The Phoenix Suns enter Tuesday’s sport towards the host Memphis Grizzlies hoping to reverse a latest stoop and hold their playoff hopes alive.
The Suns have misplaced eight of their final 10 video games, together with Sunday’s 127-109 setback to the Toronto Raptors.
“We have got to seek out methods to get wins,” Phoenix coach Mike Budenholzer mentioned.
Budenholzer hopes Bradley Beal’s latest return to the beginning lineup will probably be a catalyst. Beal was benched Jan. 6 towards Philadelphia however was re-inserted into the beginning 5 Saturday at Chicago. Beal had 25 factors, together with a key 3-pointer late within the contest, to assist the Suns to a 121-117 victory.
Beal enjoying with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker seems to be the Suns’ strongest possibility, based on Budenholzer.
“If we are able to get the correct rhythm and discover the correct alternatives offensively and have all three of these guys be aggressive and attacking, I feel that is probably after we might be at our greatest,” Budenholzer mentioned.
Beal returned to the beginning lineup in favor over Tyus Jones. In Sunday’s loss to Toronto, Beal scored 30 factors in a team-high 41 minutes.
Durant mentioned so as to reverse the crew’s latest struggles, there should be some enhancements defensively. He mentioned the Suns have made issues troublesome as a result of they haven’t been profitable at stopping scoring runs.
“That is often how the sport goes,” Durant mentioned. “(Opponents) go off and simply go on a flurry towards us. Typically it is exhausting to bounce again when groups rating numerous factors in a row. I’ve obtained to convey it if I would like us to win.”
Durant managed solely 15 factors on 5-of-15 capturing from the sector towards Toronto. He missed every of his 5 3-point tries.
Memphis additionally has encountered a tough stretch. The Grizzlies have dropped three of their previous 4, together with Sunday’s 129-123 highway loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The one win through the previous 4 video games got here Friday at Orlando, but it surely required an 11-1 run to complete the sport.
Whereas Memphis by no means let Sunday’s sport towards one of many NBA’s high groups get out of hand, the Grizzlies had been undone by permitting 22 offensive rebounds. These offensive rebounds led to 31 factors by the Cavaliers.
“It doomed us,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins mentioned.
The tendency to permit an inordinate variety of offensive rebounds has been a problem this season, and Jenkins mentioned it have to be addressed earlier than it turns into a much bigger downside. Cleveland entered the sport ranked twenty second in offensive rebounds with 10.6 per sport, but the Cavs grabbed 46.8 p.c of their missed photographs towards Memphis. The Grizzlies after Sunday ranked twenty fifth in offense boards allowed (12.1 per sport).
“We scored 123 towards an elite protection,” Jenkins mentioned. “You simply cannot give a crew 31 freebies. You may’t have it. This must be one thing we deal with and personal much more as a result of it may be an Achilles’ heel for us if we need to get the place we are able to get to as a crew.”
The Grizzlies have been getting extra constant efforts from guard Ja Morant, who has endured an injury-plagued season.
He scored 21 factors towards the Cavaliers and added 10 assists with just one turnover. Morant has scored 20 or extra factors in three of the crew’s previous 4 video games.
–Subject Degree Media
