MEMPHIS – With the Thunder dragging behind the Grizzlies, even with Memphis hobbled by injuries, Thunder wing Deonte Burton checked in the game early.
Burton hadn’t factored into the Thunder’s rotation in the two previous games, but on Monday he helped energize the Thunder in the first half.
The Grizzlies opened the game on a 9-0 run, and the Thunder struggled to overcome the early deficit.
Then in the second quarter, Burton drove to the basket and kicked a pass out to Abdel Nader. Nader, who was a former college teammate of Burton’s at Iowa State, caught the ball on the right wing.