Suns @ Grizzlies

[Andrew]

Shaquille O'Neal will never lead the league in assists like teammate Steve Nash, but first-year Phoenix coach Terry Porter is finding out the future Hall of Fame center can facilitate an offense.
With Nash questionable due to back spasms, O'Neal may again be the center of the offense as the Suns go for their 10th straight victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

Phoenix (17-12) makes its first visit to Memphis this season following Monday's 110-102 victory over Oklahoma City that snapped the Suns' four-game road losing streak. Porter's club hadn't won on the road since Nov. 26 -- when they defeated Minnesota 110-102.

Nash pulled himself out of Monday's game in the first quarter after going scoreless with two assists. On Nov. 20, the two-time MVP also exited the Suns' 105-92 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with back spasms.

With Nash sidelined on Monday, Porter looked toward the Suns' other MVP.

O'Neal delivered with his 10th double-double this season -- 28 points and 12 boards. He moved past Dominique Wilkins into ninth place on the NBA career scoring list, and O'Neal needs 19 points to tie Oscar Robertson for eighth with 26,710.

"When Nash went down and then Amare (Stoudemire) got in (foul) trouble, Shaq became really our point guard and our scorer at times," said Porter, whose team looks for its fifth consecutive win in Memphis. "We just threw it in to him and then just played off of him."

During his last seven games, O'Neal is averaging 23.1 points and 9.8 rebounds. He's also shooting 63.3 percent from the foul line -- far better than his career 52.5 mark.

O'Neal hit 3-of-5 free throws and scored nine points in Phoenix's 107-102 victory over the Grizzlies on Nov. 10.

Stoudemire fouled out on Monday for the first time in 2008-09 after scoring just 14 points with one rebound. He had scored 21 or more in the previous 11 games. In his last four games in Memphis, though, Stoudemire is averaging 30.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and shooting 72.7 percent from the field.

The Grizzlies return home on Tuesday following back-to-back losses after regulation.

After falling 106-103 in double overtime to San Antonio on Saturday, Memphis (10-21) lost for the sixth time in seven games, 108-98 in overtime to Minnesota on Monday.

O.J. Mayo, who scored a career-high 33 in the loss to Phoenix last month, led the Grizzlies with 23 on Monday, including seven straight in the fourth quarter. Mayo leads all rookies with 20.2 points per game.

After holding four opponents to 97 points or fewer during a 5-1 stretch from Dec. 5-14, Memphis is allowing 103.9 points per game in its last seven contests.

"We were just bumping into each other and they were shooting a lot of layups in the second half," Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni said after Minnesota hit 49.4 percent from the field on Monday.

Memphis' last six opponents are shooting a combined 52.9 percent from the field. Phoenix, meanwhile, leads the league in field goal percentage at 49.9.

The Grizzlies' last home win over the Suns was 91-87 on Dec. 17, 2005.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=281230029

According to the ESPN ticker, Nash is not playing tonight.

 

[mjb21aztd]

will be a hard game to win without nash tonight especially if Mayo goes off, but hopefully Amare,Richardson, and Shaq shows up tonight. I guess we will be seeing a lot off Dee Brown tonight good chance for him to prove himself. GO SUNS

Suns 103

Memphis 94

Leading Scorer Shaq 24 pts

 

[Skumbag]

Is Shaq even playing since this is a back-to-back?

 

[mjb21aztd]

I hope he plays without nash and shaq we would have a real real hard time playing

 

[mojorizen7]

Go SUNS baby!

 

[95pro]

on that 1st pos, i liked how they recognized that the shaq play wasnt there.
so they overted to amare.

 

[95pro]

c'mon barbs. work the inside.

instead he's jackin up a 3, with 20sec left on the shot clock.

 

[mojorizen7]

I like the foul by Amare there.

 

[mojorizen7]

Looks to be a track meet early.

 

[mojorizen7]

Oh my.

 

[95pro]

good job on amare to follow the fast break. the trailer with the tip in.
jrich blows the point blank shot.lol

 

[Andrew]

3 early turnovers, but Shaq and Amare looking good early...

 

[slinslin]

good job on amare to follow the fast break. the trailer with the tip in.
jrich blows the point blank shot.lol

Looked like JRich expected an alley oop from Hill, seemed obvious to me at least but Hill mishandled the situation and it threw off Richardson.

 

[Proteus]

Ugh...3 turnovers in the 1st 5 minutes of the game.

 

[95pro]

lopez blows the put back dunk.

 

[95pro]

2 fouls on amare. 4:51 left in the 1st.

 

[mojorizen7]

Lopez appears to have the leg strength of a 10 yr old boy.

 

[mojorizen7]

...And the arm strength of a 10 yr old girl.

 

[Andrew]

We are shooting 41% and have 5 TOs

 

[slinslin]

Our offense looks so ugly right now without Amare and Shaq in the game..

Was Lopez drafted for anything else but size and hustle? I mean does he have some actual skills?

 

[mojorizen7]

Lopez is junk.

 

[95pro]

lopez blows another put back dunk.

 

[Andrew]

Bad first quarter, get it together guys...

 

[Andrew]

Lopez looks like he is seriously lacking fundamental bball skills during stints...

 

[Proteus]

Ugly basketball. Suns down 21-27 after the 1st quarter. Suns shooting 38% with 0/3 3 pointers, Grizzlies 47% with 1/3 3 pointers.

Suns have committed 5 turnovers, Grizzlies 2.

Suns have hit 5/8 free throws, Grizzlies have hit 8/11 free throws.

Suns have 5 offensive rebounds, Grizzlies 0.