After a tough loss on Monday against the Golden State Warriors, the Memphis Grizzlies closed out their two-game road trip with a 114-113 victory over the Phoenix Suns Wednesday night.
Let’s get into it.
The first half of this game was a slog, with the Grizzlies being outplayed by the Suns on both ends of the floor. Phoenix carried a four-point lead into the second half, but Memphis fought back with a vengeance in the third quarter, outscoring the Suns 32-25.
The Suns attempted to mount a comeback run in the fourth quarter and were almost successful, but Ja Morant had other plans.
Morant, who put up a team-high 28 points, hit one of his signature floaters in the final seconds of the game to put the Grizzlies up by one — proving once again that when the Grizzlies need a bucket, they can call 12.
Rookie guard Cedric Coward continues to bring a spark off the bench, closing out the night with 14 points on 5 of 10 overall shooting and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. Coward is shaping up to be a dark horse rookie of the year candidate with an impressive stat line through his first five games: 16 points, 65.1 FG%, 64.7 3PT%, 3.8 rebounds, two assists, and 1 steal.
Santi Aldama also brought a much-needed boost off the bench, putting up his first double-double of the season with 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Aldama continues to be a valuable asset to this Grizzlies team — he is currently the team’s best and most prolific rebounder.
The Grizzlies and the Suns finished the game with similar shooting percentages from the field and beyond the arc, but Memphis converted 37 points off 21 Phoenix turnovers, while allowing only 14 points off its own 17 turnovers. Turnovers were a huge thorn in the Grizzlies’ side last season, and improvement in that area this season is promising.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are returning home to FedExForum Friday night to take on the Los Angeles Lakers, in what will also be their first game of group play in the in-season tournament. Tip-off is at 8:30 CDT.
