OKLAHOMA CITY -- It took a fraction of a second for the Memphis Grizzlies to take control of their first-round series with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Blair Walsh Jersey . With 2.9 seconds remaining in overtime, Oklahoma Citys Kevin Durant missed a long 3-point attempt. Teammate Serge Ibaka tipped the ball in on the rebound, sending the crowd into a celebration. The shot was reviewed, however, and it was determined that it was released just after the buzzer, giving Memphis a 100-99 victory Tuesday night and a 3-2 lead in the series. "I had a good look at it and I thought it was good when it left my hand," Durant, the NBAs scoring champion, said. "And then Serges follow shot was just late. It was a tough finish but weve got to come back." It was a record fourth straight overtime game in the series, and Memphis has won three of them. The seventh-seeded Grizzlies can close out the second-seeded Thunder on Thursday night at home. "Nothing comes easy for us," Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph said. "We get it out of the mud, we grind and were underdogs. Its what we do." Before the final overtime sequence, Durant made the first of two free throws with 27.5 seconds left to cut Oklahoma Citys deficit to 100-99. Before his second shot, referee Joey Crawford took the ball from Durant and walked over to the scorers table. Moments later, Crawford was screaming at the scoreboard operator, asking him to make a change. After the delay, Durant, an 87 per cent free throw shooter during the regular season, missed the second attempt. "Im not sure what happened, but Ive got to focus and Ive got to make that foul shot," Durant said. The Grizzlies didnt understand what was going on, either. "We just looked at Joey and we were like, What is Joey doing?" Memphis guard Mike Conley said. Mike Miller scored 21 points, Randolph had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Conley added 17 points for the Grizzlies. Russell Westbrook had 30 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for the Thunder, but he made just 10 of 31 shots from the field. Durant scored 26 points on 10-for-24 shooting. He has struggled throughout the series, but Thunder coach Scott Brooks said hes not worried. "Hes going to get his shots and hes going to make his share," Brooks said. "Hell get himself ready for the next game." Overall, the Thunder shot just 39 per cent. The Thunder, one of the leagues most potent offensive teams in the regular season, have shot below 40 per cent in four of the five games in the series. "We understand this team very well," Memphis guard Tony Allen said. "Weve been playing against this team the last four years with this group. We understand their plays, we understand who theyre trying to run their offence through. We know Kevin Durant is going to take his shots and Russell Westbrook is going to take his shots. We have to contest those shots and stick to our defensive coverages for 48 minutes." Oklahoma City trailed by 20 points in the third quarter but trimmed its deficit to six by the start of the fourth quarter and finally took a 79-78 lead on a 3-pointer by Durant. Memphis maintained its composure. Consecutive baskets by Conley put the Grizzlies up 87-82 with just under 4 minutes to play. Oklahoma Citys Caron Butler was fouled by Randolph as he hit a 3-pointer with 2:40 to play. He made the free throw to cut Memphis lead to 87-86. Oklahoma City, trailing 89-88, had a chance to take the lead in the final minute of regulation, but Durant was stripped, and the ball was stolen by Conley. Allen made the first free throw with 30 seconds left. He missed the second, but Marc Gasol of the Grizzlies got the rebound with 20.3 seconds to play. Conley was stripped by Westbrook, and Westbrook dunked with 4 seconds left to tie the game at 90. Memphis didnt get a shot off in time at the end of regulation and the teams went to overtime again. Miller hit two early 3-pointers in the extra period for the Grizzlies. "Defensively, we made a few mistakes at the end of regulation," Gasol said. "But we came out in overtime, made a couple of 3s, and that gave us a big lift in confidence. We were able to manage it and control from there." NOTES: The Grizzlies wore their warmups inside out and the Thunder wore black socks and shoes in protest of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterlings incendiary racial remarks. ... The Grizzlies shot 60 per cent from the field in the first quarter to lead 30-25. ... Oklahoma City made 6 of 9 3-point attempts in the first half, but just 9 of 34 shots inside the arc. ... Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins attended the game.Captain Munnerlyn Jersey .S. international midfielder Michael Bradley. The club has already announced the signing of Defoe, with the 31-year-old Spurs star set to be unveiled at a news conference Monday morning at the huge high-tech sports bar owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment across the street from the Air Canada Centre. Jeff Locke Purple Jersey . The Arena das Dunas in the northeastern city of Natal sustained minor damage during the protests, but demonstrators stayed away on Sunday and officials said the stadium passed its first test, with only minor adjustments needed going forward.HOUSTON -- Houstons Jarred Cosart had a tough start Saturday against the Chicago White Sox. He still managed to hang in the game for five innings and help the Astros to a 6-5 win. Jason Castro hit a three-run homer and Dexter Fowler homered and drove in two runs in the victory. Castros home run came in Houstons four-run first inning. The White Sox scored two in the second and one in the third to cut the lead to one before Fowlers solo shot in the fifth inning. His RBI single in the seventh inning pushed the lead to 6-3. Cosart (3-3) allowed seven hits, three runs and tied a season-high by walking four. Houston manager Bo Porter was impressed with how Cosart handled adversity on Saturday. "I think thats good for his maturation," Porter said. Cosart said he had trouble gripping the ball after the first inning and was relieved he was able to pitch as long as he did. "Its our job just to try to keep the team in the game for as many innings as we can," he said. "Tonight I didnt have the sixth, seventh or eighth like I want. But just to get through that fifth was huge and for Bo to have confidence to leave me out there for that last batter was big." Kyle Farnsworth had a tough debut with the Astros after being signed Saturday. Alejandro De Aza and Gordon Beckham each had an RBI off of the veteran reliever in the eighth inning to cut the lead to 6-5. He was replaced by Darin Downs with two outs. Downs retired Conor Gillaspie to end the inning and Chad Qualls pitched a perfect ninth for his third save. Chicagos Hector Noesi (0-4) gave up eight hits and six runs -- five earned -- in six innings to remain winless in four starts and 10 appearances this season. Alexei Ramirez had two hits and an RBI, and rookie Jose Abreu drove in his AL-leading 42nd RBI with a sacrifice in the third. Abreu played designated hitter for the second straight game to rest his sore left ankle. He is 0 for 7 in this series and was replaced by pinch hitter Paul Konerko with one out in the seventh inning. Manager Robin Venturaa said he took him out because he thought he looked "awkward" on his last swing and that he didnt expect him to play on Sunday. Rhett Ellison Purple Jersey. . "Its like he takes a couple steps forward, and then he takes a step back, so we took him out, and we will re-evaluate him after (Saturday)," Ventura said. "It just looked like he might do something else that would injure something else, so we took him out as a precaution right now." Fowler finished with three hits and rookie George Springer had two hits, including his first career triple, and an RBI. Jose Altuve hit a leadoff single before Springers hit sailed just over the head of centre fielder De Aza for a triple to put Houston up 1-0. Fowler walked before Castros sixth home run this season pushed the lead to 4-0. There were runners at second and third with two outs in the inning when right fielder Moises Sierra robbed Marwin Gonzalez of a hit and likely saved a couple of runs with a nifty diving catch. Noesi settled down after the first inning and allowed just two hits -- both singles -- over the next three innings before Fowlers homer with no outs in the fifth. Adam Dunn walked to start the second inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Ramirez to get Chicago within 4-1. Cosart issued consecutive walks after that to load the bases. A sacrifice fly by Sierra made it 4-2, but De Aza was out at third on the play to end the inning. Beckham doubled with no outs in the third, took second on a groundout and scored on a groundout by Abreu to cut the lead to 4-3. Fowlers opposite field shot to the Crawford Boxes in left field to start Houstons fifth inning extended the lead to 5-3. NOTES: The series wraps up Sunday when Houstons Brad Pea**** looks for his first win when he faces left-hander John Danks. ... Chicago LHP Chris Sale, who has been on the disabled list since April 22 with a left flexor strain, allowed one hit and struck out 11 in four innings in his first rehabilitation start in Triple-A on Friday night. Ventura isnt sure when hell be ready to rejoin the team. ' ' '
