Nov 14, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts a shot against Memphis Grizzlies forward Quincy Poindexter (20) and Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant put on his 102nd 30-point performance on Wednesday night, but the Memphis Grizzlies would win big, 107-97 over the Thunder despite his incredible effort.

He finished the night with 34 points and 10 rebounds, as well as two blocks and three steals. Durant got really hot in the third quarter, seeming to find his spots on the floor and land every shot he took.

The entire Thunder squad played with a new energy that wasn’t present in the first half, coming out strong after Russell Westbrook sprinted down the court early in the third before dishing it to Serge Ibaka who laid it in for an easy bucket. The offense really got rolling with Westbrook repeatedly driving through traffic and taking it to the hole, scoring often and scoring quickly.

The OKC team in the second half was relentless, playing with an unshakable confidence that they didn’t have in the early stages of this contest. They shot slightly better on the night than Memphis did, making 48.6-percent of their shots to the Grizzlies’ 47.6.

But ultimately, it would not be enough.

Tony Allen threw it down for a huge dunk to put Memphis up 69-55 with seven minutes left in the game, but then Ibaka responded with a slam down of his own. Rudy Gay struck back and got on a streak of his own, hitting three shots in a row and lifting Memphis back up by ten after OKC had brought it within six.

In the fourth quarter, OKC had it within reach at times but let opportunity slip through their grasp. They only scored 13 points in the fourth quarter despite coming alive at points in the third, and with every point they left on the court, Memphis picked it up on their end.

The Grizzlies extend their winning streak to six straight games, while the Thunder need to find a way to score in the fourth quarter going forward.

Nov 14, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen (9) attempts a shot against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Seerge Ibaka (9) during the first half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The Grizzlies (5-1) lead the Thunder (6-2) 56-45 at the half, hoping to extend their five-game winning streak.

Through two quarters Kevin Durant has 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists but the player really making moves in the first half has been Quincy Pondexter from Memphis, who put up 13 points off the bench, including a big-time three that allowed the Grizzlies to eventually get on top.

Memphis started to control the tempo in the second quarter, really stifling the Thunder–and keeping their home crowd really quiet–with their third-ranked defense that they tout this season. The Thunder are playing slow and are struggling to get anything going on offense. The loss of James Harden is making itself evident in this game, as OKC does not have that player that can really take over down the stretch and lift the team.

The clash in the paint between Memphis’ Zach Randoplh and Marc Gasol and OKC’s Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins is playing out just as expected: physical and with neither duo conceding anything under the bucket. Ibaka though is really getting after it defensively and already has three blocks on the night.

Going into the half, Memphis looks like the better team, disallowing OKC from playing their game. That feat was questionable coming into this game, as Memphis’ winning streak has not come against top-tier NBA teams. But Memphis looks like a real factor on Wednesday night, and if the Thunder cannot adjust to the Grizzlies’ oppressive defensive effort, it’s going to be a long night in Oklahoma City.