Grizzlies bite Thunder
Oklahoma City wasn’t able to win on the road, losing 80-114.
Shots weren’t falling; passes were contested. For the Thunder, Thursday at the FedEx Forum had been a slog from the start.
Russell Westbrook wasn’t around for the finish.
On a night when the Grizzlies’ defense smothered Oklahoma City, a frustrated Westbrook picked up two technical fouls, earning an ejection in the third quarter of a 114-80 Thunder loss that he and coach Billy Donovan chalked up to lingering frustration with officiating.
“Honestly, it’s crazy man,” Westbrook said after the game. “Especially to be ejected like that when I didn’t do nothing. It was just crazy, especially for me, because I feel like I don’t get the benefit of the doubt most of the time, especially throughout the game, with refs.”
Westbrook appeared frustrated for much of the night. He reached a boiling point with 6:41 to play in the third quarter.
He appeared to argue that a shot by Memphis’ Marc Gasol had missed the rim and that the shot clock shouldn’t have reset before a Grizzlies offensive rebound that led to an Oklahoma City foul on JaMychal Green.
Donovan also disputed the call, but Westbrook persisted as Green went
to the foul line. Official Brian Forte gave Westbrook a technical, then another as he appeared to tell Forte, “That’s bull---.”
Via a pool reporter, crew chief Jason Phillips said Westbrook was given the technical fouls for continuing to argue the shot-clock ruling. He said, “officials in the game had no doubt that the ball hit the rim and therefore we allowed play to continue.”
Westbrook was “adamant” that the ball had not hit the rim, Phillips said, and Forte explained to Westbrook that the play was not reviewable. Westbrook was given the first technical foul for continuing to complain about the ruling, Phillips said.
“After being issued the first technical foul, he continues to complain about the ball not hitting the rim and then even proceeds to use some profanity during the conversation also,” Phillips said. “So at that point he’s issued the second technical foul, which results in an automatic ejection.”
After the game, Westbrook seemed to indicate his issue with officials extended well beyond Thursday’s blowout.
“I get so many techs just for talking,” Westbrook said. “Just for talking. I can’t even say nothing when I’m getting hammered every time I go to the damn basket throughout the games, previous games. Not tonight, but every night.
“I just don’t get reffed the same way as other people, and I don’t appreciate it.”
By the time Westbrook was ejected, the Thunder trailed 61-45, and the Grizzlies’ defense had limited him — and his teammates — like few teams this season.
Westbrook finished with 21 points on 6-of19 shooting.
He had five rebounds and no assists.
It was the first time Westbrook had appeared in a game and not recorded an assist since Nov. 8, 2013, when he had no assists in 30 minutes in a win at Detroit. His previous low in assists this season had been five, at Utah on Dec. 14 and at the L.A. Clippers on Nov. 2.
The Thunder shot 33.8 percent from the floor. It hit 4 of 22 3-point shots, two fewer than Memphis’ Troy Daniels made by himself.
Daniels hit 6 of 8, all in the fourth quarter, as the Grizzlies blew open an already-lopsided game.
Outside of Westbrook, the Thunder’s starters combined to score 12 points.
And as the Oklahoma City offense sputtered, the Grizzlies built momentum with balance.
Gasol scored 29 points, Daniels 22 and Zach Randolph 21. Green added 17 and point guard Andrew Harrison — playing for the injured Mike Conley — added 10.
Enes Kanter scored 19 points and Alex Abrines 10 for Oklahoma City, but against Memphis’ defense, the Thunder never found a rhythm, even before Westbrook’s ejection.
The technical fouls were Westbrook’s ninth and 10th of the season. Westbrook would earn a one-game suspension if he reaches 16 technical fouls.
Donovan said after the game he was “not so sure (Westbrook) even warranted being thrown out.”
While noting that the Thunder went to the free-throw line 38 times in a physical game, Donovan expressed concern that officials don’t recognize the frequency with which Westbrook is fouled, an issue he’s raised before.
Westbrook shot 10 free throws in 23 minutes on Thursday, and he entered the game leading the NBA in free-throw attempts per game at 10.8.
“I think when he got the technical foul, he was surprised, but I think it’s like a buildup of he’s a really difficult guy to referee,” Donovan said. “He’s really fast. He’s really explosive. And I’ve said this before: he should go to the free-throw line 20 times a game. And a lot of time, he’s getting hit, he’s getting fouled and there needs to be more fouls called.”