The Phoenix Suns had a chance to grab a win from the once-hopeful Memphis Grizzlies in the third quarter, but squandered their opportunity and allowed the Grizzlies a win, 99-91, on Thursday night.
Grizzlies vs. Suns recap: Memphis survives scare from Phoenix, 99-91
Memphis allowed Phoenix to climb back into the game in the third quarter, but the Grizzlies were ultimately too much to handle in the valley of the sun.
Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE
Memphis jumped out to a first-half lead over the Suns as Zach Randolph went to work, nearly grabbing a double-double in the first 24 minutes. The Suns couldn't hit from three as Eric Bledsoe sat with a sprained knee.
Phoenix locked down defensively and got out in the fastbreak to start the second half. The team took the lead with 7:05 left in the third quarter thanks to a Goran Dragic jumper.
Memphis would regain control on a Mike Miller two-pointer with 10:45 left in the fourth quarter and the Grizzlies wouldn't relinquish the lead again. Things got a bit testy late in the fourth as Dragic decided to tackle Jerryd Bayless:
After the teams separated themselves, the Grizzlies extended their lead and cruised to an easy win. Phoenix sorely missed the defensive presence and ball-handling skills of Bledsoe.
Dragic led all scorers with 33 points on 13-of-22 shooting, adding seven assists. Channing Frye had 14 points, going 4 for 10 from three.
For Memphis, Randolph had 20 points on 10-of-20 shooting, finishing with 15 rebounds. Bayless was a spark off the bench, scoring 17 points.
The loss keeps the Suns at seventh in the West, just above the Dallas Mavericks. Memphis moves to 15-17 as the team attempts to claw its way back into the playoff picture.
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