Phoenix Suns Get Their "Ass Kicked" By The Memphis Grizzlies

U.G.L.Y., You ain't got no alibi, you ugly. Ugly ugly ugly.*

* I think that little gimmick has been used a few thousand times but when the ugly cheer fits...

As Coach Gentry said in his very first remark, "The only way that you can put it is we got our ass kicked. We can sugar coat it and we can say different things but they beat us in every phase of the game."

Of all the questions, of all the players, in all the gin joints that's the best answer I heard for this game.

Didn't play hard. Didn't have focus. Let down after beating the Celtics and Lakers. Whatever.

The Phoenix Suns got their asses kicked tonight by a team that played really really well on both ends of the floor. The Grizzlies were prepared and focused and beat the tar out of the Suns in every possible way.

Perhaps if you are looking for something insightful and meaningful to take from tonight it would be this nugget of wisdom from the Canadian guru (I have no idea why I feel the need to qualify Nash's Canadianism on a daily basis but for some reason I find it incredibly meaningful to describing who he is. It's as if I were reviewing the movie District 9, which I watched last night, and made sure to qualify the aliens as aliens any time I was writing about the aliens. That's how it is with Steve Nash. The dude is other-worldly which I guess I can only attribute to being Canadian. Where was I before I went on a tangent worthly of Bill Simmons...oh, yes a nugget of wisdom from Canadian Steve Nash)

"I think we got to realize that we are not really more talented than the Grizzlies or Oklahoma City. We're not. We got to beat them because we want it more," said Steve Nash (who is from Canada). "These guys are as good as we are. We're just better because we play better together on most night's than other teams and we got to want it more."

Drink three Molson's and ponder that one...

Another piece of basketball truth that Nash said, but we all can easily see, is that the Suns are going to struggle to win when Channing Frye is missing open shots. He was 0-5 from three and 2-13 overall. But it's not as if he was the only one.

Richardson and Hill were a combined 5 for 12 and Barbosa had one of his worst games in a long time. His decision-making was horrible resulting in 2 turnovers in 3:42 of first half play. He was clearly benched after that only coming back once the game was deep into garbage time.

Amare had 29 points (many on spoon-fed assists from Nash) but he only had 6 rebounds in 36 minutes compared to 7 for Amundson in 22 minutes. Amare's defense on Randolph was a joke. Gentry talked repeatedly about the need to double the post which put the Suns defense in rotation too many times. He wasn't talking about Gasol. He was talking about Zach going right by Amare time and time again. For reasons that I can't fathom, Amare tried to play Zach tight and got abused for his "efforts".

The Suns were never really in this game but did manage to close within 4 points at the end of the 1st quarter but the bench got smoked mostly by Sam Young who was aggressive and active and scored 14 points in the 2nd and was a big reason the Grizzlies extended their lead to 15 in less than four minutes. Good on him.

Next up are the Sacramento Kings. Another team that can easily beat the Suns if they don't play hard and "earn it".

Do you want to guess who went to the "earn it" quote tonight?

Post Game Audio:

• Gentry post game 010210
• JRich 010210
• Hill 010210
• Nash 010210
  

Post Game Links:

• Grizzlies vs Suns coverage
• Grizzlies vs Suns boxscore
• Straight Outta Vancouver

Game Notes Taken in Real Time

1st Qtr:

• Ok. Grizzlies rotations really do look better so far
• Get the feeling that Nash looks over at Conley and licks his fingers and says "yum" (but in Canadian)
• Suns down 8-2 early. Give Grizz credit
• Gentry calls Marc Gasol underrated. I think he is properly rated as "Good"
• Suns missing a lot of shots early. Gentry time out. Down 6-16.Grizzlies attacking early in the clock and running of misses
  
