energy in the building and we came out and won the game, but that has no impact on Game 5. We have to do it all over again.

"We have to play with the same amount of force and toughness that it's going to take to beat this team."

The Grizzlies did their best to make Durant's teammates beat them in Game 4, deploying Shane Battier and Tony Allen to deny him the ball with a good deal of success during a stretch from midway through the fourth quarter through the second overtime.

Russell Westbrook picked up the slack, scoring a postseason career-high 40 points on 33 shots, and Brooks said he was comfortable with the NBA's scoring champion being a bit of an outsider on the offensive end in crunch time until he hit two shots in the final minute to finally put the game away.

"When you put a guy on Kevin, that means that guy's not helping. They're not leaving Kevin. And when they throw an extra defender on Kevin, that means you have a mini fast break on the weak side, and that allows Russell and our guys to create," Brooks said.

"Sometimes your best scorer also has to be a decoy. It's not about getting shots for Kevin. It's about getting opportunities for all the other guys, and Kevin's fine with that."

Once Conley and Mayo fouled out late in the first overtime, the Grizzlies were left to rely on big men Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, who combined for 60 points and 37 rebounds but eventually wore down.

"(Randolph's) a terrific player. I know he's going to come back with the same amount of force that he plays with," Brooks said.

"We have to do it again for 48 minutes -- hopefully only 48 minutes tomorrow."

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Denver Nuggets nba live streaming online broadcast espn gamecast lineups, playoffs, roaster 23 april, 2011

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Denver Nuggets nba live streaming online broadcast espn gamecast lineups, playoffs, roaster 23 april, 2011. Game Review: The Nuggets are fastening their hopes to a fickle hamstring.

Arron Afflalo to the rescue.

Pronouncing his left hamstring fit after practice Friday, the Denver guard will take the court for the first time in two weeks when Denver hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

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He's been in this position three times since mid-March, only to test out the injury in a game and aggravate it.

Afflalo, the Nuggets' top defender and go-to scorer in crunch time, has no idea how many minutes he can handle or if the hamstring will even hold up.
10:00 PM ET, April 23, 2011
Pepsi Center, Denver, CO

--------Points      Rebounds      Assists
OKC    Durant 32.0    Ibaka 8.5    Westbrook 7.0
DEN    Nene 19.0    Nene 8.5    Felton 5.0
Still, Afflalo's presence might just provide the boost the team's looking for with Denver down 2-0 in the best-of-7 series.

"We're healthy now," Afflalo said. "No more excuses."

The bickering has subsided, too.

Coach George Karl smoothed some ruffled feathers after upsetting Chris "Birdman" Andersen and J.R. Smith by keeping them on the bench for most of Game 2. Smith was especially frustrated after playing just six minutes in the Nuggets' 106-89 loss Wednesday night.

Smith was on the court when, as Karl described, the "flood gates opened" in the first half, the game quickly turning from out of hand to out of control.

The next day, Smith intimated there was a "strong possibility" he'd sign elsewhere next summer as a free agent. No longer simmering over the slight, Smith backed off that talk Friday.

"We're all the same page and we're ready to go," Smith said. "A lot of guys understood exactly where I was coming from. A few guys didn't say anything. I think it's great that we have that attitude toward one another that nobody takes anything personal and everybody just wants to win."

Karl brushed off Smith's comments, appreciating Smith's passion more than anything.

"I don't want J.R. to be happy about not playing. I want J.R. to be angry," Karl said. "I want Bird to be angry. I want them all to be angry. I would be angry. I also want them to be teammates. I think J.R., more than ever, is showing that he wants to be that guy.

"I don't think he deserves this criticism at this moment. Maybe in the past he deserved it more, not yesterday."

Reduced to a spectator the first two games, Afflalo has had to sit back and watch Oklahoma City's All-Star duo of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant go off against the Nuggets defense.

Now, it's his turn to try to slow down Westbrook, maybe even switch over for a crack at covering Durant as well.

"I'm not going to stop either one by myself," Afflalo said. "It's going to be a team effort. But I'll use my ability to try to take advantage of them in the ways that I can."

