Much like the Clippers against the Nets, the Suns should have beat the Grizzlies last night. They were up by seven with 1:49 to play but couldn’t hold on. Recent addition Jeff Green was a big reason why, and All-Star starter Marc Gasol came through in the clutch on the defensive end to give the Grizzlies their seventh win in a row.
Since Green joined the team in a trade with Boston, they Grizzlies are 10-1, and he was a big reason they extended their current winning streak to seven.
Down two with under 10 seconds to play, Mike Conley tried a three from the top of the key. It bounced awkwardly off the glass and iron and Green snatched it in the paint and went back up. His floater in traffic dropped, plus the foul.
He completed the three-point play to give the Grizz a one-point cushion with under five seconds left. A final attempt by Markieff Morris from 16 feet was snuffed out by Gasol, too, who blocked it to himself as time rain out, securing the big road win for the Grizzlies.
Gasol finished with 15 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three blocks. Conley led Memphis with 23 points on 9-of-15 from the field.
Isaiah Thomas led the way for Phoenix with 24 points, and Eric Bledsoe had 21 points (9/16), eight assists, seven rebounds, four steals and two blocks in the loss.
Memphis is alone at the No. 2 spot in the West, just two and a half games back of the Warriors after their recent 10-1 stretch. The Suns are three games back of the Spurs for the No. 7 seed in the West, and one game ahead of the Pelicans and three games ahead of the Thunder for the No. 8 seed in the West.
What do you think?
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.