• Grant Hill gets boo'd when he says he's a Cowboys fan on a jumbotron trivia thing
• Suns looking out of sorts. Looking for whistles that aren't coming. Nash trying to take over
• Nice OReb and put back from Frye. Good effort inside the paint
• JRich misses a couple of open three's gets yanked in place of Dudley
• Amare not looking for his shot at all. Passing the ball quickly. He has 8 points. Nash has assisted on all of them. And by assisted I mean spoon-feed wide open dunks
  
• Suns 0-4 from three. That's never good.
• Ref's aren't calling anything. Letting a lot of contact go
• Suns picking up tempo and intensity. Close to within 4 at the end of the quarter. Dragic, Dudley and Lopez all doing well on the defensive end. Suns forced to double Zebo. Amare can't handle him 1:1

2nd Qtr

• Grizzlies have twice as many three's as Suns. 2
• During quarter break, Gasol has ice wrapped around his right elbow
• Suns in zone to start quarter. Gay hits an outside shot
• The #2 overall pick just rejected Amare's hook shot without jumping
• Dragic tries to penetrate and drop off to Amare but the timing isn't there. Turn over
• Sam Young iso's Dudley and makes him look silly. Barbosa not making smart decisions with the ball
• Suns down ten
• Thabeet and Young just out-work Amundson and Frye to grab and offensive rebound and put back. Grizz up 45-31
• Suns are going to need to hit outside shots to have any chance in this game. They are 1/6 now (16.7%)
• Not sure if he was soft before, but Frye is not soft now. Just threw an elbow into Gasol's nose
• Amare and Zebo going at it. Some chirping between them
• Grizz are 4/5 from three. They average 3.5 three's per game
• Look at Randolph and Amare and ask which one is a Max player?
• Suns down 17 thanks in large part to Sam Young's 12. His aggressiveness is impressive and he's got the size and skill to back it up. Also didn't hurt that Suns were in the penalty with about 8 min to go while Suns still only have drawn 3 fouls. 3:20 to go in qtr
• Credit Grizz D. They are playing hard
• Nash air balls an open 3 to end the half. Down 69-50. Out rebounded 25-14
  
• Can I leave early?

3rd Qtr

• Mayo and Conley hit three's to open quarter. They are just all chill and whatever launching shots. No pressure
• Zach Randolph just abused Amare in the low post and embarrassed each and every one of his descendants for the next three generations. Fairly sure Amare would have drawn down on him if he had been packing heat at that moment
• Suns packing it in. Rolling over and showing their belly so the Grizzly Bears can have a nice easy meal of it. Down 87-62. That's 25 points btw
• Suns at least starting to play harder but Grizzlies aren't going to let them back in this game
• Amundson has 4 rebounds in 7 minutes. Amare has 5 rebounds in 31 minutes. Lou also has 3 blocks
  
• Earl Clark checks in slightly before garbage time officially begins. Grant Hill just got his 5th foul and JD is already on the floor b/c JRich can't buy a basket. Earl hits his first shot. A jumper of course
  
• Crowd is appreciating Lou's effort and boo'ing as other Suns just watch long rebounds hit the floor. Smart crowd
• Gentry tries to get tosses but Dick Bavetta only gives him the one T. Clean up your own mess. Nash as pissed as you'll ever see him about a non-call at the end of the quarter. Bavetta does a good job coming over to hear him out and calm him down
• Barbosa only played 4 minutes and isn't coming in for garbage time

4th Qtr

• Wonder if Nash will blame a) weather - it was too nice outside b) bio rhythms c) holidays - as in MLK day preparation or d) lack of toughness
• I've been to a lot of blow out games. What's different about this one is....nothing really
• Robin Lopez having flash backs to Vegas Summer League where Thabeet and the Grizz beat the tar out of the Suns...and then Robin remembers how that went and stuffs Thabeet
• With 3:44 to go Suns have 92 points. Hearing chants of "we want tacos!"
• Stay with me for this one but I think Steven Hunter looks like Kobe Bryant. Not as a player of course but in the face and general shape of the head
• Barbosa wasn't hurt. He just sucked which is why he didn't play until extreme garbage time