Afflalo had the Nuggets playing at a high level after the blockbuster deal that sent Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks in February. He won't dazzle on offense like Anthony or steal Billups' title of Mr. Big Shot, but he is the glue that binds this team together.

His bothersome hamstring cost him 13 games over the final month of the regular season, interrupting the team's chemistry.

In fact, four of the Nuggets' five losses in April have been to the Thunder -- all with Afflalo sidelined.

That's why his return was viewed as vital, just to try to get the team back on track against the high-flying Thunder.

"He's one of our most tough-minded, fundamentally sound, hard-nosed, winning guys on our team," Karl said. "I mean, before he got hurt, he was playing the most minutes on the team. He played more minutes than Melo, he played more minutes than Chauncey. He's a competitive, winning kid. Skill-wise, he doesn't have greatness but he's damn good in a lot of areas."

Afflalo brings quiet confidence to the court, a demeanor that rubs off on his teammates.

Westbrook knows all about that. The two were teammates at UCLA, even rooming together.

"He's going to bring more toughness," Westbrook said. "He's going to come out and be ready to compete and will play hard."

Thunder coach Scott Brooks couldn't agree more.

"I don't know the dynamics of all the inner workings on what he does on their team. I just know from the outside looking in he's very solid," Brooks said. "He's a great position defender, he's a good playmaker, he passes. He's a team guy."

Hamstring willing, Afflalo will spend plenty of time getting reacquainted with Westbrook.

As for stopping Durant, well, there just may not be a blueprint that exists for limiting the explosiveness of one of the league's most talented -- and unassuming -- players. He's averaging 32 points in this series.

"It's just all about playing together as a group, no matter who scores or who rebounds as long as you do it together." Durant said.

Precisely the message that Brooks has been preaching.

"It's a businesslike approach," Brooks said. "We know we're up 2-0, but we can't be happy about that. We have to focus all our attention, effort, energy and teamwork toward Game 3.

"We understand that we did our job. Now they have to do their job."

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Sacramento Kings nba live streaming online broadcast foxtv espn radio commentary april 11, 2011

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Sacramento Kings nba live streaming online broadcast foxtv espn radio commentary april 11, 2011. You can watch all the nba matches of 2011 right through the internet from your home. Game Review: It won't be easy for the Oklahoma City Thunder to move up in the standings, but they are trying their best. The Sacramento Kings, meanwhile, soon will likely be moving south.

The Thunder have slim hopes of moving up from the fourth seed entering Monday night's game in Sacramento, where the Kings are beginning their final two-game homestand before an anticipated move to Anaheim.

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Kevin Durant scored 31 points in the Thunder's 120-106 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Oklahoma City (54-26) had lost all nine previous games on the road to the Lakers, including three in the postseason, since Durant joined the team.

"This was a step in the right direction, but we want to get to something bigger, but it was kind of a statement win for us," Durant said.

10:00 PM ET, April 11, 2011
Power Balance Pavilion, Sacramento, CA

     Points      Rebounds      Assists
Durant 27.8    Perkins 8.3    Westbrook 8.2 OKC   
Thornton 20.8    Cousins 8.7    Evans 5.6    SAC   

Russell Westbrook added 26 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Thunder, who outscored the Lakers 32-16 in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles has lost five straight.

"The fourth quarter defense was the best as we could possibly play against one of the best teams in basketball," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "Anytime you can beat the Lakers it's a good win. They're one of the best teams and they haven't won a lot of games lately, but they're going to be right there."

Los Angeles and Dallas are tied for the No. 2 seed, one game ahead of Oklahoma City. The Thunder can finish second in the West if they win out, the Lakers lose twice and the Mavs lose once.

The postseason is a distant memory for Sacramento (24-56), and it appears that NBA basketball will be soon as well. The Kings have spent 26 seasons in California's capital, and will likely move south.

Anaheim's City Council issued the bonds needed to entice the franchise, new federal trademark rights have been requested, and just about everything else needed to put a simple majority vote before NBA owners is in motion.

This game and Wednesday's against the Lakers will likely be the final NBA games at Power Balance Pavilion.

