Ja Morant scores 29 and Grizzlies climb out of early hole to beat Suns 120-118
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — — Ja Morant had 29 points and 12 assists, and the Memphis Grizzlies rallied from an early 16-point deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns 120-118 on Monday night.
Cam Spencer, a rookie on a two-way contract, added a career-high 16 points for Memphis, including a pair of free throws with 14.4 seconds left that sealed the Grizzlies’ third straight win.
Kevin Durant scored 35 points and Devin Booker added 26 for the Suns, who jumped out to a 25-9 lead that evaporated before halftime. The game was close throughout the fourth quarter and Durant missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
Both teams were coming off victories a night earlier. The Suns’ Bradley Beal was sidelined for left calf injury management, while the Grizzlies continued to play without leading scorer Jaren Jackson Jr., who missed his fourth straight game with a left ankle sprain.
Takeaways
Suns: Phoenix is trying to work its way up to the 10th spot in the Western Conference to make the play-in tournament. The Suns entered the game trailing the depleted Dallas Mavericks by 1 1/2 games for the final postseason spot.
Grizzlies: Eight of their last 10 games have been decided by seven points or fewer, with Memphis going 4-4 in those close contests.
Key moment
Spencer hit a 3-pointer from the left corner in the last second of the third quarter. There were words between Spencer and Durant, who closed out on the shot. Durant then tried to leg sweep Spencer going down the court, and both players were assessed technical fouls.
Key stat
Phoenix went 20 of 38 (52.6%) from 3-point range, led by Durant, who was 7 of 9.
Up next
Both teams play Wednesday. The Suns play at Houston, while the Grizzlies host Utah.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Phoenix Suns
Memphis Grizzlies
Josh Giddey scores season-high 29 points before injuring ankle and Bulls beat Pacers 121-103
Ja Morant scores 29 and Grizzlies climb out of early hole to beat Suns 120-118
Jokic has 35 points and 18 rebounds to lead Nuggets past West-leading Thunder 140-127
Regular Season Series
Game Information
2024-25 Pacific Standings
2024-25 Southwest Standings
NBA News
MEM wins 4-0
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHX | 34 | 25 | 31 | 28 | 118 |
| MEM | 26 | 31 | 38 | 25 | 120 |
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA Lakers | 40 | 23 | .635 | – | L2 |
| Golden State | 36 | 28 | .563 | 4.5 | W4 |
| LA Clippers | 35 | 29 | .547 | 5.5 | W3 |
| Sacramento | 33 | 30 | .524 | 7 | L1 |
| Phoenix | 30 | 35 | .462 | 11 | L1 |
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 41 | 24 | .631 | – | W3 |
| Houston | 40 | 25 | .615 | 1 | W3 |
| Dallas | 33 | 33 | .500 | 8.5 | W1 |
| San Antonio | 26 | 37 | .413 | 14 | L3 |
| New Orleans | 17 | 48 | .262 | 24 | L4 |
Suns Falter in Third Quarter, Lose to Grizzlies
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns (30-35) fell to the Memphis Grizzlies (41-24) by. score of 120-118 on Monday night in Memphis.
The Suns came into today looking to earn another victory on the road trip in an effort to catch the Dallas Mavericks for the final play-in spot, while Memphis has aspirations to move back into the top three in the Western Conference.
Phoenix came into the game short-handed, as Bradley Beal was ruled out earlier in the day, while Jaren Jackson Jr. and Luke Kennard were ruled out of commission for Memphis.
Phoenix controlled a large part of the first quarter, but a late run from Memphis cut the Suns lead to 34-26 after the first 12 minutes of action. Kevin Durant put up 14 points in the frame, while Nick Richards was a key catalyst early on with three quick baskets.
Memphis continued to battle back in the second period, cutting the Phoenix lead to 59-57 going into halftime behind surprise contributions from Cam Spencer and Lamar Stevens.
Phoenix’s defense disappointed out of the locker room – ceding 38 points to Memphis en route to trailing 95-90 with 12 minutes to go.
The Suns kept within striking distance for virtually the entire final quarter, but timely made baskets by Scotty Pippen Jr. and Ja Morant seemingly sealed a hard-fought victory for Memphis.
