Memphis @ Phoenix preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 2, 2019 ) Phoenix 114, Memphis 105

The Memphis Grizzlies snapped a three-game slide with a 110-102 triumph at Golden State on Monday as rookie point guard Ja Morant returned from a four-game absence. Morant, who was dealing with back spasms, will try to help make it two in a row when the Grizzlies visit the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.

Morant only played 29 minutes in the win but scored 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting and handed out seven assists while knocking down three 3-pointers. "I feel like that's every point guard's dream," Morant told reporters. "That your coaches go out and let you play with that amount of freedom, just have that trust in you to make the right play. Coach [Jenkins], he always tells me to continue to play my game; he knows I can make the right play, so I just don't go out and worry about it at all. I go out and just play." The Suns are winners of three of the last five games and turned things up at the defensive end in a 125-109 triumph over Minnesota on Monday. "Where we are right now, we just need to mix up our coverages, from zone to different pick-n-roll coverages," Phoenix coach Monty Williams told reporters. "I thought the backside of our defense was better in the second half. In the first half if they're playing on side of the floor, for them, they slice and slash to the basket, and we were better in the second half. And then we just battled. We came up with loose balls."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Memphis), FS Arizona (Phoenix)

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (7-16): Memphis fell at Chicago and Utah on the first two stops of the four-game trip and is hoping Monday's triumph provides enough of a spark to help the team finish .500 on the excursion. "It's huge, it just really felt good to get a win, especially on the road," Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. told reporters. "Because we did the things that we know we can do, just have to continue to build on that for the next game. Just remember the feeling because we don't want the other feeling." Jackson scored 16 points in the win and is averaging 19 on the road trip.

ABOUT THE SUNS (11-12): Phoenix split a four-game trip before returning home and dominating Minnesota but has not won back-to-back games since a three-game streak from Oct. 20-Nov. 4. "We're learning," small forward Mikal Bridges told the Arizona Republic. "That's another step we have to take and continue from there. Lost a lot of leads on that road trip and we just came in here and learned from our mistakes and battled and just kept going." Phoenix was led on Monday by 26 points from guard Devin Booker, who is averaging 35 points on 56.5 percent shooting over the last three contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Grizzlies SG Grayson Allen (ankle) left Monday's game and is day-to-day.

2. Suns PG Ricky Rubio posted his third straight double-double with 16 points and 14 assists on Monday.

3. The visiting team took the last two in the series, with Phoenix earning a 114-105 victory at Memphis on Nov. 2.

PREDICTION: Suns 110, Grizzlies 102