The Grizzlies looked finished as the third quarter ended and the fourth quarter began on Monday night in Phoenix. However, O.J. Mayo hadn't yet made his statement.
Mayo exploded for 19 points in the fourth, finishing the game with 33, to give Memphis (3-5) a chance to win the game before a final Phoenix push finished them off 107-100.
From the start, the Grizzlies shut down the Suns' fast break and matched them shot for shot. They banged around inside enough to get by and benefited from a lackluster shooting start for the Suns. Despite an 0-for-6 start themselves, the Grizzlies came out even through one quarter and then one half. An 18-footer by Rudy Gay in the final minute of the second quarter gave them a brief one-point lead before the teams entered the locker rooms tied at 44.
Amare Stoudemire carried the load inside for the Suns with the Grizzlies keying in on Shaquille O'Neal, but the Grizzlies defense forced the Suns into bad shot after bad shot and disrupted their rhythm. Steve Nash looked out-of-sync all night and displayed signs of aging, as did O'Neal.
The Suns (6-2) built their lead by tracking down loose balls on offense and converting them into second-chance points. After Mayo gave the Grizzlies a 51-50 lead early in the third, the Suns closed the quarter by outscoring the Grizzlies 32-19.
Mayo then went on a personal 13-5 run to start the fourth and breathe some life into his teammates. The run and refusal to lie down when seemingly defeated was a first this season and showed what this young team is capable of. They should be one of the top defensive teams in the league this year when they put their minds to it. Now we know they can score in bunches when their backs are against the wall in a hostile environment.
Several players contributed key baskets in the fourth, perhaps none bigger than a shot-clock-beating 20-footer by Hakim Warrick that, whether he called it or not, banked in off the glass to put the Grizzlies up one. Gay dunked back a teammate's miss for another go-ahead backet with 1:30 remaining.
The officials didn't quite let this one go without a questionable no-call. With the Grizzlies down one in the final 30 seconds, Stoudemire hip-checked Quinton Ross, sending him and the ball into the scorer's table. The call was out-of-bounds, Phoenix ball. Game Over. Still, the Grizzlies went into the Suns' house and nearly escaped with a win. It's definitely one to build on.
The Grizzlies begin a three-game homestand Wednesday when they host the New York Knicks.
Keywords: Amare Stoudemire, Memphis Grizzlies, O.J. Mayo, Phoenix Suns
