NBA Power Rankings Week 19: LA Clippers get aggressive on buyout market
By Phil Watson
Previous: . Memphis Grizzlies. 19. team. 211. . 28-28
Last week: Lost at Sacramento 129-125, lost at Lakers 117-105
This week: Monday at Clippers, Wednesday at Houston, Friday vs. Sacramento, Saturday vs. Lakers
The Memphis Grizzlies quickly slid back to .500 after the All-Star break, losing both ends of a road back-to-back at Sacramento and in Los Angeles to the Lakers. The Grizzlies remain 3½ games clear of both the Trail Blazers and Spurs for eighth place in the Western Conference and have two more games on their four-game road sojourn before returning home to host the Kings and Lakers.
Adding injury to insult, second-year big man Jaren Jackson Jr. left Friday’s loss to the Lakers before halftime with a sore left knee and did not return. He is Memphis’ second-leading scorer this season at 16.9 points per game.
Backup point guard Tyus Jones scored 24 points with 11 assists and four rebounds in 36 minutes over the two games, hitting 9-of-16 from the floor and 2-of-3 from long range. Jones, in his first season with the Grizzlies, is averaging a career-high 7.1 points with 4.5 assists in 18.8 minutes per game, shooting 47.4 percent overall and 39.6 percent on 1.6 3-point tries a night.
66. . 23-34. Previous: . Phoenix Suns. 18. team
Last week: Lost at Toronto 118-101, won at Chicago 112-104
This week: Monday at Utah, Wednesday vs. Clippers, Friday vs. Detroit, Saturday vs. Golden State
Getting a win on the back end of a road-road SEGABABA is never a bad thing. Doing it after falling behind by 17 points early? The Phoenix Suns will definitely take that after opening the two-game set by getting hammered in Toronto.
The Suns have now won two of their last three after a 1-6 stretch as they try to stay in contact with the Grizzlies, currently holding eighth place in the Western Conference.
Devin Booker went for 21 points, eight assists and five rebounds while putting up a turnover-free performance in the loss at Toronto, hitting 8-for-18 overall, but just 1-of-5 from deep. Over the two games, the first-time All-Star scored 50 points with 13 assists and 10 boards on 17-for-39 shooting making 6-of-15 from 3-point land.