The Phoenix Suns wrapped up their quick two-game road trip in Memphis, catching a severely depleted Grizzlies squad and treating it exactly how a serious team should. The final told the truth. Phoenix walked
out with a comfortable 117–98 win and never let the night drift into anything dramatic.
It turned into a reunion of sorts. Former Grizzlies Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, and Jordan Goodwin combined for 51 points, each taking turns twisting the knife. But the real story lived beyond individual performances. This was a three-point avalanche. The Suns drilled a season high 22 threes on a season high 56 attempts, stretching the floor until Memphis simply ran out of answers.
Devin Booker finished with 13 points, all of them coming in the first half, and that was plenty. He watched the group carry it the rest of the way. Phoenix played connected, defended with purpose, and never gave the Grizzlies oxygen.
The win moves the Suns to 22–15 on the season and an even 10–10 on the road, a clean, businesslike close to a road trip done right.
Game Flow
First Half
Memphis came into this one short-handed, and that is putting it mildly. No Ja Morant. No Zach Edey. But both teams looked rusty to start. Memphis was on the second night of a back-to-back after playing San Antonio, while Phoenix had been sitting for two nights.
The result was a choppy opening stretch. The Suns shot 42.3% in the first quarter. The Grizzlies checked in at 34.6%.
Dillon Brooks set the early tone against his former team, scoring 7 of Phoenix’s first 10 points. It took 8 shots to get there. Still, he carried the Suns offensively early and finished the quarter with 9 points.
Memphis won the battle on the glass in the opening frame, outworking Phoenix 18-13 overall and 8-3 on the offensive boards. Jaren Jackson Jr. was an issue immediately, pouring in 11 points in his 9 minutes in the first and forcing Phoenix to account for him every trip.
The Suns stayed afloat, and then some, by letting it fly from deep. They went 6-of-14 from three in the first, stretched the lead to as many as 9, and walked into the second quarter up 30-23.
The offense found a better rhythm to open the second quarter. Memphis struck first with 4 quick points, then Phoenix answered. A pair of threes flipped the momentum right back and pushed the lead out a bit.
Rasheer Fleming opened the second quarter with a group that featured Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, Ryan Dunn, and Oso Ighodaro. He missed his first look from deep, but he made his presence felt moments later, rising up through traffic for a dunk that cut through the trees.
Jordan Goodwin was an absolute force again to open the game. Coming off the bench, he set the tone early with 8 points and 5 rebounds in the first half, two of them on the offensive glass, flying around and making his presence felt on every possession.
Santi Aldama picked up a technical, arguing with the officials as Memphis fell behind 50 to 40, the frustration starting to show.
The three-ball continued to be a weapon for Phoenix, and Grayson Allen looked far more comfortable than he did in his return against Houston. He scored 9 points in the first half, moving with confidence and letting it fly. That shooting helped spark a 13-4 run, capped by Dillon Brooks drilling threes on consecutive possessions to stretch the lead.
The Suns closed the half with authority, knocking down 12-of-29 from beyond the arc. Dillon Brooks led the way with 18 points, Devin Booker added 13, and Phoenix walked into the locker room up 65–47.
Second Half
Mark Williams was mostly quiet in the first half, then came out of the locker room ready to leave fingerprints on the game. He attacked the glass, finished at the rim, and imposed his will right away to open the third.
Memphis made a few small pushes in the middle of the quarter, little runs that hinted at life. Phoenix answered every one of them. The lead remained steady, staying within the 14 to 20 point range.
Then Grayson Allen knocked down another long ball, capping an 11-3 Suns run and stretching the margin to 24 with three minutes left in the quarter.
Head coach Jordan Ott went to the replay when Ryan Dunn was whistled for a foul on Santi Aldama, and the challenge came back clean. Successful. It was notable because by that point, Memphis had already burned through both of their challenges, and they won those, too. Three challenges. Three reversals. Which really means three moments where the officials flat missed it.
Grayson Allen set the scoring pace in the quarter with 8 points as Phoenix leaned into the launch-it mentality. The Suns went 5-of-15 from deep, kept the pressure on, and outscored Memphis 26-21 in the frame.
After three, Phoenix was in full control, up 91-68.
Memphis did not go quietly, opening the fourth with sharper execution and trimming the margin with an 11-7 burst. It got the building’s attention for a moment. Stabilization came quickly after that, and Phoenix regained its footing before anything could spiral.
With 3:57 left, Booker and Brooks checked out for the night, their work complete. From there, things got a little experimental. We saw a double big look with rookie Khaman Maluach and Nick Richards sharing the floor.
At that point, there was only one box left to chase. A season high in made threes. Phoenix had hit 20 twice already this year. With two minutes left, Rasheer Fleming obliged, sending number 21 through the net and putting a clean bow on the night.
Rasheer finished with 8 points on the night. And the Suns easily dispatched Memphis with a 117-98 win.
Up Next
Phoenix returns home to play the Knicks on Friday. Should be a good one. We’ll see you then!
