Separated by a quick trip to Golden State following Friday’s win, Monday’s game against Memphis was not technically part of Phoenix’s eight-game home stand, but was still a contest the team would have liked to continue its hot play against nonetheless. Missed free throws in the early going and ill-timed turnovers later on proved to be too much for the team to overcome, however, as they fell to the Grizzlies for the seventh consecutive time.
The 102-101 defeat was not the first close loss the Suns have suffered this season, but the fact that it came against an opponent to whom they were trying to get over the hump against, it did not make the sting hurt any less. But as Suns guard Goran Dragic said following the contest, the key is not to look back but to look forward. And to honor the words of the Dragon, here are three things the team can look forward to as it prepares for its next game at Portland:
3. BLEDSOE’S D
Earlier in the season, Suns.com spoke with Ryan McDonough about what it was that made Eric Bledsoe such a valuable commodity for Phoenix back in 2013. While acknowledging his explosive athleticism, the Suns General Manager commended the guard’s ability to utilize those strengths on the defensive end of the floor in addition to the offensive end.
Bledsoe’s defensive prowess was on display Monday night as the youngster pitched in four steals and two blocked shots to go along with his 21 points and eight assists. For Bledsoe, the performance marked the third time this season he’s managed to pick the pockets of opponents four times in a single night, as the second-year Sun continues to rank among the league leaders in that category.
2. ISAIAH THOMAS AKA MR. FOURTH QUARTER
On a night in which Suns guard Isaiah Thomas had his face proudly featured on bobbleheads distributed to fans before the game, the playmaker proceeded to run up and down the hardwood to the tune of 24 points.
Making the performance from Thomas even more impressive was the fact that all 24 of those points came in the second half of the affair, including 16 in the fourth and final quarter. The second-half scoring performance marked the best for a Suns player this season, and Thomas has now averaged 8.4 points per fourth quarter over his last eight games.
1. SUNS AREN’T AFRAID TO RUN
Following a night in which not running with the ball appeared to be the talk of the town, the Suns proved they would not be intimidated to do exactly that against one of the league’s top defensive ballclubs. Heading into Monday’s affair, the ground-and-pound Grizzlies had held each of their previous two opponents (Denver and Oklahoma City) below the 75-point plateau. The Suns, however, had already scored 72 before the end of the third quarter of Monday’s game and finished with 101 points overall. It marked the first time the Grizzlies had given up 100-plus points to an opponent since January 19.
While the end result was still a disappointing loss, the Suns again displayed the ability to dictate the tempo even when facing the league’s elite. Should Phoenix manage to make a few more possessions work in their favor down the stretch of such contests, there isn’t any reason to believe a different result with follow.