OKC Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies Game 4 Game Grades

May 13, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Duran (35) drives against Memphis Grizzlies forward Tayshaun Prince (21) at the FedexForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

The Thunder lost in overtime 103-97 last night to the Grizzlies, and they are now on the brink of elimination as they trail 3 games to 1 in the series.

Game Grades:

Kevin Durant- 48 minutes, 27 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists- B

KD had a great first half, and then he hit three consecutive shots to open the second and then he simply fell apart. He finished the game missing 12 of his last 14 shots, and he didn’t rise to the occasion when his team needed him the most, even though he hit the game tying shot to send it to overtime. Now in his defense, he was consistently getting double and triple teamed, and was getting fouled pretty much every time he touched the ball. However, a guy that talented has to be able to do more than he did down the stretch for OKC.

Serge Ibaka- 37 minutes, 17 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks- B+

Ibaka finally showed up last night for the Thunder. He was great in the first half on the offensive end, hitting quite a few jumpers to help take some of the pressure off of Durant. He wasn’t quite as effective in the second half, but it was nice to see Ibaka finally show some life on offense.

Kevin Martin- 26 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist-B-

Martin played a good first half, and then just like Ibaka he disappeared in the second. Martin’s offense would have been greatly appreciated by KD and company in the fourth quarter and overtime, but he just couldn’t get it going. If Martin can somehow string together two good halves of basketball, then the Thunder would be able to advance far into these playoffs. However, we haven’t seen him do it yet, and I don’t think it will happen.

Reggie Jackson- 48 minutes, 15 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds-A-

Jackson is a less talented Russell Westbrook. That is exactly the type of player he is. Jackson is a great attacker, he is fearless in the pressure moments, and he sometimes makes a boneheaded play that screws you over. This all sounds like things that Westbrook does, and it is something that OKC needs. I am glad that Jackson brings this to the table every game for the Thunder, because he is the only guy that consistently brings it other than KD.

Derek Fisher- 26 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover- C+

Fisher made one big three in overtime and that was it. We have expected Fisher to produce for OKC in these playoffs, and tonight he didn’t show up. The Thunder need his perimeter shooting to help their offense function and a big reason why it floundered last night was because of Fisher. He also had an extremely costly turnover at the end of overtime that pretty much killed OKC’s chances.

Thabo Sefolosha-29 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal-B-

Thabo’s defense was pretty good on Mike Conley throughout the night as he held him to 7-21 shooting, but his offense continues to be absent in these playoffs. I know that he is not a very good offensive player to start with, but he has shown that he can hit outside shots, and he hasn’t done that in these playoffs.

Kendrick Perkins- 24 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds 1 block- B

Perk was decent on defense in this game, and he made one huge defensive stop for them at the end of the fourth quarter. But his inability to do anything on offense really prevents Scott Brooks from being able to play him a lot. Perk is great on defense, but he is so bad offensively that it prevents him from seeing a lot of time on the floor.

Nick Collison- 22 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds 3 blocks- B+

I really feel bad for Nick Collison. He plays his heart out, and makes big plays for the Thunder and he is rewarded with six fouls. Collison plays some of the scrappiest basketball I have ever seen, and he is very important to this basketball team. He played solid defense on Randolph and had some key offensive plays as well. He just gets called for so many fouls, he never gets appreciated the way he should.

Scott Brooks- B

Brooks managed the lineups very well throughout the game, and overall he managed a solid game. It really was not his fault the Thunder lost, and it is hard to give him a bad grade because of this.