The Memphis Grizzlies visited the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night to start their five-game road trip. The Grizzlies were coming off a loss to the OKC Thunder at home, while the Suns were dominated the Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at the Footprint Center.
Coach Taylor Jenkins went with his usual starting five featuring Ja Morant, Desmond Mason, Jaylen Wells, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey. Jenkins has a lot of trust in his two rookies, Wells and Edey, but Morant and Jackson still run the show.
Meanwhile, coach Mike Budenholzer had Kevin Durant back in the lineup, joining Devin Booker, Tyus Jones, Bol Bol and Nick Richards. Durant missed the last three games with a minor left ankle sprain.
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The Memphis Grizzlies seized control of the game early on before the Phoenix Suns made a furious rally in the second half. The Grizzlies held on to ruin Kevin Durant's historic night to get the 119-112 win. Ja Morant led the way for Memphis with 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Desmond Bane scored 20 points, coming alive in the second half after a lackluster first 24 minutes. Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed 17 points and six rebounds, while Brandon Clarke and Santi Aldama came off the bench to score 14 points each.
Meanwhile, Durant played 42 minutes in his return and finished with 34 points, three rebounds, three assists and five blocks. He became the eighth player in NBA history to have at least 30,000 points.
Bol Bol had a monster double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds plus four blocks, while Devin Booker put up 17 points, two rebounds and nine assists. Royce O'Neale scored 11 points off the bench.
Memphis Grizzlies vs Phoenix Suns Player Stats and Box Score
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Memphis Grizzlies vs Phoenix Suns Game Summary
The Memphis Grizzlies got off to a quick start, building a double-digit lead in the first quarter led by Santi Aldama off the bench. Aldama scored 11 of his 14 points in the period, with Ja Morant and Desmond Bane taking over for the rest of the game.
Memphis' lead grew to as much as 19 points in the second quarter, but the Phoenix Suns managed to cut it down to 12 at halftime. It ballooned to 18 early in the third quarter, with the Suns slowly chipping it away once again and were only down 95-87 entering the fourth quarter.
The Phoenix Suns were able to get as close as four points with three minutes remaining in the game, but the Memphis Grizzlies managed to control the chaos. It then became a free-throw game, with Ja Morant and Desmond Bane closing it out to earn their 36th win of the season.
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