A deep bench and youthful energy proved to be the difference as the Memphis Grizzlies outhustled Phoenix in the closing seconds of an overtime thriller to defeat the Suns, 151-148, at FedExForum on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
A tip shot by Brandon Clark with 37 seconds left in overtime put the Grizzlies up, 149-148. The backup center was in position under the basket when a Ja Morant midrange shot was partially blocked by Suns center Miles Plumlee. After a turnover by Suns guard Grayson Allen, Morant found Jaylen Wells under the basket for an easy dunk with 9 seconds remaining. Kevin Durant missed two three-point attempts as the clock expired.
“I give the Suns a ton of credit. If you look at the box score, both teams are tied in most categories. We forced enough missed shots when they were shooting incredibly well. We had some guys make big-time plays down the stretch,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said.
The game was a chess match between a former master and apprentice. Jenkins was an assistant on Suns coach Mike Budenholzerโs staff when Budenholzer was head coach of the Atlanta Hawks.
The win keeps Memphis in second place in the Western Conference with a 38-20 record, tied with the surging Denver Nuggets. Oklahoma City remains atop the standings with a 46-11 record and an 8.5-game lead.
The game went into overtime after Morant sank a midrange floater to tie it, 137-137, with 1.2 seconds left in regulation. Phoenix had grabbed the lead on a pair of free throws by Allen with 5.2 seconds remaining.
Phoenix built a 93-83 lead with 3:36 left in the third quarter. However, the Grizzlies finished the period with a 103-101 lead after a 14-6 run.
Six Grizzlies scored in double figures, including four starters. Morant led all scorers with 29 points, including 14-of-14 from the free-throw line, and added 8 assists. All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. added 28 points, hitting 11 of 13 shots, including 3 of 3 from beyond the arc. Desmond Bane contributed 25 points, along with a team-high 9 assists. Wells had 19 points, hitting 5 of 7 three-pointers, including 7 points in overtime.
“That was resilience. The pendulum was swinging back and forth. You did not know or understand what was going to happen. A win is a win,” Jackson said.
Santi Aldama added 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists off the bench. Clark contributed 14 points and five rebounds.
The veteran Suns squad was led by All-Star Devin Booker, who scored 28 points and added 10 assists before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Hall of Famer Kevin Durant scored 26 points with eight rebounds and seven assists. Bradley Beal added 24 points and a game-high 11 assists. Bol Bol, who started at center over Mason Plumlee, scored 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Allen scored 21 points off the bench, including three consecutive three-pointers in the fourth quarter.
The Grizzlies will wrap up a five-game homestand when they host the New York Knicks at FedExForum on Friday, Feb. 28. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
