Suns-Grizzlies Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD
Posted Dec 03 2012 11:06PM

Blowing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead to their division rivals, the Memphis Grizzlies missed out on a chance to make an early statement.

The Grizzlies have an opportunity to bounce back on Tuesday night when they host the Phoenix Suns, who will try to avoid a fourth straight defeat.

While the Spurs' Big Three were refreshed following two days off that ultimately cost the team a $250,000 fine, the Grizzlies were playing the second half of a back-to-back on Saturday night.

Memphis (12-3) led 76-62 with 9:41 to play, but couldn't hold on in a 99-95 overtime loss at two-time Southwest Division champ San Antonio.

"We don't use any excuses here," said guard Mike Conley, who finished with 18 points and 12 assists. "We felt like we had a chance to win the game regardless of back-to-back or resting."

The Grizzlies, though, appear to be in a better position against the Suns (7-11). Since the season opener, they're 4-0 with at least two days rest.

The extra time could benefit big man Zach Randolph, who has shot 8 of 29 from the field in his last two games. He's averaging 18.0 points with a 51.7 field-goal percentage and 12.3 rebounds with at least two days rest.

After posting double-doubles in his first 11 games of the season, Randolph has just two in his last four following a 17-point, 15-rebound effort against the Spurs. Rudy Gay finished with 15 and 10, respectively, for his first double-double of the season.

Gay played a major role in the team's only win over Phoenix in 2011-12, scoring 32 points in a 104-93 victory on April 11. He averaged 23.0 points in the three meetings last season.

Starting guard Tony Allen, who missed the final game against Phoenix last season because of a facial laceration, is questionable with a groin injury.

The Grizzlies are tied with Miami for the best record in the NBA, but they fell to 5-3 against Western Conference opponents. Still, Memphis will try to continue its franchise-best 8-1 start at home against a Suns team that is 2-8 on the road.

Phoenix is 1-4 heading into the finale of its six-game road trip and has lost three in a row following a 106-99 defeat at New York on Sunday.

Goran Dragic, the team's leading scorer at 15.6 points entering the contest, finished with a season-low nine against the Knicks.

Marcin Gortat finished with a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns, who have trailed by double digits in 14 of their 18 games.

"When you get down 15, 20 points, you kind of need a perfect storm to come back," said forward Michael Beasley, who had nine points. "I feel like we're relying on that perfect storm in too many of our games."

Gortat was one of the biggest reasons Phoenix took two of three from the Grizzlies last season, averaging 15.7 points and 8.7 rebounds. Jared Dudley, now a bench player for the Suns, totaled 39 points in the two victories over Memphis.

The Suns, though, will have to find a way to improve defensively. They've allowed a league-worst 102.7 points per game, including 108.0 during their three-game losing streak.

They might have to do it without forward Jermaine O'Neal, the team's second-leading shot blocker. O'Neal, who averages 1.7 blocks, could be out for a second straight game due to a right quadriceps strain.

Randolph leads Grizzlies past Suns 108-98 in OT

By CLAY BAILEY
Posted Dec 05 2012 12:40AM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) The Memphis crowd was on its feet, the chants resonating through FedExForum in the final two minutes of overtime.

"Z-Bo! Z-Bo! Z-Bo!" the faithful hollered, acknowledging the dominance of forward Zach Randolph in a Grizzlies comeback.

Randolph set season highs with 38 points and 22 rebounds to carry the Grizzlies down the stretch for a 108-98 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.

Randolph was 15 of 22 from the field and dominated in the latter stages of the fourth quarter and most of overtime. He also had three blocks, two in overtime, as Memphis outscored the Suns 14-4 in the extra period, with all the Suns' points coming at the foul line.

Teammates said the performance was reminiscent of Randolph's play during the 2011 playoff run, when Memphis defeated top-seeded San Antonio in the first round and carried Oklahoma City to a seventh game in the Western Conference semifinals.

"I saw the Zach from two years ago," guard Mike Conley said. "The one where everybody is chanting: `Z-Bo.' That's what we like to see. We don't want him to have to go for 40, or whatever he went for, every night, but we'll take it whenever he wants to give it to us."

"It brought up some memories, that's for sure," center Marc Gasol said.

Quincy Pondexter had a season-high 16 points for Memphis, while Gasol and Rudy Gay scored 14 apiece. Conley had 11 points for the Grizzlies, but went 2 of 9 from the field. Gay shot 5 for 12.

Randolph acknowledged the performance was his best since the 2011 playoff run. Last year, he was stymied physically after a knee injury early on caused him to miss a good portion of the season.

"It felt good. I know I could play this way," Randolph said. "I felt like my old self. I've been doing some stuff on the offensive end. Making shots, hitting my little jump shot, my step back, my rip through. . I felt like my old self."

Goran Dragic led the Suns with 19 points and seven assists. Luis Scola scored 16 and grabbed eight rebounds. Jared Dudley finished with 13 points and Jermaine O'Neal scored 12 for Phoenix, which lost its fourth straight.

It was Memphis' second consecutive overtime game after a 99-95 loss at San Antonio on Saturday night. But for the Suns, the extra period may have been a bit too much. The game against the Grizzlies was the final stop on a six-game road trip.

"We played good for three quarters," said Marcin Gortat, who had 11 points and seven rebounds. "Quite honestly, something just suddenly turned off. Someone turned off the switch, and we just stopped playing. That's it."

Phoenix, which led by as many as 16, saw its lead vanish in the last 1:10 of regulation. The game was tied at 94 after Gay connected on a 12-foot floater with 15.9 seconds left, and O'Neal's shot at the buzzer was off the mark, leaving the game tied at 94.

"We had a chance to win the game, but in overtime they just took over," Dudley said. "It was the Z-Bo show."

