Ja Morant had 28 points including the winning basket with 7.6 seconds remaining, Jaren Jackson Jr. had 18 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the host Phoenix Suns 114-113 to extend the Suns’ losing streak to four.
Cedric Coward and Santi Aldama had 14 points apiece off the bench and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 11 for the Grizzlies, who have alternated wins and losses in their first five games this season.
Devin Booker had 29 of his 32 points in the second half, Mark Williams had 20 points and 12 rebounds in his first start for the Suns, who have not won since opening night.
The Suns led 113-112 when Williams stole the ball from Jackson on the defensive end and hit a layup with 51.4 seconds remaining, but neither team scored again until Morant’s 11-footer in the lane.
Booker missed a long 3-pointer on the Suns’ previous possession, and he missed a contested trey at the buzzer. He was 10 of 26 from the field, 4 of 11 from 3-point range.
Royce O’Neale had 18 points on six 3-pointers, one short of his career high, and Grayson Allen and Collin Gillespie had 14 for the Suns. Gillespie had 13 in the second quarter.
The Grizzlies had 37 points off 21 Phoenix turnovers.
Morant made a 3-pointer and a short jumper on consecutive possessions to give the Grizzlies an 81-72 lead late in the third quarter, but the Suns closed to 81-78 when Booker hit a jumper at the buzzer.
O’Neale’s fourth 3-pointer tied it at 81-81 on the first possession of the fourth quarter before Memphis gradually pulled away.
Morant’s driving layup with eight minutes left made it a 94-87 lead, and Cam Spencer’s 3-pointer moments later gave the Grizzlies a 99-89 lead, their largest.
Aldama’s 3-pointer with 5:04 left made it 106-97 before the Suns rallied, and Booker’s jumper capped an 11-2 run to tie the game at 108-108 with 2:23 remaining.
Coward and Booker traded 3-pointers before Williams stole the ball inside and converted on the other end to make it 113-112.
Suns forward Dillon Brooks missed his second straight game with a groin injury. Jalen Green missed his fifth straight after suffering a hamstring injury in training camp.
The Suns did not shoot a free throw until Booker made two when he was fouled on a short jumper with 7:00 remaining in the third quarter.
–Field Level Media
