After Grizzlies ‘disrespected’ Thunder with late 3s, Andre Roberson wants payback

The Grizzlies enjoyed garbage time of their 34-point win over the Thunder a couple weeks ago, shooting 7-for-7 on 3-pointers – six by Troy Daniels and one by James Ennis – in the final few minutes.

Oklahoma City didn’t enjoy it quite so much, and Andre Roberson is leading the fun police.

Roberson, via Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman:

“I would usually say it’s one of those games we throw out,” Thunder forward Andre Roberson said Tuesday. “But at the end of that game I felt like we got disrespected in a way. Them launching 3s at the end, I didn’t take that too kindly. We remember that. We bring it up in film. We’re gonna come out tomorrow aggressive and try to get after it.”

Don’t like it? Stop it. Daniels is a 3-point specialist who got hot and had fun with it, as did Memphis’ key players on the bench. Their excitement wasn’t necessarily directed at the Thunder.

But players find reasons to motivate themselves, and maybe that will benefit Roberson when the teams meet again tonight.

How do I know this is faux outrage? Russell Westbrook – who’d already been ejected – is also getting worked up.

Westbrook, via Dawson:

“I was in the shower,” Westbrook said after Wednesday’s shootaround. “I wasn’t watching the rest of that damn game. I was in the shower. But I definitely seen the film, and I’m with Dre. If Dre feels disrespected, I’m disrespected right along with him.”

The Thunder are pulling together and working themselves into a frenzy, which could help them on the court. And if it does, it won’t matter that this started with their inability to defend 3-pointers late in a blowout loss. But that doesn’t make this a crusade I want to get behind.