Memphis Grizzlies will face the Oklahoma City Thunder WATCH FREE LIVE STREAMING ONLINE NBA PLAYOFFS from Chesapeake Energy Arena Tuesday at 9:00 PM ET
Zach Randolph, a 6-foot-9, 260-pound forward, averaged 17.4 points and 10.1 rebounds during the regular season. In the playoffs, he's up to 18.3 points per game, but he has made just 36 percent of his shots. The Thunder say Kendrick Perkins' strength and Serge Ibaka's athletic ability have been a tough combination for Randolph to handle. The two have switched off on him and mostly defended him straight up, sometimes even switching during a play.
"They're doing an amazing job," Thunder guard Russell Westbrook said. "I don't think they're getting the credit they deserve. I think a lot of the attention is on Kevin (Durant) and myself, but I think they're doing a great job of defending those bigs, which is tough to do."
The Grizzlies are working to figure out ways to get Randolph open, but it is difficult to come up with new things against a team that knows him so well. This is the third time in four years the teams have met in the playoffs.
"We've got to try to get some motion with the ball movement from side to side, so when the ball does come back to him, he gets the ball at a better position closer to the basket," Grizzlies guard Mike Conley told the team's website. "I think he's been too far out having to work too hard to get to his spot."
Brooks said he expects Randolph to be his usual assertive self in Game 5.
"Zach is not going to give up," Brooks said. "That guy is as good as any player in this league at playing aggressive low-post basketball. He's relentless in his pursuit of the basket, and when the offensive boards are available, he's always crashing. You always have to stay between him and the basket."
The game is live streaming online at www.nbalivestreamfree.net