MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Devin Booker scored 27 points and Alex Len added 19 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 109-100 victory Sunday over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.
The victory was only the third for the Suns (17-46) in their past 18 games. Two of the victories during the stretch have come against the Grizzlies. Memphis (37-25) was led by Mike Conley, who finished with 22 points. Reserve JaMychal Green scored 17 before fouling out with 3:57 to go. Matt Barnes also scored 17 for the Grizzlies, who had their three-game win streak snapped.
Phoenix shot 52.1 percent, including going 12 of 28 from long range, and outrebounded a depleted Memphis interior, 47-38.
The Grizzlies, already without two injured centers — leading scorer Marc Gasol (out for the season) and Brandan Wright (out indefinitely), lost center Chris Andersen early in the second quarter with a left shoulder injury. He did not return.
Len remained on a torrid stretch for the Suns. He recorded his eighth straight double-digit scoring game since the All-Star break. Len scored a career-high 31 in Friday’s win at Orlando.
Phoenix opened the third quarter by taking advantage of the Grizzlies’ absence in the post. The Suns also struck from long range, hitting 4 of 7 3-pointers in the period and building a 13-point lead. The Grizzlies, who led by six at the half, were outscored 32-15 in the quarter.
Memphis, which trailed 85-74 entering the fourth quarter, fell behind by 13 early in the period on several occasions, but fought back to trim the deficit to six (104-98) after a layup by Lance Stephenson with about three minutes to go. The Grizzlies could get no closer in the closing minutes.
In a back-and-forth first half, there were eight lead changes and nine ties. The Suns’ biggest lead was eight points, while the Grizzlies were up by six, which they led by (59-53) at the half.
The Grizzlies trailed by eight early in the second quarter, but gradually regained the advantage behind Conley and Mario Chalmers. Chalmers scored seven points in a one-minute stretch midway through the quarter to tie the game at 36-all. Then, Conley took over. He scored 14 points in the final 6:30 of the quarter, including dropping in a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer.
The Grizzlies shot 19-of-44 (43.2 percent) in the opening half. The Suns were 20 of 39 (51.3 percent).
NOTES: Suns interim head coach Earl Watson began his NBA playing career with the Grizzlies. “I came here at 22 years old with (former Memphis general manager Jerry West), who I believed in,” Watson said. “I was trying to figure out who I was going to become as an NBA player. It’s a special place because I became who I am today” … Grizzlies F Zach Randolph moved past Nate Archibald into 94th place on the NBA’s career scoring list with 16,482 points following his 25-point effort Friday against Utah. Randolph ranks seventh among left-handed scorers behind David Robinson, Bob Lanier, Gail Goodrich, Chris Mullin, Lenny Wilkins and Chris Bosh.