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MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Memphis Grizzlies call it grit and grind, and it got them through another ugly game. Marc Gasol scored 20 points and hit two free throws with 1:03 left to put Memphis ahead to stay, and the Grizzlies held off Oklahoma City 87-81 Saturday to take a 2-1 lead in this Western Conference semifinal. Gasol scored 16 in the second half as Memphis remained unbeaten at home in the post-season. The Grizzlies pulled out the win in a choppy performance for both teams following a three-day layoff since Game 2 with the Thunder beating them at their own game, dominating the boards and in the paint. After struggling at the free throw line in Oklahoma City, the Grizzlies hit all six at the line in the final 1:03 to clinch it. "We just stayed after it like weve done all year long," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "Its not always pretty. Tonight wasnt pretty, but it was pretty for us because we got the win." Game 4 is Monday night in Memphis, and Hollins wants one more home win for a franchise in its second Western semifinal in two seasons. The Grizzlies lost to Oklahoma City in seven games in 2011 after splitting Games 3 and 4 in Memphis. But they are 18-1 at home since Feb. 8. "Id rather take my chances with where were sitting now and try to win all of our home games," Hollins said. "We got a long way to go, and we got to keep battling." Kevin Durant scored 25 points, but only two in the fourth quarter. A 91 per cent free throw shooter in the regular season, Durant missed two with 39.3 seconds left. Durant also had 11 rebounds and five assists. "Its frustrating, but we cant hang our heads," Durant said. "We have to keep playing and keep improving. We just have to learn from it. We have to embrace the tough times and get better from it. I believe in my teammates." Though his teammates, with Russell Westbrook out with a knee injury, need to give him more help. The Thunder had their worst scoring and shooting performance this post-season. Reggie Jackson had 16 points for Oklahoma city, and Kevin Martin and Serge Ibaka each added 13. Jackson and Ibaka also grabbed 10 rebounds apiece. Durant went 3 of 11 from the floor in the second half, and his teammates went a combined 23 of 69 for the game. Tony Allen had his best game in this series, scoring 14 points for Memphis. Jerryd Bayless added 11. Zach Randolph scored only eight points but had 10 rebounds. "It was definitely a good feeling because we didnt play the best Grizzlies basketball that we know we can play as a team," Randolph said. Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks insisted he liked the shots his Thunder took, even though they didnt get as many wide-open looks beyond the arc as they did in the first two games. "We are hopeful that we get those same shots in the next game," Brooks said. The Grizzlies built leads repeatedly, getting to as much as 10 in the second quarter. Memphis won despite not winning in the categories the Grizzlies usually dominate. The Thunder outrebounded them 51-44, with a 14-5 edge on the offensive glass. The Thunder also outscored the Grizz 44-30 in the paint, with a 23-7 edge on fast-break points. The Thunder didnt score after Derek Fisher hit a 3-pointer with 1:58 left, a shot tying for the eighth and final time at 81. The Grizzlies edge came from getting to the line where they hit more free throws (23 of 28) than Oklahoma City even took (12 of 19). "Obviously, they beat us in a lot of different areas tonight," said Memphis guard Mike Conley, who hit all four free throws in the final minute. "For us to come away with the win, we are very happy. We will take it, but it just goes to show we have a lot of work to do. We have to do better the next game." The rust from the layoff showed early for both teams. Ibaka missed not one but two dunks in the first half, Thabo Sefolosha had an airball and the Grizzlies, who had been so good at limiting turnovers, had five in the first quarter alone. Hollins switched up his defence on Durant from the first two games in Oklahoma City. He didnt put Allen, who finished fifth in voting for Defensive Player of the Year, on Durant until the final minutes of Game 2. This time, he alternated Allen with Tayshaun Prince defending Durant throughout the first half. Allen played Durant most of the third, and that helped limit Durant to 2 of 7 shooting in the quarter as the Thunder went 4 of 20 from the floor. "He is a great defender, dont get me wrong," Durant said about Allen. "But its the Grizzlies team defence. I need to make the right plays for my team. I missed a few shots in the second half." Memphis led 66-60 at the end of the third quarter. The Grizzlies pushed that to 71-62 on a 3 by Keyon Dooling and a 19-foot jumper by Darrell Arthur. Then the Thunder scored six straight, the last on a dunk by Martin forcing Hollins to take a timeout. The Grizzlies, who had hit only one of their first nine 3-pointers, hit 3 of 5 in the third quarter to take a 77-70 lead when Pondexter knocked down a 3 with 6:29 left. Pondexter also helped defend Durant in the fourth quarter. The Thunder led 45-44 at halftime. Durant scored 14 of the Thunders first 24 points as he connected on five of his first six shots. The Grizzlies grabbed their biggest lead at 28-18 on a 28-footer by Bayless. Then Gasol picked up his second foul with 9:02 left and went to the bench for the rest of the half. Notes: DeAngelo Williams, the former Memphis running back now with the NFLs Carolina Panthers, and rapper Lil Wayne had courtside seats with Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones also on hand. ... Durant extended his streak with 20 or more points to 35 straight playoff games. ... Durant had his second-lowest scoring game this post-season, a point off the 24 he had in the opener against Houston. ... The Thunder went 17-4 after a loss in the regular season. ... The Grizzlies had their 14th straight post-season sellout.Billy Turner Super Bowl Jersey . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. Kevin King Super Bowl Jersey . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. http://www.packersonlineteamstore.com/davante-adams-youth-jersey.html . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. Reggie White Super Bowl Jersey . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. Ray Nitschke Super Bowl Jersey . It just didnt show when he hit the ice. Berra made 42 saves and Kris Russell scored at 1:32 of overtime, lifting the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night.Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford, who has previously praised Kusal Pereras technique, described Kusal Mendis 176 as one of the best hes seen, and said the batsmans temperament had impressed him as well. At the end of day four, Mendis innings still appears a monumental anomaly in a match in which the next highest score is 47.What can you say? Its one of the best innings Ive ever seen, Ford said. It was. He seemed to have a plan - and option - against all the bowlers. He showed real composure. The odd one did explode and turn on him but he didnt bother about the previous delivery. He just focused on the next ball and got on with the job. He is an amazing talent. He works really hard and really loves the game.Mendis innings was anomalous because of its tempo, as well as its size. Of top-order batsmen to breach 30 in this Test, no one else has had a strike rate of over 60. With his innings only spanning 254 balls, Mendis struck at 69. It is also anomalous in the context of his brief career so far - his previous highest in Tests had been 53 in Leeds.Hes batted at no. 3 in all formats across the last couple of months, and shown wonderful maturity, Ford said. Hes shown signs each time of the possibility of making big scores. There have been really exciting cameos each time,, but fortunately now hes got one of those big innings under his belt, it will hopefully lead to a lot more.ddddddddddddHe also just seems an extremely relaxed young man. Nothing really fazes him. He enjoys playing and he cant wait to get out there and bat. Doesnt seem to show any signs of nerves. He plays positively and plays his shots. He went to his hundred with a six - no nervous nineties. He definitely puts a lot of thought into it. He works hard. But theres no signs of him being too bothered, or worried about failure, which is quite a nice way of going about his business.Since debuting against West Indies in October last year, Mendis has largely filled the no. 3 position vacated by Kumar Sangakkara. Had you still had the Sangas and the Mahela Jayawardenes, Kusal would have ideally been blooded at no. 6 or 7, Ford said. But without anybody really putting their hand up to grab that no. 3 spot, we thought he was the guy to get in and had the technique to handle it. Each time he went out there he looked like he had real capabilities to become a world-class and match-winning no. 3. So we decided to run with him and hes paid us back. ' ' '