The Phoenix Suns enter Tuesday’s game against the host Memphis Grizzlies hoping to reverse a recent slump and keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Suns have lost eight of their last 10 games, including Sunday’s 127-109 setback to the Toronto Raptors.
“We’ve got to find ways to get wins,” Phoenix coach Mike Budenholzer said.
Budenholzer hopes Bradley Beal’s recent return to the starting lineup will be a catalyst. Beal was benched Jan. 6 against Philadelphia but was re-inserted into the starting five Saturday at Chicago. Beal had 25 points, including a key 3-pointer late in the contest, to help the Suns to a 121-117 victory.
Beal playing with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker appears to be the Suns’ strongest option, according to Budenholzer.
“If we can get the right rhythm and find the right opportunities offensively and have all three of those guys be aggressive and attacking, I think that’s potentially when we can be at our best,” Budenholzer said.
Beal returned to the starting lineup in favor over Tyus Jones. In Sunday’s loss to Toronto, Beal scored 30 points in a team-high 41 minutes.
Durant said in order to reverse the team’s recent struggles, there will have to be some improvements defensively. He said the Suns have made matters difficult because they have not been successful at preventing scoring runs.
“That’s usually how the game goes,” Durant said. “(Opponents) go off and just go on a flurry against us. Sometimes it’s hard to bounce back when teams score a lot of points in a row. I’ve got to bring it if I want us to win.”
Durant managed only 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting from the field against Toronto. He missed each of his five 3-point tries.
Memphis also has encountered a rough stretch. The Grizzlies have dropped three of their past four, including Sunday’s 129-123 road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The only win during the past four games came Friday at Orlando, but it required an 11-1 run to finish the game.
While Memphis never let Sunday’s game against one of the NBA’s top teams get out of hand, the Grizzlies were undone by allowing 22 offensive rebounds. Those offensive rebounds led to 31 points by the Cavaliers.
“It doomed us,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said.
The tendency to allow an inordinate number of offensive rebounds has been an issue this season, and Jenkins said it must be addressed before it becomes a bigger problem. Cleveland entered the game ranked 22nd in offensive rebounds with 10.6 per game, yet the Cavs grabbed 46.8 percent of their missed shots against Memphis. The Grizzlies after Sunday ranked 25th in offense boards allowed (12.1 per game).
“We scored 123 against an elite defense,” Jenkins said. “You just can’t give a team 31 freebies. You can’t have it. This has to be something we address and own even more because it can be an Achilles’ heel for us if we want to get where we can get to as a team.”
The Grizzlies have been getting more consistent efforts from guard Ja Morant, who has endured an injury-plagued season.
He scored 21 points against the Cavaliers and added 10 assists with only one turnover. Morant has scored 20 or more points in three of the team’s past four games.
–Field Level Media
