The Phoenix Suns (9-6) and Memphis Grizzlies (3-11) meet tonight in a must-win game for the Phoenix Suns, who will be without Kevin Durant. Durant was a late scratch with right foot soreness, as Phoenix gears up to play its final NBA In-Season Tournament game, likely needing a win by a decent margin. The Suns have won five straight since the return of Devin Booker, while the Grizzlies are on a two-game losing streak and have a very bad injury bug.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Local Game Information
Start Time: 3 p.m. MST
Location: FedEx Forum
TV Channel: 3TV/AZ Family, ESPN
Radio: Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, La Mejor 106.5 FM
Stream: Suns Live (click for more info)
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 24, 2023
Betting Odds
Line: PHX -5.5
O/U: 218.5
Injury Report
Phoenix Suns: Kevin Durant (right foot soreness) OUT | Drew Eubanks (left ankle sprain OUT | Bradley Beal (low back strain) OUT | Damion Lee (right meniscus surgery) OUT | Yuta Watanabe (left quad contusion) OUT
Memphis Grizzlies: Desmond Bane (left foot sprain) AVAILABLE | Ja Morant (league suspension) OUT | Steven Adams (right knee MCL surgery) OUT | Marcus Smart (left foot sprain) OUT | Brandon Clarke (left achilles tendon repair) OUT | Luke Kennard (left knee bone bruise) OUT | Xavier Tillman (left knee injury recovery) OUT | Jake LaRavia (left eye abrasion) OUT
Starters
Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker, Eric Gordon, Grayson Allen, Keita Bates-Diop, Jusuf Nurkić
Memphis Grizzlies: Jacob Gilyard, Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama, Jaren Jackson Jr., Bismack Biyombo
NBA In-Season Tournament Standings and Notes
The Lakers have already locked up Phoenix’s group, so the biggest competition for the Suns right now is the Kings, Pelicans, Timberwolves, Nuggets, Warriors and Rockets.
With that being said, here are today’s games from West groups and what the ideal outcome would be for Suns:
— Brendan Mau (@brendan_mau) November 24, 2023
NBA In-Season Tournament West standings update ‼️
– Lakers move to 4-0, clinch West A
– Suns (2-1) get a win, stay in contentionFor more, download the NBA App: https://t.co/T2ytjrfB0m pic.twitter.com/Kh5Ysku6hZ
— NBA (@NBA) November 22, 2023
The following elimination scenarios are also applicable for tonight's games ⬇️ https://t.co/gumaxOAJrQ pic.twitter.com/LcG634equ8
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) November 24, 2023
Last Time Out
The Phoenix Suns (9-6) won their fifth straight game Wednesday, defeating the Golden State Warriors (7-9) 123-115 in their second straight game welcoming a former Sun back to the Valley, as Chris Paul made his return. However, CP3 was ejected late in the second quarter after getting in an argument with his arch nemesis Scott Foster. This game ended up being much closer and longer than it should have, as the Warriors got back into the game despite choosing not to play Klay and Steph late in the game. It was also drawn out by the Suns taking 52 total free throws. Kevin Durant had his fifth-straight 30-point game with 32 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, while Devin Booker posted 25 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Nassir Little, Josh Okogie and Chimezie Metu made some terrific hustle plays off the bench, as the Suns once forced six turnovers in just over a two minute span in the second quarter. They ultimately scraped by with an ugly victory, a but a win nonetheless.
The Houston Rockets (7-6) beat the Memphis Grizzlies (3-11) 111-91 on Wednesday night for the third Memphis loss in four games. Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. each scored 23 points for the Grizzlies. Memphis squandered an early 11-point lead, but the Rockets led by one at halftime and didn’t look back. Ziare Williams was the only other player on the roster to score in double figures for Memphis, who played against former Grizzly Dillon Brooks for the first time.
Flashback: Last Meeting (Jan. 22, 2023)
Suns Survive Grizzlies 4th Quarter Comeback, Win 3rd Game In a Row
Team Matchup Notes
Here are some stats, notes and everything else to know about the Suns and Grizzlies before their first matchup of the season (via Suns)
Each team’s stats (via Suns and Grizzlies):
Five Keys to Game for Suns
- Find scoring without KD
- Sustain big leads
- Get Booker rolling
- Get out in transition as much as possible
- Don’t downplay the opponent
PREVIEW: How the Suns Can Advance in the NBA In-Season Tournament
How the Phoenix Suns Can Advance in the NBA In-Season Tournament
PREVIEW: Kevin Durant Downgraded to Out
WATCH: Suns’ Postgame Interviews from Wednesday’s Victory over Blazers
Kevin Durant Drops 32 As Phoenix Suns Continue Five-Game Win Streak with 123-115 Win Over Warriors
Devin Booker Has Near Triple-Double, Suns Shoot 52 Free Throws in 123-115 Win over Warriors
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
