These Grizzlies, like their stubborn coach, refuse to give in

He's done an amazing job with these Grizzlies, convinced a handful of second-chance players to believe in themselves (and each other) and created a storyline that's turned this city into an "NBA Town" for the first time in a long time, and arguably ever. But one of Hollins' weaknesses -- though it can be a positive at times -- is that he can be a hard-headed SOB less interested in change than showing you he won't, which is why it was surprising when he announced before tipoff that O.J. Mayo would start instead of Sam Young.

Really, Lionel?

"They were just clamping down on Zach [Randolph] with two or three guys," Hollins answered when asked to explain his reasoning. "We felt like if we put a shooter out there they would have to honor him."

Or succumb to him.

Mayo started and played 39 minutes, made six shots and finished with 16 points while pushing the Grizzlies to a 95-83 win over Oklahoma City late Friday that'll give the world its first Game 7 of these NBA Playoffs. Tipoff for that game is Sunday afternoon at 3:30 ET in Oklahoma City. The winner will face the Mavericks in the Western Conference finals.

"We're gonna go there and try to make it a close game," said Grizzlies forward Shane Battier. "We're gonna try to sneak one out."

The night began in a truly "Memphis" way with the Reverend Al Green singing the national anthem before a sellout crowd of 18,119. He was so good that several players started the anthem facing the United States flag with their backs to the Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer but slowly turned around to catch a glimpse.

"That was pretty sweet," Battier said. "He's a big reason why my wife and I are married. … Can I say that?"

Yes, Shane. As long as your wife doesn't mind.

Anyway, Battier's 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer was the only thing that allowed the Grizzlies to be down by just 10 points after 24 minutes, and though folks were still waving those "Believe" towels it would be dishonest to suggest everybody still actually, you know, believed. The Thunder were outplaying Memphis for the fifth consecutive game. They seemed on their way to a series-finishing victory, but then their best player -- and the world's best scorer -- stopped making shots and Oklahoma City stopped scoring points.

Kevin Durant was 1-of-10 from the field in the second half.

He missed contested shots and open shots.

He missed runners and long jumpers.

"It was frustrating to go out there and prepare so hard and not play as hard as I wanted," said Durant, who finished with just 11 points on a 3-of-14 shooting effort. "But I have to stay positive."

While Durant was missing shots, Randolph and Mayo were taking advantage of each other's presence. Randolph was 7-of-13 for 20 points in the second half while Mayo was 4-of-6 for 10. They combined for 46 points in the game, helped Memphis outscore the Thunder by a 51-29 margin over the final 24 minutes and complimented each other afterward.

"[Mayo starting] definitely makes a difference because you have to guard O.J.," Randolph said. "He can make shots from outside so it opened up a little bit in the paint. We had great spacing. They had to guard our perimeter."

And now the Thunder will have to do it again -- one last time.

Because Hollins made a lineup change and put a shooter in the court.

And because that shooter opened things up for the Grizzlies' best post player to operate.

Stubborn?

Yeah, Hollins is still a stubborn dude.

But he put that personality trait aside on this night.

Consequently, the Mavericks will have to wait till Sunday to find out their next opponent.

"He's just a coach -- a good coach," Mayo said when asked about Hollins' stubbornness. "He came to this franchise and turned it around with his headiness and toughness, and we resemble him a lot. He's got an old-school mentality. Good teams resemble good leaders, and he's the leader of this thing."

Of this thing that lived to play one more game … at least.

Z-Bo's the hero as Memphis stuns San Antonio for 2-1 series lead

The chant started in the rafters and quickly spread into the lower bowl.

Z-Bo, Z-Bo, Z-Bo.

Hundreds quickly became thousands -- 18,119 to be exact -- their voices becoming louder, stronger with each passing second.

Z-Bo, Z-Bo, Z-Bo.

Standing alone on the sideline the object of their adoration, Zach Randolph, couldn't help but let a smile slip. He has gone through so much to get here. Dismissed by Portland. A salary dump by New York. Shoved aside by the Clippers. Everywhere Randolph went, it seemed, his weaknesses overshadowed his strengths.

Not here. Not in Memphis. Here, he is beloved. His past is his past. They know about it. They just choose to forget. "As far as I'm concerned," said Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley, "his career started here." That career began with an All-Star season in 2010 and, perhaps, reached a high water mark with a 25-point, five-rebound and three-assist effort in Saturday's 91-88 win over San Antonio. The final margin came courtesy of a Randolph 3-pointer over Tim Duncan that whipped the sellout crowd into a frenzy and gave eighth-seeded Memphis a surprising 2-1 lead in the series and its first home playoff win in history.

"That's the shot I work on and practice every day," Randolph said. "It felt good when it left my hands."

Said Duncan, "I didn't assume that was in his arsenal."

It is, and much more. Randolph has always been able to fill a stat sheet -- "you could pretty much chalk up a 20 (point) and 10 (rebound) night every time you played him," said Shane Battier -- but in Memphis, his game has diversified. Often accused of being a black hole in the post, Randolph is an improved passer. On the Grizzlies' first possession, Randolph found a cutting Mike Conley. Later, Randolph executed a perfect high-low pass to center Marc Gasol, who picked up the bucket and the foul. In the second quarter he skipped a behind-the-back pass to Tony Allen for a layup.

"Zach's the kind of guy who always wants to do the right thing," Battier said. "And he's a heck of a basketball player."

In Memphis, however, Randolph has become more than that. He is a one of the most oft requested players for community events and interacts with fans like he is one of them. A "Let's go to work Z-Bo" from a teenager in the fourth row? That gets a wave. A constructive criticism from a middle-aged man on the baseline? A nod and a "you're right" look. When seven-year old Ellen Taylor shuffled off the floor after singing the national anthem, Randolph was the first one to give her a high-five. Indeed, the small town boy from Marion, Ind. has found a home in one of the NBA's smallest markets.

"This city has adopted me," Randolph said. "The people here work hard, they accept you for who you are. That feels good."

That acceptance has been well earned. Randolph and Gasol have been human wrecking balls in Memphis's two wins. On defense, they have clogged up the paint and have been there to meet every Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili drive. And against San Antonio's smallish front line, the Grizzlies' big men have exploited every mismatch. Gasol pumped in 17 points of his own on Saturday, with the duo accounting for the bulk of the team's 44 points in the paint. It was only when San Antonio started to take away some of their post-ups in the second half that the Spurs were able to claw their way back in it.

"They are big bodies and they are taking some stuff away from us," Duncan said. "We are just not reacting as well as we usually do to what is open and to what we have."

The Spurs have never won a series in the Duncan era when they had home court advantage and lost two of the first three. But the series is far from over. San Antonio outscored Memphis 46-39 in the second half and had a chance to tie it in the final seconds of regulation. This Spurs team won't be rattled by a 2-1 deficit or an energetic home crowd. Been there, done that.

"As I told the players, it's going to be a dogfight," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. "This was a battle. [The Spurs] are not going anywhere."

Neither, of course, is Randolph. The Grizzlies workhorse will be back at his familiar position in Game 4, banging his 6-foot-9, 253-pound frame on the blocks. The player ushered out of Portland, New York and Los Angeles has become Memphis's most indispensable man. The man so many coaches thought couldn't be counted on, trusted, now has a team and a city's unbending faith. Zach Randolph has always put up big numbers. Now, he is the biggest reason a playoff team is posting big wins.