MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Mike Conley and Tony Allen each scored 20 points, and Marc Gasol added 18 as the Memphis Grizzlies withstood a second-half rally and defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-101 on Monday night.
Zach Randolph added 17 points for Memphis, including four free throws in the closing seconds, as the Grizzlies maintained their hold on the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Russell Westbrook had 27 points and seven assists for Oklahoma City, which saw its three-game winning streak snapped. Kevin Durant finished with 23 points, while James Harden scored 16.
Oklahoma City was 6 of 12 from outside the arc after halftime, but never could overtake Memphis, which led by as many as 17 in the third quarter.
Both teams shot 52 percent in the game, but Memphis benefited from 12 Oklahoma City turnovers, including three in the fourth quarter, as the Thunder kept threatening Memphis' lead.
The closest the Thunder could get was 93-92 on Westbrook's three-point play with 4:18 left. Baskets by Randolph and then Sam Young created the buffer Memphis needed.
The game was close through much of the first half with six ties and eight lead changes.
The Thunder never led by more than two points, while Memphis got it to 10 with under a minute to play in the half on Mayo's 3-pointer.
Mayo's layup off the Thunders sixth turnover in the half gave Memphis a 58-46 lead entering the dressing room, the Grizzlies ending the half on a 15-5 rally.
Gasol had 12 points for Memphis, while Conley scored 10 points and had already handed out seven assists. He ended the night with nine.
Westbrook scored 13 points for Oklahoma City, while Harden had 10, missing only one of his five shots in the half.
Durant was struggling from the floor, hitting only three of his nine shots in the half for eight points.
Memphis continued to extend the lead through the first part of the third period as the advantage reached 17, but Durant started heating up.
Two consecutive 3-pointers put a dent in Memphis' lead. Westbrook's 3-pointer with the shot-clock running down, then a layup pulled the deficit to single-digits at 75-67.
By the time the quarter ended, Durant had scored nine points in the period, Oklahoma City closed the quarter on a 16-6 run, and Memphis' lead was cut to 79-73.
The rally rolled into the fourth quarter, as the Thunder continued to be successful from outside the arc. After missing all six 3-pointers in the first half, the Thunder hit six of their first seven after the break.
That helped Oklahoma City pull within two on several occasions. But Memphis was able to hold off the Thunder down the stretch.
Notes: Harden reached double figures for the ninth straight game, all in reserve. ... The last 12 games in the series have been decided either by single digits or gone to overtime. ... The Thunder are 6-6 in the second game of back-to-backs. ... Memphis is 12-1 against opponents playing their second game of a back-to-back, including winning all 11 in such situations at the FedExForum.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.