Tempers flare late as Phoenix Suns lose 110-91 to the Memphis Grizzlies

And the number one threat to the Phoenix Suns: tedious bears.

The Memphis Grizzlies, as they are wont to do, kept the Suns off balance all game offensively, limiting them to a season-low 33.3 percent from the field to take the 110-91 win.

The Suns had a quick 4-0 lead to start the game, but the Grizzlies answered with a 16-4 run to take control for what turned out to be the remainder of the game. The Suns best chance to get back into the game came early in the 3rd quarter when they climbed to within 51-46 with 9:23 left in the period, but Memphis answered with a 20-7 run to push the lead back to 18.

Devin Booker had a team-high 20 points, but he was off for most of the night. Brandon Knight scored 16 points off the bench as Phoenix’s most effective point guard tonight, as Eric Bledsoe was a frigid 3 of 15 from the field for 16 points. Had the Suns been able to shoot straight, they might have been able to capitalize on the 22 turnovers from the Grizzlies.

Meanwhile, Memphis was unconscious from 3, hitting 14 of their 24 attempts from long range for a 58.3-percent clip. Mike Conley once again paced the Grizzlies offense despite early foul trouble, finishing with 23 points. Marc Gasol added 19 points as six Grizzlies scored in double figures.

The game was anything but pretty. Besides Phoenix’s poor shooting, which included a missed dunk by Booker and a missed alley-oop from Marquese Chriss, Leandro Barbosa was tagged with a flagrant foul 1 in the 2nd quarter for a cup check on Chandler Parsons. Then late in the 4th quarter, Troy Daniels and Booker did some talking after Booker fouled Daniels on an and-1 3-pointer, leading to a mini-scuffle that resulted in a 10-minute delay, a handful of technical fouls, and the ejections of Daniels, Chriss, and Tyler Ulis.