OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook needs 16 rebounds.
His Oklahoma City Thunder need a win even more.
In Wednesday’s regular-season finale at home against the Memphis Grizzlies Mike Green Jersey , Westbrook has a chance to accomplish something that has never been done in NBA history.
But a win for the Thunder would improve Oklahoma City’s playoff position and could possibly even lift it into a top-four seed in the NBA playoffs.
If Westbrook hits that rebounding mark, he would become the first player in league history to average a triple-double in back-to-back seasons. Westbrook has already clinched double-digit averages in scoring (25.6 points per game) and assists (10.1).
In Monday’s win at Miami that clinched a playoff berth, Westbrook had 18 rebounds to get into striking distance of the mark.
“It would be another incredible milestone this year, but it’s not about that. It’s about our team and it’s about winning,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “Rebounding helps us win. The assists get other people involved. I think it speaks to him as a player, more than anything else, in how unique he is.”
With a win, the worst the Thunder could finish would be as the No. 6 seed, avoiding Western Conference powers Golden State and Houston in the first round.
A loss to Memphis could drop Oklahoma City into a matchup against one of the two behemoths.
Oklahoma City needs Portland to beat Utah on Wednesday, coupled with a win over the Grizzlies Lorenzo Alexander Jersey , to earn home-court advantage in the first round.
For Memphis, the game will mark the end of a forgettable season. The Grizzlies will miss the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.
A loss would give Memphis 60 losses in a season for the first time in a decade.
The Grizzlies’ season had plenty of promise before point guard Mike Conley was lost for the year in mid-November, eventually requiring surgery to repair his injured heel.
Memphis should land a high draft pick after clinching the second-worst record in the NBA with Monday’s loss at Minnesota.
The Grizzlies will have about a 20 percent chance at earning the top pick in the draft and the worst pick they could have is No. 5.
But even with their struggles, Grizzlies interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the players have made progress and competed well, even if wins have been hard to come by.
“Every time they step on the floor they compete to win and that’s the sign of what you want in your program,” Bickerstaff, who replaced David Fizdale in late November, told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Everybody from the outside can say whatever they want to say. That’s just a distraction. It’s disrespectful to say those guys are tanking and trying to lose because those guys that are on the floor every night have something to prove, whether it’s here, whether it’s somewhere else. If it’s another team Paul Hornung Jersey , you know, these guys want to stick. They want to be a part of the NBA so every single night they’re giving their best effort.”
Wil Myers helped give the San Diego Padres an early lead and closer Brad Hand barely held onto it.
Myers homered, doubled and drove in three runs, and rookie Joey Lucchesi threw five scoreless innings to lead San Diego to a 4-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
The Padres had to hang on after Hand got himself into trouble in the ninth and then got out of it to earn his 23rd save, thanks to some help from right fielder Hunter Renfroe.
Hand gave up two quick runs on doubles by Elias Diaz and Austin Meadows, and a triple by Gregory Polanco. The reliever got Jordy Mercer to fly out to Renfroe in shallow right field. Renfroe then caught pinch-hitter Jose Osuna’s foul ball near the seats and made a strong throw to hold Polanco at third. Hand struck out Starling Marte to end it.
”I don’t think he lacks for confidence,” Padres manager Andy Green said of Hand, San Diego’s only All-Star last year. ”He’s got those situations where he’s just got to finish his pitches better than he did tonight. He doesn’t rattle. You’ve got one of the faster runners in the game on third base with nobody out and a one-run game, and there’s not many pitchers that are getting out of that. He managed to get out of that.”
Said Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle: ”It’s a life of a closer. If you look at the numbers against him all year, he’s tough to hit. He’s been very successful. … I thought some breaking balls got left over the plate.”
Myers Authentic Harrison Smith Jersey , limited to 19 games this season due to injuries, homered to right off Trevor Williams (6-6) with one out in the third, his second. Myers then chased the San Diegan with a two-run double to left to give the Padres a 4-0 lead with two outs in the fifth.
Myers returned June 21 after missing 47 games with a strained muscle in his side.
”He’s getting closer and closer and is looking more like himself,” Green said.
The manager was impressed with Myers using all fields.
”I feel good,” Myers said. ”It’s just one of those things where you constantly work on your approach.”
San Diego won for just the third time in 13 games.
Williams, a 2010 graduate of Rancho Bernardo High, was trying to become the second straight local product to beat his hometown Padres. On Friday night, Joe Musgrove, a 2011 graduate of Grossmont High in suburban El Cajon, threw seven scoreless innings in a 6-3 victory.
But Williams gave up four runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings Womens Ryan Kerrigan Jersey , with four strikeouts and two walks. He also allowed an RBI grounder by Freddy Galvis in the second that brought in Christian Villanueva, who doubled and advanced on Jose Pirela’s single.
Williams walked Austin Hedges and pinch-hitter Matt Szczur with one out in the fifth. They advanced on Travis Jankowski’s sacrifice bunt ahead of Myers’ big double.
”I kind of lost my fastball command in that fifth inning, and I had to rely on my off-speed pitches,” Williams said. ”I kind of put myself in bad situations. Two walks in a row are tough. You can’t really defend walks. Wil Myers is a good hitter and he guessed right on a heater up, and did well.”
Lucchesi (4-3) won for the first time since April 28. He was making his third start since missing five weeks with a strained right hip. The left-hander allowed one hit while striking out five and walking four.
San Diego’s Matt Strahm yielded a run and two hits in the sixth.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (5-6, 3.96 ERA) is 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA in two career starts against San Diego.
Padres: RHP Tyson Ross (5-5, 3.32) is scheduled for the Padres, who have won seven of his last nine starts.
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08.10.2018 04:15
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