Zach Randolph recalls facing a young Oklahoma City Thunder team: 'We came in like we was going to fu** them over'

The "Grit and Grind" Memphis Grizzlies were arguably the best squad in the franchise's history. With Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Tony Allen, and Mike Conley blossoming into full-fledged stars, the Grizz looked like they would be perennial playoff contenders in the Western Conference.

Unfortunately for Memphis, their ascendance coincided with the rise of another team with young, budding stars: the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden leading the charge, OKC quickly became one of the most exciting teams in the league.

As these two teams faced off multiple times in the playoffs, a heated rivalry began to form. And on a recent episode of the "Out The Mud Podcast," "Z-Bo" talked about those battles.

Back-and-forth battles

Memphis and Oklahoma City matched up in the postseason thrice in a four-year span, which meant many high-stakes games and intense moments. As Randolph, a two-time All-Star, remembers, the Thunder were always tough opponents.

"We knew what they was doing. I knew they had a great nucleus, young core, one of the best scorers, one of the best point guards—KD and Russ. Like you said, James come off the bench. So we knew we was dealing with a three-headed monster. We knew we come in, we going to have to play," the retired 6'9" power forward said.

While the Thunder trio came into their own and threatened to take over the league, the Grizzles refused to back down. They held their own, utilizing an old-school style of play that slowed the game's pace to a crawl, allowing their tough defense and physical play to wear down opponents.

"Them rivalries was battles, you know. And we came in like we was going to fu** them over, and they thought the same, too. But man, you know, that sh** right there gonna go down in history, bro," "Z-Bo" continued.

The Thunder won two of those three playoff showdowns. However, they were made to earn tickets to the next round, winning in grueling seven-game clashes that "Z-Bo" will never forget.

"KD, he been in a lot of playoffs, Russ been in a lot of playoffs. But when they get older and retired, they gonna be talking about the playoffs with their kids. They gonna be talking about, 'Man, I remember our playoffs with Memphis and Tony Allen.' They gonna be talking about our playoffs, bro. Because we battled, man," the former Michigan State ace stressed.

The first clash was special

The two Grizzlies stalwarts expressed that their first showdown against the Thunder was memorable. Down 3-2 in the 2011 Western Conference Semifinals, Randolph gave Memphis a new lease on life with a scintillating 30-point, 13-rebound performance that propelled the Grizz to a 95-83 Game 6 win.

As the deciding Game 7 tipped off, Zach said their confidence was high despite the contest being held at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. However, KD came alive and dominated, tallying 39 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and three blocks.

"I think that was his coming-out party, man. I think that specific series, man, I saw the actual superstar in him. I saw, you know, his catch-and-shoot game, his off-the-dribble game, his post game," Tony stated. "I thought he took that to a whole,whole other level in that series."

OKC went to the Western Conference Finals but fell short to the Dallas Mavericks. They barged into the NBA Finals the following season but lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Meanwhile, the farthest the Grizzlies went during that era was the 2013 WCF where they got swept by the San Antonio Spurs.