Conley connected on a 3-pointer to open overtime, then Randolph hit three straight buckets, prompting the Memphis crowd's chant.

"If you go back and look, he has always been 20-10 since he walked into the league," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said of Randolph. "He is just a determined guy. He came up with a couple of really big rebounds (in overtime). He just worked himself to get them."

The 10-point lead, reached on Conley's two free throws with 50.9 seconds left, was Memphis' largest of the game.

Memphis had a terrible time on offense in the first half. Phoenix was getting in the passing lanes and swatting balls away in the post. The result was Memphis committing 12 turnovers before the break.

No Suns were in double figures after the first half, but 10 players scored, four of them with eight points apiece.

Randolph had 16 points while Pondexter added 14, going 2 for 3 outside the arc. Their play at the end of the half made the deficit manageable.

Memphis tried to cut into the lead after halftime, but the Suns wouldn't relinquish the advantage. Phoenix continued its balanced scoring with Dragic running the show and scoring along with contributions from Scola and Dudley.

Gortat's jumper near the end of the third gave the Suns a 72-68 advantage entering the final period.

Phoenix held the lead between four and six points through much of the fourth, stretching it to eight at one point.

Memphis tied the game at 91 on Randolph's rebound basket.

Then a steal by Conley led to a clear-path foul on Scola. Conley made one of two free throws for a 92-91 lead with 1:10 left for Memphis' first lead since midway through the first quarter.

Scola's 11-foot hook shot gave the Suns the lead back at 93-92 with 37 seconds left.

In the overtime, Phoenix just never got anything going on the offensive end and missed all five of its shots in the extra period.

"We have to finish games," Gentry said. "We played great, but we have nothing to show for it."

Memphis, meanwhile realized they had not matched the Suns' play through most of the game, and the overtime gave them an opportunity to escape, using Randolph as the catalyst.

"They had given us everything they could and made a lot of shots and shot the ball very well," Conley said of the early play. "Eventually, it didn't fall for them, and we were able to get the ball inside to the big fella (Randolph), and let him take us home."

NOTES: Phoenix closed out a six-game road trip, its longest of the season, with a 1-5 record. ... Memphis is now 5-0 with at least two days' rest. ... The Suns have trailed by double digits in 15 of 19 games this season. ... O'Neal, who missed Sunday's game against the Knicks with a right quad strain, returned to action against the Grizzlies. ... It was Randolph's highest point total in a Grizzlies uniform and was the fourth 30-20 game of his career.

Notebook: Grizzlies 108, Suns 98 (OT)

L. Jason Smith, for NBA.com
Posted Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:09 AM - Updated Wed Dec 05, 2012 8:21 AM

THE FACTS: After trailing the Phoenix Suns by as many as 16 points in regulation Tuesday, Zach Randolph put the Memphis Grizzlies on his back and carried them to a 108-98 overtime victory Tuesday night at FedExForum. Randolph finished with season highs of 38 points and 22 rebounds, helping the Grizzlies outscore the Suns 14-4 in the extra session. The come-from-behind win kept the Grizzlies (13-3) in first place in the Southwest Division. Goran Dragic's 19 points led six Suns (7-12) in double figures.

QUOTABLE: "He reminded me of two years ago Zach. He had the little bounce. He doesn't get high [off the ground], but you could see it in his eyes. He had the eyebrow and all that going. It was good. He was aggressive. He wasn't settling as much as he's been in the past."
-- Grizzlies forward Marc Gasol on Randolph's monster game

THE STAT: Phoenix shot 49.4 percent in regulation. In overtime, however, the Suns couldn't buy a bucket, going 0-of-5. Phoenix got all four of its overtime points from the line. Meanwhile, Randolph was 3-of-3 from the field in the extra period for six points. He also grabbed five rebounds in the overtime.

TURNING POINT: With 1:10 left in regulation, Memphis took its first lead since early in the first quarter on a free throw by Mike Conley. Though the Suns retook the lead, forward Rudy Gay knocked down a 12-footer with 15.9 seconds left to help send the game into overtime. From there, it was all Randolph.

HOT: Randolph went 15-of-22, and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. His season-high 22 rebounds were just 10 fewer than Phoenix tallied as a team. It was Randolph's NBA-best 14th double-double of the season.

NOT: Conley struggled for most of the game, shooting 2-of-9. But his 3-pointer to start overtime came as a shot in the arm for Memphis at a key point.

QUOTABLE II: "That's just me. When I got that little hop in my step, it means I'm going. He knows me and he knows when I'm going."
-- Randolph on Gasol's comment about his hop

NOTABLE: Randolph's previous season high was 20 points (twice), the most recent coming on Nov. 16 in a 105-95 win over New York. His previous season high for rebounds was 18. Randolph's career highs are 43 points (vs. Memphis as a Portland Trail Blazer in March 2007) and 25 rebounds (vs. New York in Feb. 2010). ... Though Phoenix's bench outscored Memphis', 46-24, the Grizzlies got a season-high 16 points off the bench from guard Quincy Pondexter. ... The Suns wrapped up a season-long six-game road trip with the loss Tuesday. Phoenix went 1-5 on the trip.

UP NEXT: For the Suns, Thursday vs Dallas, Saturday @ Clippers, Sunday vs. Orlando. For the Grizzlies, Friday @ New Orleans, Saturday vs. Atlanta, Wednesday @ Phoenix.

• Suns: Frye, Marshall, Telfair
• Grizzlies: Wroten

• Suns: --
• Grizzlies: --

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: FedExForum, Memphis, TN
• Officials: #10 Ron Garretson, #11 Derrick Collins, #52 Scott Twardoski
• Attendance: 14481
• Duration: 2:34