Phoenix Suns (18-41) v Memphis Grizzlies (35-25)
Tuesday 2/28/2017 6pm
FedEx Forum, Memphis, TN
Fox Sports Arizona/Arizona Sports 98.7FM
Season Series – Grizzlies lead 2-0
All-Time Series – Phoenix Leads 50-30
Last Matchup – February 8, 2017 Milwaukee won 110-91
Suns’ Last Game – Loss to the Milwaukee Bucks 100-96
Grizzlies’ Last Game – Win over the Denver Nuggets 105-98
Suns’ Scoring Averages – PTS/G: 107.0 (10th of 30) Opp PTS/G: 112.5 (29th of 30)
Grizzlies’ Scoring Averages – PTS/G: 100.8 (27th of 30) Opp PTS/G: 99.5 (3rd of 30)
Preview
With Alex Len in the starting lineup, and Tyson Chandler and Brandon Knight relegated to the bench, the Suns are 0-2. Although with only 23 games remaining in the season, tankers are pleased as the Suns had been 11-7 against the Eastern Conference prior to the All-Star break, and had already defeated the Bulls once in convincing fashion at home. Phoenix is unlikely to reverse the losing trend immediately as four of their next five games are against playoff teams.
The Grizzlies have had their way against the Suns in both of their head-to-head matchups this season, defeating the Suns by an average score of 112.5-93.5. In both games the outcome had all but been decided by the start of the fourth quarter with Phoenix down 14 and 20 at the start of each quarter of each respective game.
At December 10, the Grizzlies were 17-8 in the standings and already touted two six-game winning streaks, at looked as if they were the class of the Western Conference. However since then, they are 18-17 with no winning streak longer than three games, a feat they have accomplished twice in the last month. While they have handled the Suns well in their two outings, only twice over that period have the Grizzlies won a game by at least 19 otherwise.
Three Interesting Stats
Phoenix Suns
1. When Alex Len starts this season, the Suns are 3-9.
2. Granted, having only played 1/5 the minutes that Len has played, Alan Williams is averaging 17.7 points and 15.5 rebounds per-36 compared to Len’s 13.5 and 11.7
3. Kyle Lowry recently had wrist surgery, and according to ESPN’s Real +/- he is the league’s second best point guard. However, aside from three-point shooting percentage, he and Eric Bledsoe are eerily similar statistically, only Bledsoe is four year’s Lowry’s junior.
Name – p/r/a/fg%/3fg%
Kyle Lowry – 22.8/4.8/6.9/46.3/41.7
Eric Bledsoe – 21.3/5.0/6.4/44.0/32.8
Memphis Grizzlies
1. The Grizzlies are 14-4 against Phoenix since April 2012.
2. Mike Conley has scored at least 30 points 5 times this seasons, the most recent three coming in the past month, with the first of those three coming as his career-high 38 points set against Phoenix on January 30.
3. Once one of the league’s most prolific and ferocious dunkers, at 40 years old, Vince Carter has only 6 dunks this year.