Memphis Grizzlies, after a remarkable victory against the Los Angeles Clippers, flew to Phoenix, where they will face the local Suns team tonight. In the previous game, the Memphis Grizzlies played perfectly, scoring 140 points against one of the best teams in the league and winning the match 140-114. The Phoenix Suns team won their last game 120-112 at home against the visiting New York Knicks. This season, the Suns and Grizzlies have already played 2 games against each other, sharing one win each: the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Suns 115-108 away but lost at home 105-114.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis players are gradually gaining momentum and, after a sluggish start to the season, are now fighting for a playoff spot. A great illustration of the team's improvement was the last game against the L.A. Clippers, which the Grizzlies won 140-114. Four team players scored more than 20 points (J. Crowder 27, J. Jackson 24, D. Brooks 22, J. Morant 22), and their three-point shooting was also impressive – hitting 18 out of 39 attempts, i.e., 46%. Currently, the Memphis team is in 11th place in the standings, just 1 win behind the 8th place Portland Trail Blazers. In the first quarter against the Clippers, the Grizzlies took a 13-point lead and did not let the team, which is currently in 4th place in the Western Conference, get closer than 8 points for the rest of the game.
The Memphis Grizzlies currently rank 12th in the league in points scored – 111.8 points per game. The Grizzlies rank 18th in the league in rebounds per game, averaging 45.1, but in assists, Memphis ranks 2nd in the entire league, averaging 27.3 per game. Despite the team's strong offense, their defense often suffers due to the high pace – the Grizzlies rank only 27th in the league in points allowed, with opponents averaging 116.6 points per game. The Memphis Grizzlies currently share 8th place in the league in field goal percentage, shooting an average of 46.4%. The Grizzlies also rank 19th in the league in three-pointers made per game (11.5), but in overall three-point shooting percentage, the team makes only 35% of their attempts, which is just 15th in the entire league.
Memphis Grizzlies Leaders:
Jaren Jackson Jr. – 17.8 pts, 4.8 rebs, and 1.5 asts. The second-year player is proving that he was rightly considered one of the best players of his generation in the country and has significantly improved this season compared to the previous one. Jackson, along with Ja Morant, is leading the team forward, and if the Memphis team retains these two players over the next few years, they can expect consistent playoff appearances.
Ja Morant – 17.8 pts, 6.6 asts, and 3.2 rebs – this is the statistic of the guard who our analysts called the “rookie of the year” before the season. Currently, the guard, who is called the rookie of the year by all league review portals, is collecting solid statistics and improving his game with each match, so it will be very interesting to continue watching this player's enormous potential.
Jonas Valančiūnas – 14.4 pts, 9.8 rebs. Although the Lithuanian is certainly not the team's first option in offense, he collects his statistics well by fighting under the baskets and taking advantage of the opportunities created by his teammates. Valančiūnas has integrated well into the Grizzlies' game and is an important part of the team's success.
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Phoenix Suns
In the last game against the New York Knicks, the Phoenix Suns were trailing by double digits at the end of the 2nd quarter. After three quarters, the Suns were down by 4 points, but the team managed to bounce back and convincingly win the 4th quarter, with the game ending 120-112. The Phoenix Suns shot 46.7% from the field, including 10 made three-pointers out of 28 attempts. The team was led to victory by its nominal leader Devin Booker, who scored 38 points. The Suns enter this game in 10th place in the Western Conference standings, just like the Grizzlies, 1 win behind the San Antonio Spurs.
The Suns team ranks 6th in the league in points scored, averaging 114.2 points per game. The number of assists per game is also impressive – 28.4, which allows them to lead the entire league in this category. However, one of the team's weaknesses is rebounds – they rank only 24th in the league, averaging 43.3 rebounds per game. The Phoenix Suns also rank only 26th in the league in points allowed per game, allowing opponents to score an average of 115 points per game. The Suns rank 11th in the league in field goal percentage – 46.2%, 17th in the league in three-pointers made, but only 21st in three-point shooting percentage. Only 35% of the team's three-point attempts hit the target.
Phoenix Suns Leaders
Devin Booker – 25.6 pts, 3.9 rebs, and 6.5 asts. This guard is individually one of the best players in the entire league, collecting impressive numbers every year. However, the efforts of this player are not enough for the Suns to achieve greater victories and make it to the playoffs.
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 18.3 pts, 6 rebs, and 1.5 stls per game. This is the statistic of the forward who joined the team just in the offseason but integrated well into the team. Oubre plays well on both ends of the court, and his good integration into the team and maintaining his form throughout the season could be one of the key moments in the pursuit of a playoff spot.
Ricky Rubio – 13.8 pts, 9.3 asts. The Spaniard, who integrated well into the team, had injury problems during the season but will be registered for this game and will appear on the court. The Rubio-Booker tandem works, and if both players avoid injuries, good results can be expected.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFPxAOXrPE8
Prediction
For the Memphis team, this will be the second game in 2 days. Although the victory against the Clippers by a 26-point margin last night was impressive, the team's game today is certainly not as good as it might seem just by looking at last night's result. Also, there is a tendency in the NBA that when a team plays “above its capabilities,” the second game in a row shows a completely opposite picture, so a double-digit win by the Suns would not be surprising at all. It is very important to mention that DeAndre Ayton will return to the court tonight for the Suns after an injury, and only F. Kaminsky, who is just a rotation player, will not play. Therefore, the Phoenix Suns at home with a full lineup should confidently defeat the Memphis team playing their second game in 2 days.
Phoenix Suns -6, 1.9 odds betsafe
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