How the Grizzlies Easily Handled Suns
The Phoenix Suns took on the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, looking for a much-needed win after dropping Tuesday's game to the Washington Wizards.
Unfortunately, they did so without Devin Booker and could not top one of the best teams in the West. The Suns lost to the Grizzlies in blowout fashion 125-100.
Deandre Ayton led the way for Phoenix with an 18/5 performance. Memphis had two players with 24 points, and Desmond Bane had 17 points in his return from injury, his first taste of action since Nov. 11.
Despite holding Ja Morant to 12 points, the Suns could not contain the rest of the Grizzlies' team.
First Quarter
The story of this game lies in the first quarter, in which the Grizzlies outscored Phoenix 39-20. The Grizzlies led by as much as 22 points in the quarter, with Brooks scoring 10 points.
The Suns' offense couldn't get it going, but their defensive efforts were even worse. Memphis made just two three-pointers but dominated the inside, scoring 26 points in the paint. That's 10 more points than Phoenix's entire starting lineup in the first quarter.
One of the most prominent stats in the first quarter is that four out of five starters had a 17 or more +/-, and four out of five starters for the Suns had a -17 or lower +/-. After struggling greatly, Phoenix was looking at a 19-point deficit heading into the second quarter.
Second Quarter
The second quarter was much better for the Suns compared to the first. However, they still lost the quarter, being outscored 20-18. Neither team could get it going from outside the arc, going a combined 2-14 from three, with both of the makes coming from Phoenix.
Mikal Bridges led the way for the Suns, scoring a quarter-high five points. Each team shot the ball poorly in the quarter, shooting 34% or less from the field. Even so, the Grizzlies extended their lead to 21 points at halftime.
Third Quarter
The third quarter was another offensive explosion by Memphis as they scored 38 points. Desmond Bane led the way for the Grizzlies in the third, being one of three players to score over seven points in the quarter. Phoenix had their best offensive quarter of the night, scoring 31 points.
However, nobody on the team scored more than six points for the Suns. While Phoenix was able to wake up offensively, they couldn't stop the Grizzlies' offense. Memphis shot over 64 percent from the field in the quarter and 100 percent from beyond the arc. Each team turned the ball over just twice, highlighting how offensive-heavy this quarter was.
Fourth Quarter
By the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies' lead had been extended to 28 points. This game was long over by this point, and the Grizzlies played just two starters. The Suns won the quarter for the first time of the night, but it only cut the lead by three.
The Grizzlies took care of business in Phoenix, blowing out the Booker-less Suns in a wire-to-wire win.
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