The Memphis Grizzlies will travel to Talking Stick Resort Arena to challenge the Phoenix Suns. The game gets underway at 10:00 pm ET on Monday, Mar. 21 and will air on NBA, FxS and FAZ.
The Suns enter this game hoping for similar success after defeating the Lakers 95-90 on Friday. Brandon Knight was the team’s leading scorer with 22 points on 7-for-20 shooting. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are coming off a 113-102 win over the Clippers on Saturday. They were led by Zach Randolph who recorded 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He took his game to the next level with his first triple-double of the season.
It could be a sloppy game for the Suns offense, which ranks 29th in the league in ball protection (turnover percentage of 16.0%). It’ll be facing the gambling defense of Memphis, which forces the most turnovers in the NBA (16.2%). Also, the offense of the Grizzlies seems ready to earn plenty of trips to the line. They rank fifth in the NBA in free throw attempt rate (30.7), while the Suns are among the league’s most foul-happy teams (allowing a 29th-ranked mark of 32.1).
The Suns lead the season series against the Grizzlies two games to one, including a 109-100 win the last time these two teams met. In the victory, Devin Booker led all scorers on the team with 27 points.
The Suns enter the game with records of 19-50 Straight Up (SU) and 28-41 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 19-50 SU and 28-41 ATS versus the Western Conference.
On the other side, the Grizzlies head into the game with records of 35-32-3 ATS and 40-30 SU. Against the Western Conference, Memphis is 40-30 SU and 35-32-3 ATS. The Grizzlies are getting to the foul line at a high rate. Their 1,401 free throws made ranks fourth in the NBA.
Phoenix won the last meeting this season between these two teams, but the win was not enough to overtake Memphis in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 2-8 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. Additionally, with a 6-4 record, the Grizzlies have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mem
Notes
Memphis’ offense and Phoenix’s defense are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Memphis puts up an average of 0.0 points per game, while Phoenix gives up 0.0 points per game.
Memphis and Phoenix are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Memphis scores an average of 0.0 points on the road, while Phoenix allows 0.0 points at home on average.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Grizzlies are 26-10 on the season. When the Suns score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 2-31.
The Memphis Grizzlies have a 14-20 record when their opponents score 100 points or more. The Phoenix Suns have a 17-19 record when they reach the century mark.
The Suns have a defensive rating of 108.3 (ranked 29th), while the Grizzlies rank 20th for their offensive rating of 103.4.
Memphis has an average field goal percentage of 44.1%. Phoenix is a subpar 8-42 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, the Phoenix Suns attempt 25.0 three point field goals per game and the Memphis Grizzlies attempt 18.0 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, Phoenix has a poor record of 11-29, while Memphis is 3-2.
Phoenix has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.26 this season (ranked 30th). Memphis ranks higher with an A/TO of 1.65 (ranked 13th).
The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league with just 41.6 per game. Ranked 14th, the Phoenix Suns average 43.9 rebounds.
Phoenix is ranked 21st in defensive rebounds, while Memphis ranks 10th in offensive rebounds.
Memphis is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 16.2% (ranked first). Phoenix has a losing record of 13-25 SU this season when its TOV% reaches 16.2% or greater.
