MEMPHIS — Before Russell Westbrook fulfilled his obligations with the news media on Friday, he pulled a pair of long camouflage shorts over his practice shorts. It seemed less like a fashion statement — always a possibility with Westbrook — than a strategic decision as the Oklahoma City Thunder sought to defend themselves from questions about their predicament in the first round of the playoffs.

Perhaps he was preparing for a verbal skirmish in the wake of Thursday’s loss to Memphis, which gave the Grizzlies a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series. The words that came spilling out of Westbrook’s mouth did little to quell those suspicions.

“Our offense is not built around Serge,” Westbrook said when a reporter asked about Serge Ibaka’s lack of late-game shot attempts. “We have No. 35, Kevin Durant.”

But Ibaka had been such a valuable part of the offense and —

“I ain’t trying to hear that, man,” Westbrook said. “Don’t try to pull us apart. We all in this together. Serge is not on a separate team. Kevin is not on a separate team. I’m not on a separate team. We’re on the Oklahoma City Thunder.”