1. A Message Game: At this point, I think opposing teams and coaches and hardcore NBA fans around the country know that the Grizzlies are for real, but tonight’s game — the team’s first before an announced sellout crowd and first (and only) on national TV (not counting NBATV games) — sent a broader message. In beating the Suns, the Grizzlies aren’t just half a game out of the final playoff spot; they’re a single game out of the 6th seed, two games out of the 5th seed, etc. And it was a high-scoring, wildly entertaining display for a live and TV audiences packed with people who probably haven’t been paying close attention to the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies built double-digit leads in both the first and second half only to see the explosive, veteran Suns push back. The Grizzlies were up 14 early in the second quarter only to see the Suns fight back to take a brief lead off the energetic interior play of Robin Lopez and Louis Amundsen, of all people. The Grizzlies are the best team in the league with offensive rebounding and interior scoring, but the Suns were beating them at both tonight — +4 in offensive rebounds and +16 on points in the paint in the first half, both categories roughly even in the second half.
In the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies had an 11-point lead with two and a half minutes to play, but the Suns just wouldn’t go away, going on a 13-5 run over the next two minutes, capitalizing on a Griz turnover and some missed free throws with their own transition scores and three-pointers.
After using their bench more in wins over Minnesota and San Antonio, the Grizzlies leaned heavily on their starters tonight, with the “core four” of Gay, Mayo, Randolph (all playing 40+ minutes), and Gasol (limited to 27 minutes due to foul trouble) accounting for 105 of the team’s 125 points. Mike Conley, after struggling for much of the game, finished strong, with two steals, two assists on Gasol lay-ups, and a big floater down the stretch.