"That's the first time I've lost to a team that had lost 14 in a row," Iavaroni said. "Any game that you're in control of for three quarters you feel bad walking off."

Memphis led by as many as 14 points in the first half of that game, then fell apart in the fourth quarter and suffered a 111-103 defeat.

While Iavaroni mulls over strategy to ensure the Griz don't falter again to the NBA's worst team recordwise, his players have just one thing in mind for the teams' rematch tonight in the Ford Center.

Revenge.

"It's payback. Definitely," Griz forward Rudy Gay said. "It's not college where you play some guys once and don't play them again. We're looking forward to playing our game plan throughout the game."

It's not lost on the Griz that the Thunder haven't won since that date in Memphis, losing four straight . Oklahoma's latest setback was a 10-point loss Monday to Golden State - a team Memphis has already beaten twice.

"There's added focus," Griz rookie O. J. Mayo said. "When we have opportunities to put opponents away, we have to put them away. It's going to be a tough game. They have a great Basketball atmosphere and everything. But we're really looking forward to playing them again."

Iavaroni sounded as if he appreciates his players being dialed in to the competition. The Griz have won two of their past three games after losing seven in a row.

Part of their upswing can be attributed to improved teamwork amid lineup shuffles and defensive energy.

"My motivation is on execution and results based on good execution," Iavaroni said. "If (revenge) is what helps them play harder, but not out of control, then sure, why not?"

What Iavaroni remembers is the Thunder outworking the Griz, executing better and showing poise late in the game.

"They're a talented team but we have to impose our will on this game," Griz guard Kyle Lowry said. "We're trying to get two wins in a row."

Oklahoma City outscored Memphis 68-49 in the second half of their first meeting, including 35-23 in the fourth quarter. The game's final three minutes weren't pretty for the Griz. Memphis led by a point but watched Oklahoma City score 10 unanswered points and end the game on a 12-3 run.

Iavaroni was roundly criticized for ditching his big lineup to play small ball with the Thunder in the second half. Javaris Crittenton and Greg Buckner joined Lowry, Mayo, and Gay for the game's decisive stretch. Griz center Marc Gasol , 6-for-8 with 16 points and six rebounds, sat late in the fourth quarter and played just 10 minutes in the second half.

"They went to a small lineup that night, and they have not gone to it since," Iavaroni said of the Thunder. "I think the small lineup will play a factor. I think we'll handle it better. But the fact that they had success with it and won probably means we'll see it again."

As for a notion that he allowed the league's worst team to dictate the game's final stage, Iavaroni offered no regrets.

"I don't look back on it much," he said. "When you lose, you're going to be criticized for something. That just happened to be the fruit of choice that night."

Unlike when the Griz entered their last game against the Thunder on a skid, Iavaroni said he's encouraged by the team's current mental health.

"Our team showed a lot Monday night (against the Houston Rockets)," Iavaroni said. "I was pleased to see the guys working hard, smart and together. That said, it's a snap shot. We've got to turn this into a really good DVD. And you do that by getting better and building on it."

Call Ronald Tillery at 529-2353 or read his Grizzlies blog at commercialappeal.com/tillery .

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Grizzlies vs. Thunder

When, where : 7 p.m. today, Ford Center, Oklahoma City

TV, radio : Fox Sports Tennessee, SportsSouth, WRBO-FM (103.5)

Preview, C2