OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies wouldn't let Kevin Durant come through in the clutch for the second straight time.
This was Mike Conley's time to shine.
Conley scored 26 points and fueled a late Memphis run as the Grizzlies beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 99-93 on Tuesday night to tie the series at one and gain home-court advantage in the Western Conference semifinals.
Conley hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with 1:58 left to put the Grizzlies ahead to stay and spark a string of 10 straight Memphis points.
The Grizzlies head home for the next two games, with Game 3 on Saturday in Memphis.
"Mike Conley is now one of the top five point guards in the league, whether anybody likes it or not," said Tony Allen, who had two of his five steals in the final minute.
"I know a lot of people have got their favorites on who they think it should be, but Mike Conley is in that conversation now, being able to do these types of things on the court night in and night out."
In the first round, Conley outdueled All-Star Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers.
And now, he filled the late-game void the Grizzlies created when they traded away leading scorer Rudy Gay in the middle of the season.
After Conley's go-ahead 3, he added an 18-foot jumper to stretch the lead to 94-90, then hit one of two free throws with 29.4 seconds left. He finished with 10 rebounds and nine assists, one shy of a triple-double.
"He played like he had been playing all season, and we needed that," coach Lionel Hollins said. "We needed to have somebody on the perimeter do something. He started getting to the basket a little bit and scored some big jump shots late."
After hitting the key baskets in Game 1, Durant couldn't provide an answer for the Thunder. He missed his last three shots, including a pair of 3-point attempts, and finished with 36 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
The Thunder caught a break when Allen tipped the ball away and Conley saved it from going out of bounds, only for it to end up in Durant's hands in the corner.
But Durant was off-target on a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left, and Oklahoma City was forced to foul.
In all, the Thunder came up empty on five straight possessions after Conley's go-ahead 3.
"After they scored, there was such little time on the clock, we were just trying to get a quick basket," Durant said, "and it didn't go so well for us."
In Game 1, Durant was able to hit back-to-back jumpers in the final minute to put Oklahoma City in front to stay.
With fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook out for the rest of the playoffs following knee surgery, the load once again fell squarely on his shoulders.
"I can carry as much as coach needs me to carry," Durant said. "I made those shots last game. I missed them this game. I'm just going to continue to keep taking them."
Zach Randolph added two free throws with 13.7 seconds left, and Allen then stepped in front of Durant to steal a pass and provide the finishing touches with a dunk. Derek Fisher hit a 3-pointer at the final buzzer for Oklahoma City.
"The last game, we didn't execute down the stretch, didn't get the stops when we needed them and tonight we did vice-versa," Conley said. "We got the stops, got the rebounds, made big shots and free throws."
Neither team led by more than seven in the game.
Durant put the Thunder ahead 88-86 with a three-point play off a leaner along the lane, only for Gasol to answer right back with a three-point play.
Kendrick Perkins provided Oklahoma City its last lead with two free throws with 2:41 to play, and Conley connected two possessions later after receiving a pass from a double-teamed Gasol in the lane.
"He's a steady point guard that deserves more credit than he gets," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "I understand the value he has to that team. He plays for his team every night, and I appreciate the way he plays."
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