A day off never felt so good or so deserved. The Thunder made up for the Dallas game by not letting the same thing happen twice in Memphis. Oklahoma City held a 16-point advantage to start the fourth quarter when the Grizzlies woke up from their slumber.
Memphis cut the lead to three with under 20 seconds to play but would get no closer. Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook again led the way with Kevin Durant sidelined for the indefinite future, but it was the newest Thunder player who made the difference.
Showing off to the Bulls, Thabo Sefolosha is quickly earning his gold star for OKC. He exploded against the Grizzlies, finishing with season highs in both points and rebounds. Sefolosha's double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds) allowed Green to slide over to KD's scoring role without the squad missing a beat.
Granted, the lowly Memphis squad didn't start off on the right foot -- they scored only 17 points in the first quarter. After the Thunder took a double-digit lead into the half, the Grizzlies couldn't answer back in the third, finishing the period with 16 points.
The deficit proved to be too much, and OKC captured its first road win in over a month. They ended February with three victories, this one the first since the All-Star break. KD's return is still up in the air, but the big story for March becomes how the Thunder can do without their star.
Starting the month off at home, Oklahoma City welcomes the Mavericks in a chance for redemption. Dallas better be ready for a fight, as they are the latest team to become a 'rival'. And the Ford Center knows just how to treat out of town guests -- in a very loud way.
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