Quality defense from the Suns in the final minute gave them a chance to win the game – Durant missed that chance as time expired
Kevin Durant – 35 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 7-9 3PTFG
Devin Booker – 26 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST, 3-8 3PTFG
Nick Richards – 10 PTS, 12 REB, 2 AST
Ja Morant – 29 PTS, 4 REB, 12 AST, 9-13 FG
Cam Spencer – 16 PTS, 3 REB, 3 STL, 4-7 3PTFG
Phoenix travels to face the Houston Rockets on Wednesday as part of the final leg of the current road trip.
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Suns vs Grizzlies Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game
Kevin Durant can still put up buckets with the best of them, and Memphis has no one to stop him from getting what he wants tonight.
This article contains predictions for an old game!
The Phoenix Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies will clash tonight in the tail end of a back-to-back for both squads at the FedExForum.
Kevin Durant has been showing out lately despite Phoenix’s struggles, and I explain why I expect that to continue here in my Suns vs Grizzlies predictions.
Keep reading for my NBA picks for March 10.
My best bet
Kevin Durant Over 26.5 points (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
The Phoenix Suns may be having a disappointing season, much in part due to their poor defense, but Kevin Durant is certainly doing his part. The superstar is averaging 26.8 points per game in 51 outings, and as we’ve seen from his year after year, he continues to put up consistent numbers.
While Durant had just 21 points in a win over the depleted Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, he cashed Over 26.5 points in three of his last five appearances before that. So far in March, KD is averaging 27.5 points in four contests.
One of the other main reasons I’m eyeing this bet tonight is because KD plays well against the Memphis Grizzlies — averaging 29.7 ppg across three meetings this season. Yes, Memphis is a stout defensive squad, but we’re talking about one of the purest scorers to ever step foot on the hardwood.
Lastly, KD scores 26.2 ppg when playing in back-to-backs. After a bit of an off night on Sunday, I believe Durant will respond here and show out as the Suns search for their second victory amid the Play-In Tournament push.
Hammer the Over with confidence.
Kevin Durant Over 26.5 points
Desmond Bane Over 6.5 assists
Grizzlies moneyline
With Ja Morant missing a chunk of time this season with injuries, others have had to step up for Memphis. Alongside Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane has also played at a high level. Tonight, we’ll focus on his ability to pass the basketball.
Bane has dished out Over 6.5 assists in four of his last seven appearances and just had 30 points and nine dimes in a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. While Bane averages 5.3 assists on the season, that number jumps to 6.7 against the Suns.
Phoenix is 23rd in the Association in assists allowed and has given up an average of 34.3 dimes across their last three outings. This is the perfect opportunity for Bane to drop dimes against a team with no defensive identity.
The Grizz have had Phoenix’s number in recent memory, winning four straight meetings dating back to January 7 last year. Memphis is enjoying a two-game winning streak and sits fourth in the Western Conference with a 40-24 record.
Taylor Jenkins’ squad has an impressive 22-9 record on home court while the Suns are atrocious on the road, going 12-21. That’s enough for me to take the Grizzlies this evening.
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Teams
Spread
Total
Moneyline
Phoenix
+3.5
-110
o 243.5
-105
+225
Memphis
-2.5
-104
u 245.0
-111
-130
View Matchup
View all NBA odds
Odds courtesy of bet365
The Memphis Grizzlies have hit the moneyline in 38 of their last 59 games (+13.55 Units / 11% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Suns vs. Grizzlies.
Memphis Grizzlies
Player Position Status
Luke Kennard SG
Out – Back
Reported: Mon, March 10
Jaren Jackson C
Out – Ankle
Reported: Mon, March 10
Brandon Clarke PF
Out – Knee
Reported: Mon, March 10
Show More Injuries
Phoenix Suns
Player Position Status
Bradley Beal SG
Out – Calf
Reported: Mon, March 10
Cody Martin SF
Out – Abdomen
Reported: Mon, March 10
Monté Morris PG
Out – Back
Reported: Mon, March 10
Not intended for use in MA.
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Quinn Allen is an experienced sports journalist from Vancouver, Canada who fell in love with sports by the time he could walk. He proceeded to play high-level baseball and soccer growing up and eventually played college baseball in the United States.
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| Location | FedExForum, Memphis, TN |
| Date | Monday, 3-10-2025 |
| Tip-off | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Arizona’s Family 3TV/Arizona’s Family Sports, FanDuel Sports Network – Southeast – Memphis |
