It has been less than two weeks since veteran point guard Mario Chalmers was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, but he already made an impact in Monday's 122–114 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Chalmers led all scorers for the Grizzlies, tallying 29 points off the bench, which included 16 points in the fourth quarter.
Along with his splendid offensive game, the 29-year-old also had two rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 23 minutes of action.
In three games played with the Grizzlies so far, Chalmers is having great numbers, averaging 18.7 points, one rebound, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Besides Chalmers, another point guard shone for Memphis as Mike Conley Jr. almost had a double-double with 22 points and nine assists, also having four rebounds and two steals.
Aside from Memphis' playmakers, big men Jeff Green and Marc Gasol also had standout performances in the win over Oklahoma City.
Green had 20 points, five rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block; while Gasol recorded 17 points, six rebounds, six assists, and one block.
The Grizzlies improved to 6–6 with the win to take the ninth spot in the Western Conference standings and will continue the home stand when they take on the Houston Rockets this Friday at the FedExForum.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma City was led by All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook who exploded for 40 points, also having four rebounds, 14 assists, and three steals in 39 minutes played.
Westbrook took charge, with the Thunder missing former Most Valuable Player (MVP) forward Kevin Durant due to a hamstring injury suffered in a win over the Washington Wizards.
The loss gave Oklahoma City a 6–5 record, same with the Denver Nuggets, which is enough for the sixth place in the West.
Up next for the Thunder will be a three-game home stand which will begin when they face the struggling New Orleans Pelicans this Wednesday.
