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THE dream is over for the OKC Thunder, though it really bit the dust when Russell Westbrook was ruled out of any further Western Conference finals play.

The "Batman'' to Kevin Durant's "Superman" suffered a knee injury in the first round playoff series with Houston Rockets but the Thunder's Clark Kent carried them through anyway.

Today, as the Memphis Grizzlies advanced to the NBA Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history by beating the top-seeded Oklahoma City 88-84, Kent, Superman, even Kal-El finally had run into the lethal dose of kryptonite.

Durant had a chance to tie the game with the clock winding down but shot long on an open 15-footer. Memphis' Tony Allen then sealed the 4-1 outcome by making two free throws.

"We knew Kevin would get the ball. Luckily he missed the shot," Grizzlies guard Mike Conley said.

Zach Randolph led Memphis with 28 points and 14 rebounds but missed two late free throws with the Grizzlies holding a two-point lead.

Practice your free throws kids. It's never not a good idea.

"We got a great win. They came out blasting and we stood and fought," Randolph said.

"We kept fighting and now we will get some rest and get ready for the next series."

The Grizzlies will meet either San Antonio or Golden State for the right to contest the 2013 NBA Finals, the Spurs ahead 3-2 with Game 6 in Oakland tomorrow.

Superstar Durant ended up with 21 points on 5-for-21 shooting, the third-worst performance of his playoff career.

"It was a really good season. It's a joy playing with these guys and a joy playing for this city," he said post-game, before heading back to the Fortress of Solitude.

Ah Russell. That injury meant OKC could never compete at the same level which last year took it to the Finals against Miami.

And they still have the NBA's biggest overpaid dud in Kendrick Perkins who now will be on $18 million over the next two seasons.

His agent deserves a medal.

"Our guys did a great job of competing, we didn't keep our heads down. Our team is built on spirit of competition," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said.

That thought will need to sustain him over the long hot summer.