The Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies will renew their postseason rivalry Saturday night when the two squads meet at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Matt Harvey Authentic Jersey . Catch the game on TSN2 starting at 9:30pm et/6:30pm pt. For the third time in four seasons, the Thunder will face the Grizzlies in the playoffs. OKC dispatched the Grizz in the second round following the 2010-11 season, but Memphis evened the score one year ago. The Grizzlies eliminated the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals last season. Granted, Oklahoma City was without the services of All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, but this seasons first-round battle will be the rubber match. "Its going to be a tough but fun series," OKC star Kevin Durant said. "We have a lot of history with these guys. Were looking forward to getting the opportunity to play for a championship." Durant will be the leagues MVP and carried a heavy load. Westbrook missed time with a knee injury and veteran starters Thabo Sefolosha and Kendrick Perkins both were shelved late in the season with various ailments. "Guys had to step up and I think we did a good job of fighting through it all," Durant said. "That shows the type of organization, the type of coaching staff and team that we have. Its been a fun season and up and down like any other season." Memphis overcame a hideous start to make the postseason once again. Injuries hit the Grizzlies hard as well. They were without All-Defensive guard Tony Allen for a long stretch, but the main setback occurred when they lost All- Star center Marc Gasol with a left knee problem. Once the reigning Defensive Player of the Year returned to the lineup, the Grizzlies clicked. The Grizzlies went 33-13 in games Gasol played after the injury. The heart of the Grizz rests in their big-man combo of Gasol, who averaged 14.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg and 1.88 blocks, and Zach Randolph, who continued to be a double-double machine. He posted marks of 17.4 points and 10.1 rebounds while tying for the fourth-most double-doubles in the league. However, the real star that emerged this season was point guard Mike Conley. He averaged 17.2 ppg and 6.0 apg all the while playing stellar defense, the hallmark of the Grizzlies. It all finally came together for Memphis over the final two games of the season. The Grizzlies road victory over the Phoenix Suns in the penultimate game earned them a playoff berth. Their win over the Dallas Mavericks in the finale got them the seventh seed. "Getting 50 wins is something you want on your resume as a player, and people remember those. Those are special seasons. Its a standard, a golden standard I think," Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger said. It will be a classic offense versus defense matchup. The Thunder were the fifth-best offensive team this season, while the Grizzlies ranked third in opponents scoring. Flip the script and the advantage swings to Oklahoma City. The Thunder finished a respectable 12th in defensive scoring and an impressive third in opponents field-goal percentage. Memphis ranked 27th in scoring The Thunder won three of four regular-season meetings against the Grizzlies. OKC is 7-4 all-time versus Memphis in regular-season games in Oklahoma City. Lucas Duda Authentic Jersey .5 million, one-year contract. The 33-year-old right-hander agreed to the deal last week subject to a physical, and the contract was announced Wednesday. Mookie Wilson Jersey . Ortega played 42 games for Double-A Tulsa in the Texas League last season before sustaining a hairline fracture on his shin. NEW ORLEANS -- Eric Gordon remains a central figure in the Hornets long term plans, even though the prolific shooting guard turned down a four-year extension offer from the club, New Orleans general manager Dell Demps said. "Its a situation where we talked, thought we came close to an agreement and it just didnt work out, but we are still very optimistic we can get something done this summer," Demps, who was travelling Thursday, said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "Its not a big issue. Its not a situation that is uncommon. ... There are other measures that you can use to sign Eric to a long-term contract and thats our goal." By passing on the Hornets offer, Gordon essentially chose to become a restricted free agent when the next league year begins July 1. While other teams can make offers to Gordon at that time, the Hornets will have the right to match or exceed the maximum offer other teams are allowed to make. The Hornets, who host Orlando on Friday night, did not practice on Thursday, but Gordon, who has been sidelined by a right knee bruise, released a statement through the team. "We all worked hard on the extension, but sometimes business is business," Gordon said. "Right now my sole focus is on staying in great shape, and making sure I get back to 100 per cent health as quickly as possible so I can return to playing and helping my teammates and coach Monty (Williams) win games. That is really what it is all about right now for me." Demps declined to go into detail about the value of the extension Gordon was offered. Under league rules, the maximum a four-year deal could have been worth would have been a little more than US$60 million, which is the deal Kevin Love accepted from Minnesota on Wednesday. The Hornets also could have offered Gordon a maximum five-year deal worth around $78 million, similar to what Russell Westbrook received from Oklahoma City. However, league rules also restrict teams to only one player with a five-year extension for maximum money, and the Hornets have not been able to see Gordon play much in their system because of his injury, which has sidelined him for all but two games. The Hornets currently are owned by the NBA, meaning commissioner David Stern, who is temporarily acting in the role of team owwner, had the final say in what kind of deal the Hornets could offer Gordon. Matt Harvey Jersey. "We were authorized to make a deal, we had conversations that were productive, and although we didnt come to an agreement, the talks were amicable," Demps said. Gordon, who turned 23 last month, came to New Orleans as a key component of a multiplayer trade shortly before the regular season that sent four-time all-star point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers. Under NBA rules, players who were due to become restricted free agents at the end of this season had until midnight Wednesday to reach early extensions with their teams. Gordon injured his knee during New Orleans season opener, in which he also hit the winning shot to cap a 20-point outing in Phoenix. During that game, he banged knees with Grant Hill. Gordon attempted a comeback on Jan. 4, when he scored 22 points in a loss to Philadelphia, but has been out since. Demps said Gordon will be out at least three more weeks, at which time he will be reevaluated and possibly be able to begin basketball activities. Gordons knee is structurally sound, Demps said, but that the Hornets are taking cautious approach. "After consulting with doctors, it was agreed upon that rest and rehabilitation would be the best long-term solution for Eric," Demps said. "Whenever youre dealing with knees, you want to take correct steps that will not have negative long-term results." Gordon averaged 22.3 points last season, his third as a pro since being selected seventh overall out of Indiana in the 2008 NBA draft. He missed 20 or more games in each of the previous two seasons with various, relatively minor injuries. In his second season, he missed 20 games with a combination of ailments including a groin injury and sprained toe. Last season, he missed 26 games because of a right wrist injury. The Hornets are 1-1 in games Gordon has played this season and 2-14 in games he has missed. While New Orleans has played solid enough defence to remain competitive in most of its games, playing without Gordons scoring punch has hurt in the final minutes. Of New Orleans 15 losses, 10 have come by single digits, including three-straight two-point defeats before Wednesday nights 10-point loss to the Western Conference-leading Thunder. wholesale nfl jerseyscheap jerseys from china ' ' '
