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. USA Soccer Pro Shop . Philippe Desrosiers stopped 42 shots through overtime and three more in the shootout to pick up his third shutout of the season for Rimouski (31-15-7). Zachary Fucale made 28 saves for Halifax (34-17-3) in the loss. USA Soccer Store . According to a report from the Hamilton Spectator, Infrastructure Ontario has informed the City of Hamilton and the Tiger-Cats the stadium may not be ready by the June 30 deadline. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/ . Kerr said he had dinner with Jackson, his former coach with Chicago and the new Knicks team president, on Friday night and they talked again Saturday. Kerr is in New York to work the game between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors for TNT. USA Soccer Jerseys 2019 . First reported by FOX Sports Ken Rosenthal, its unknown if the impetus for the deferral proposal came from players or management, but it never left the preliminary stages. USA Soccer Shirts . The Leafs were back on the ice Wednesday following an 10-day break. It apparently wasnt long enough, as Team Canadas 2-1 win over Latvia didnt conclude before the Leafs began practice. "I was thinking we might get a little delay, but it was nice to get out there," said Tyler Bozak of watching Wednesdays game.TORONTO - Matt Ware wasnt ready to call it a career just yet. For two years Ware worked as a personal trainer in California, waiting for another chance to play pro football. There were workouts and discussions with other clubs after being released by the NFLs Arizona Cardinals prior to the 2011 season, but nothing concrete materialized. That is until January, when the Toronto Argonauts came calling. So instead of pursuing a job as a firefighter as planned, the 31-year-old is trying to kick-start his pro career in the CFL. "I came here because I felt I had unfinished business," Ware said following Thursdays practice at York University. "I still have a love for the game and felt like I left (NFL) on bad terms. "I still want to play." The six-foot-three, 218-pound Ware played seven NFL seasons with Philadelphia and Arizona. He spent two years with the Eagles, who selected the former UCLA star in the third round, 89th overall, in the 04 draft, before joining the Cardinals. Ware played 95 career NFL games, his three starts all coming with Arizona. He recorded 115 tackles, one interception, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery while playing in two Super Bowls (04 with Philadelphia, 08 with Arizona). But Ware wavered about wanting to return to the NFL. "Its all in the Lords hands," he said. "If I come up here and do a great job, whos to say I wouldnt just stay here? "Im grateful for the opportunity to be an Argo." Ware was a two-sport athlete at UCLA and played two seasons of minor-league baseball with the Seattle Mariners organization. Ware, a married father of two young daughters, played safety in the NFL but is working at cornerback with Toronto. A revamped Argos defence — only cornerback Jalil Carter remains from the 12 Grey Cup-winning unit — has a definite need at corner with all-star Pat Watkins signing with the Edmonton Eskimos as a free agent. Not only must Ware adjust to a new position but also a new team playing a different game with unlimited motion and an extra man on a longer, wider field. But first-year defensive co-ordinator Tim Burke said Thursday, so far so good. "Hes done really well," Burke said of Ware. "Hes a smart guy, he understands how to learn and be a professional. "Rookies are up and down . . . I think having a guy like Matt is great for our defence." Argos head coach Scott Milanovich is also imppressed with Wares veteran savvy.dddddddddddd "He strikes me as a very mature, veteran player who understands about preparation and all the little things we build our foundation on," Milanovich said. "Physically, hes a big, strong man who has good enough hips to play corner. "Hes a little bit like the guy we had last year (Watkins) but different styles. Hes doing a nice job for us." And Ware is having fun making the transition to the wide-open, pass-happy Canadian game. "There are so many moving parts," he said. "It just keeps you really in tune with the game. "Sometimes in the NFL you can go out there and just have your guy and it gets a little monotonous even though its a great challenge." Ware said a ringing endorsement of Toronto and the Argos from good friend Tyler Ebell — a former CFL running back with Edmonton, the Double Blue, B.C and Hamilton — certainly didnt hurt his decision-making process. "He told me about his experiences here and how much he loved it," Ware said. "So Im just excited to be here playing ball." A huge advantage Ware has over other CFL rookies is his pro experience. When everything seems to be happening all at once on the field, Ware has a solid knowledge base to fall back on. "Its still football," he said. "No matter how the formation comes together or if six guys are all moving at once, its still football. "You really have to stick to your technique and keys, what the coaches told you to do because if you start looking at too much then youre going to mess yourself up. If youre in man to man youve got to work your feet, look at the hips and guard your guy. If you have zone coverage, you need to see the big picture." And with CFL players participating in a ratification vote Thursday, Ware certainly understands the business side of the game. He was still with Phoenix during the last NFL lockout, which lasted from March 12 to July 25, 2011. But hes purposely not spoken to his new teammates about it. "The only thing I can do is handle what I can on the field," Ware said. "It was a different situation, ours was a lockout. "We had to prepare for that and we were prepared for it with our PA." But Ware certainly learned from that experience. "I saved my money, I worked out and was ready when they told me to be on the field," he said. ' ' '