NBA: Phoenix Suns vs. Memphis Grizzlies Preview, Odds, Prediction

The conference clash between the Phoenix Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies is bound to draw enormous attention. The Suns are the reigning conference champions, while on the other side, the Grizzlies are one of the most promising teams in the entire league, with a superstar in the making, Ja Morant. Both have positive records and hope to win Friday’s contest. The Grizzlies are coming off a loss against the Charlotte Hornets, while on the other side, the Suns have five triumphs in a row, and look determined to extend that streak.

Preview

Phoenix Suns (7-3, -110) look very confident in recent times. They are among the hottest teams in the league, trashing the Pelicans, Rockets, Hawks, Kings, and the Trail Blazers all one after another.

Their most recent game was at home vs. Portland, 119-109. Frank Kaminsky was the decisive factor with 31 points, shooting 12-for-18 from the floor, grabbing seven boards with three assists. Apart from Kaminsky, the Suns had Chris Paul, who scored 21 points with seven assists, and JaVale McGee, who had 14 buckets and eight boards. He will start this match as well because of Ayton’s lower leg contusion.

Devin Booker was pretty bad, having 12 points and shooting 5-for-15 from the field. It seems that D-Book still didn’t reach the consistency from the previous year. The new basketballs might be the problem, as many sharpshooters complain that they didn’t adjust after the league switched the supplier.

Memphis Grizzlies (6-5, -110) are playing well but still have certain problems with consistency and know to disappear when needed the least. But so far this year, they play much better than in the previous campaign.

Taylor Jenkins’s side lost two of the past three games, one in Washington and the other at home to the Charlotte Hornets, against whom the Grizzs allowed 15 threes while scoring only nine. The last period saw the Hornets scoring 37 points, and that was when they managed to solve this game.

Ja Morant was fabulous with 32 buckets, 8 assists, and seven rebounds, but shooting from outside the three-point line only 1-for-6. Dillon Brooks had 20 off the bench, and Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 19. But besides these three guys, there wasn’t any help coming from others.

Head to Head Games

Memphis won the first match last year, but after that lost the next two. The opening event ended 108-104 for the hosts in Memphis, but after that, the Suns had their revenge in Tennessee, 128-97, and at home, 122-99. It appears that Monty Williams found a cure for the opponents in the latter two matchups, blowing away the Grizzlies and not giving them the slightest hopes of winning the event.

Prediction

The Suns are starting to resemble themselves from the second part of the previous campaign when they rolled over all the rivals that stood in their way. We respect the Grizzlies, don’t get us wrong, but betting on Phoenix is a logical choice in this particular case. The Suns are in excellent shape, while Grizzlies, even though playing well, are still searching for consistency. Losing against the Hornets is the crown evidence of that claim.

Pick: Suns Win

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