MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Memphis Grizzlies celebrated the return of Marc Gasol with a victory over one of the leagues top teams -- and one of their biggest rivals. Courtney Lee scored a season-high 24 points, including the closing two free throws, and the Grizzlies beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 90-87 on Tuesday night in Gasols first game in almost eight weeks. While Lee provided the early offensive punch for Memphis, many teammates were talking about the return of the Gasol, the leagues reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who missed 23 games with a left knee injury. The 7-foot-1 centre played 24 minutes and finished with 12 points. "Everybody is excited, especially for him," said guard Mike Conley, who had 19 points and seven assists in Memphis third straight victory. "Hes been itching to get out there forever, and I thought he did great. It gave us a good boost." Gasol, whose return was not announced until just before the game, received a rousing ovation from the Memphis crowd when he was introduced with the starting lineup. He said the cheers gave him "goose bumps" and made him feel like a rookie again. He said the knee did not bother him, but the large knee brace he is wearing is uncomfortable. "It felt really good, especially since we got the win," Gasol said of the knee. "That makes everything worth it." Zach Randolph had 23 points and 13 rebounds on the night his inside partner returned. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 37 points, converting 15 of 28 shots. Reggie Jackson scored 17, but also committed seven of Oklahoma Citys 19 turnovers. Serge Ibaka finished with 11 points and four blocks as the Thunder lost their third in the last four. Durant, who has dealt with an aching left wrist and did not practice Monday, had ice on it after the game, but said he did not aggravate the injury. Lee converted a 22-footer from the right wing as time ran out in the third period to help Memphis carry a 72-67 lead into the final frame. Memphis, which trailed 47-43 at the break, converted 10 of 18 shots in the third, while the Thunder managed only 9 of 22. That led to the Grizzlies outscoring Oklahoma City 29-20 in the period. Memphis still held the lead at 87-84 with less than a minute left. Jackson missed a 4-foot runner, then Gasol missed a 7-footer in the lane for Memphis. Oklahoma City had the ball after a timeout with 20 seconds left. Durant drove and kicked the ball out to Ibaka, who missed a 3-pointer from the left corner. "I seen (the defender) come off of Serge and he was wide open, and I trust him 100 per cent," Durant said. "That shot looked good, but it hit the side rim and rimmed out. "Great shot. Weve just got to live with the results." Randolph split a pair of free throws with 10.6 seconds remaining for an 88-84 lead, enough that Ibakas 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left wasnt enough. Lees free throws provided the final margin. "Courtney Lee had his way," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "We didnt do a good job of starting the game off on him. Throughout the game, he sprinkled in some good shots." The Thunder weathered an early burst of points from Lee, who had 14 in the first quarter as Memphis built a 12-point lead. Oklahoma City erased the advantage with a 15-1 rally spanning the first and second quarters. NOTES: The Grizzlies went 10-13 when Gasol was out of the lineup. ... Despite travelling with the team and warming up before the game, Thunder G Russell Westbrook remained on the inactive list recovering from right knee surgery. ... Lees previous season high was 18 on Dec. 13 against the Knicks when he was with Boston. ... Thunder C Kendrick Perkins now has almost as many fouls (105) as points scored this season (117). ... The game marked only the fourth time this season the Thunder has lost when outrebounding their opponent. Christian Fischer Coyotes Jersey .James scored 29 points, including 16 in the first quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers broke a four-game losing streak with a 106-74 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday night. Dale Hawerchuck Jersey .The third-seeded Murray, who won here in 2009, will face seventh-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa next on the indoor hard court. http://www.officialcoyotesfanstore.com/authentic-nick-schmaltz-coyotes-jersey/ . According to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, the deal will pay Schenn $2.25 million in the first year and $2.75 million in the second year. In 82 games with the Flyers in 2013-14, Schenn scored 20 goals and added 21 assists. Alex Goligoski Coyotes Jersey . Neither player was available Saturday for the Knicks 107-98 loss in Atlanta. "Were going in a different direction and weve got to figure out another spot or two for our ballclub," coach Mike Woodson said before the game. Oliver Ekman-Larsson Jersey . -- The Sacramento Kings have signed first-round pick Nik Stauskas to his rookie contract.Like the flowers and blossoms suddenly appearing on a sunny spring day in Vancouver, the Whitecaps young guns are themselves starting to bloom. On Tuesday afternoon, a group of (dont call them reserve) players who didnt feature in the 2-1 win over Houston, took care of business against an FC Edmonton team preparing for its NASL campaign. Throughout the afternoon, the Whitecap squad averaged a tender 20.8 years of age. That number was brought up by 26-year-old Carlyle Mitchell, and 25-year-old goalkeeper Paulo Tornaghi. Had 17-year-old Marco Carducci started in goal, the average age might have dropped into the teens. But as they say in the game, "if youre good enough, youre old enough", and the young Caps proved it with a sterling performance going forward, scoring three goals in the first 17 minutes. They also held their nerve defensively against a big, physical Colin Miller-coached team that will be trying to join the NASL elite in 2014. The culture of competition that Carl Robinson has built is starting to permeate through the residency program, which Gordon Forrest helps oversee in addition to his first team assistant coaching duties. That common thread, and the managers desire to connect the entire club, is starting to bear fruit in the form of players like Marco Bustos, Kianz Froeze, Mitch Peraux, and a more recent revelation, Nicholas Prasad.dddddddddddd The 18-year-old Surrey native stepped into an unfamiliar right back spot over his more natural centre back role, and didnt put a foot wrong in his 45 minutes of work. It was a side that wouldnt look out of place against MLS competition, when you consider that Mitchell, Johnny Leveron, Kekuta Manneh and Eric Hurtado have all seen first team spells in their young careers. The Whitecaps depth will come in handy during next months Amway Canadian Championship for the Voyageurs Cup, a competition the Whitecaps have yet to win in their MLS era. Despite a small sample size, youd have to think Vancouver would be considered favourites to finally win it at this stage. If they do represent Canada in CONCACAF, the club could easily send a young squad to play the group qualifying games. This would not leave their first teams regular season endeavours severely hamstrung, as weve seen from so many CCL campaigns in the past. For now, the youngsters will have to keeping pushing and competing until the opportunity presents itself. But as in springtime, when the fruit starts to ripen, its only a matter of time until it gets picked. ' ' '