Here come the rising Suns!
The Phoenix Suns are on a roll as they secure another big win and extend their winning streak to three games. Chris Paul leads an early rally for the Suns and off the Grizzlies for a 112-110 triumph. Their performance seems to collapse during the final quarter but still comes out on top until the final whistle.
This makes Phoenix back at the 0.500 mark, while the Grizzlies suffered their second consecutive loss after 11 straight victories.
Suns Hold Off Griz
Chris Paul made an instant impact on his return to action, displaying some exciting vintage ‘Point God’ performance with 22 points and dishing 11 assists as three Suns players hit the 20-point mark. Deandre Ayton was out with illness while Devin Booker, Cam Payne, and Landry Shamet missed time due to injury.
Phoenix had the upper hand coming into the fourth quarter, but the aggressive Grizzlies soon took control. Centers Jock Landale and Bismack Biyombo checked out of the game earlier than expected after earning their sixth fouls, forcing Dario Saric to take up the duties at center for closing minutes.
The Suns’ squad showed resilience throughout the game, building up a 29-point lead before allowing their opponents to make a late pushback. They pushed the Suns out of their comfort zone, scoring crucial points with full-court pressure and capitalizing on Phoenix’s foul trouble when they fell down to a two-point advantage with just 28 seconds in regulation.
Mikal Bridges shines with his 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists while Saric comes up big with his 18 points, including the two points to seal the deal, together with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.
“We won the game, so that’s the goal,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “If everyone could keep a 20-or 30-point lead they would, but most teams make a run. I’m proud the guys were able to withstand the moment.”
Up Next
After suffering multiple injuries to key players over the last couple of months, the Suns are finally starting to get the gang back together again. While their current chemistry may still be a work in progress, Chris Paul is confident that all the adversity they’ve had to endure will come in handy down the line.
“We have to start building trust and confidence,” Paul said. “That’s when we delivered our best performances in recent years—we were able to consistently close games out in those last few minutes.”
With plenty of experience handling tough situations already under their belt, the Suns will continue the regular season as they host the Charlotte Hornets (13-34) on Tuesday.