Sacramento was considered one of the toughest arenas for visiting teams from 1998-2006, when the Kings made the playoffs eight straight seasons. The franchise has endured five straight losing seasons since.

The Kings return home after salvaging a split of a four-game trip Sunday night with a 104-103 victory at Golden State. Marcus Thornton scored 21 points, including a 22-foot jumper with 12.6 seconds left to secure the win.

"We've got two more tough games and those games are building blocks for us to see where we are," Thornton said. "I credit the guys for still playing hard."

Rookie DeMarcus Cousins had three double-doubles on the road trip, including 15 points and 13 boards Sunday.

Cousins has also been productive in three losses to Oklahoma City this season, averaging 18.0 points and 13.7 rebounds. Tyreke Evans is averaging 26.0 points in two games against the Thunder this season.

The Thunder have defeated the Kings five straight times overall, with Durant averaging 28.4 points. Westbrook has averaged 20.8 points and 8.2 assists in those games.

Thunder vs Lakers live streaming nba online broadcast fox tv nba tv gamecast april 10, 2011

Thunder vs Lakers live streaming nba online broadcast fox tv nba tv gamecast april 10, 2011 Just last week the Los Angeles Lakers were in good position to get the Western Conference's top seed.

Now there's no guarantee the two-time defending champs will finish in the top three.

The slumping Lakers look to avoid losing five straight games for the first time in four years Sunday night when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder, one of two teams with faint hopes of surpassing Los Angeles in the standings.

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The Lakers (55-24) pulled within 1 1/2 games of West-leading San Antonio on April 1, but haven't won since, allowing the Spurs to clinch the conference's top seed.

Los Angeles is now one game ahead of third-place Dallas and two ahead of fourth-place Oklahoma City with three to play. The Lakers own the tiebreaker over both the Mavericks and Thunder, and can clinch the second seed Sunday with a win, coupled with a Dallas home loss to reeling Phoenix.

If Los Angeles doesn't break out of its funk, however, it could fall to fourth.

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The Lakers, who host San Antonio on Tuesday before concluding the regular season Wednesday against Sacramento, are struggling mightily offensively, averaging 87.0 points during their four-game skid.

In Friday's 93-86 loss to Portland, Los Angeles shot 39.5 percent and turned the ball over 17 times. The Lakers are averaging 18.3 turnovers in the last four games -- 5.1 more than their season average.

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"It's a product of not paying attention, not being focused and not playing the game with the right attitude," coach Phil Jackson said. "As a result, we end up with some losses."

Jackson has limited his starters' minutes down the stretch, but even when they've been on the court they haven't gotten the job done. The Lakers were outscored by 25 points during Kobe Bryant's 32 minutes Friday, Bryant's worst plus-minus rating of the season.

"These guys just don't want to play hard right now," Jackson said. "I hate to have this setup going into the playoffs when we're just not playing hard."

Los Angeles, which hasn't endured a five-game skid since a dropping seven in a row from March 2-15, 2007, could have trouble getting its offense on track against Oklahoma City.

After clinching the Northwest Division title Wednesday, the Thunder (53-26) beat Denver 104-89 on Friday, their straight victory and 14th in 17 games. They held the Nuggets well below their league-leading average of 106.9 points and forced 19 turnovers.

"Holding a great team like this to 40 percent shooting is good for us," Kevin Durant told the Thunder's official website. "It gives us a lot of confidence. It's something we can build on."

Beating the Lakers for the first time this season would certainly raise their confidence level even more.

The Thunder have played Los Angeles tough in the first two meetings, trailing by four points or fewer in the final minute each time. In the last game on Feb. 27, Oklahoma City's James Harden missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds of a 90-87 loss.

Durant, who is averaging 29.7 points during the Thunder's winning streak, has struggled in both games against the Lakers, averaging 22.5 points on 36.4 percent shooting. Oklahoma City is 9-11 this season when Durant, who leads the league in scoring at 27.8 ppg, scores 23 or fewer.

Bryant also hasn't been very productive in the season series with the Thunder, averaging 19.0 points, his fewest against any West opponent.