The Sports Network
(Sports Network) - The Memphis Grizzlies will try to put a rough loss behind
them when they welcome the Phoenix Suns to FedEx Forum Tuesday night.
Memphis dropped a 99-95 overtime decision to a well-rested San Antonio Spurs
team on Saturday in the Alamo City and was outscored 27-14 in the fourth
quarter and 12-8 in the extra period. The Grizzlies led by as many as 14
points early in the fourth quarter, but shot 4-of-25 in the stanza.
Marc Gasol posted a team-best 20 points and Mike Conley finished with 18 and
12 assists for the Grizzlies, who had a four-game winning streak come to an
end. Zach Randolph posted another double-double, notching 17 points and 15
rebounds, while Rudy Gay added 15 points and 10 boards.
Randolph leads the NBA with 13 double-doubles.
"We knew it was going to be a tough game," said Conley, who's averaging career
highs in scoring (15.3 points), assists (6.7), steals (2.57), field goal
percentage (.497) and 3-point field goal percentage (.463). "Down the stretch
they just made the plays to win."
The Grizzlies, who share the best winning percentage (.800) with Miami, are
the top defensive team in the NBA, yielding 90.7 ppg, and will try to extend
their home winning streak to five games Tuesday. Memphis has won 19 of its
last 20 games at FedEx Forum and is 8-0 this season when scoring 100-plus
points.
On the injury front for the Grizzlies, Gay (back) and Tony Allen (groin) are
listed as probable versus the Suns.
Phoenix will put the finishing touches on a season-long, six-game road trip
and is just 1-4 on the jaunt. The Suns suffered their third straight loss on
Sunday, when they dropped a 106-99 decision to the New York Knicks at Madison
Square Garden.
Marcin Gortat had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Shannon Brown netted 17 points
and Sebastian Telfair posted 11 off the bench in the loss. P.J. Tucker and
Jared Dudley had 10 points apiece in a reserve role as the Suns fell to 7-11
on the season and watched Carmelo Anthony post 34 points on 11-of-27 shooting.
"I think they're a hell of basketball team. I really do," Phoenix head coach
Alvin Gentry said of the Knicks. "When you add Iman Shumpert and Amare
Stoudemire back to the mix, shoot, they're as good as anybody."
The Suns were down 21-6 at one point and trailed by 17 at halftime. They
pulled within six points late in the game and never got any closer.
Goran Dragic was held to nine points and had scored at least 10 in every game
this season. He leads the Suns with 15.3 ppg.
The Suns are allowing an NBA-worst 102.6 ppg this season and will return to
the desert to host the Dallas Mavericks Thursday night.
Phoenix won two of three meetings with Memphis a season ago, but has lost two
in a row and four of five contests at the Grizzlies.
The Sports Network