Sports

Grizzlies finish off Thunder in 5

OKLAHOMA CITY — Zach Randolph had 28 points and 14 rebounds, Mike Conley added 13 points and 11 assists and the fifth-seeded Grizzlies advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history by beating the Thunder 88-84 last night in Game 5.

“This is the first time, so it definitely means a lot. I’m happy, but we’ve still got work to do,” Randolph said. “I want to win a ring.”

The Grizzlies, who got swept out of the playoffs in their first three trips and had won just one postseason series before this season, have already made it farther than ever before but still aren’t satisfied.

“We’re trying to do something really special. We want to go as far as we can go,” coach Lionel Hollins said. “To get there, we had to get through Oklahoma City. And now, we have to get through either Golden State or San Antonio to get further.”

In a series filled with games that went down to the wire, the finale fit right in — even though the Thunder trailed by 12 with three minutes left.

Kevin Durant missed a 16-foot jumper from the left wing to tie it with six seconds left, finishing off a miserable shooting night for the three-time NBA scoring champion. Durant ended up with 21 points on 5-for-21 shooting, the third-worst performance of his playoff career.

“I gave it all I had for my team. I left it all out there on the floor,” Durant said. “I missed 16 shots, but I kept fighting, I kept being aggressive. That’s all I can ask for.”

The Thunder, who made it to the NBA Finals last season, were the top seed in the West and went 2-6 after All-Star guard Russell Westbrook had knee surgery two games into the first round.