The first and second-best teams in the NBA will square off on April 1 in a late-season clash when the Memphis Grizzlies host the Phoenix Suns inside the FedEx Forum.
The Grizzlies enter the game having won 10 of their previous 11 games. Phoenix, meanwhile, has won 11 of their previous 12 games, making this a meeting between two of the hottest teams in the NBA right now.
However, don’t expect this game to exactly be a Western Conference Finals preview when these two meet on Friday.
5 reasons why the undermanned Memphis Grizzlies upset the Phoenix Suns
A very shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies squad pulled off an unbelievable upset over the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns April 1 at the FedEx Forum.
Memphis Grizzlies likely to rest key players vs Phoenix Suns on April 1
The public relations Twitter account for the Memphis Grizzlies released their daily injury report log and it included a few expected names and several surprising names.
2022 NBA All-Star starter Ja Morant and reserve wing player Killian Tillie have both been ruled out for the Suns game. That’s no surprise as both players have each been dealing with knee soreness for the past couple of weeks.
Ja Morant could make his return to the court within the next week or so, which would be welcomed news before the start of the Playoffs.
What was surprising to see on the injury report was Steven Adams (left calf soreness), Desmond Bane (left ankle soreness), Jaren Jackson Jr (thigh), and Tyus Jones (hand) all being listed as doubtful.
While it would be awesome from a fan perspective to see a healthy Suns team go at a healthy (or mostly healthy) Grizzlies team for a playoff preview, it serves absolutely no purpose for either team to put much stock into this game, unfortunately.
The Suns have an 8.5 game lead over the Grizzlies for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. There are only five games left after this meeting on April 1.
Even more, the Grizzlies have a six-game lead over the current No. 3 seed Dallas Mavericks. So, even if Memphis were to go 0-6 the rest of the season, they have such a wide lead they would remain the No. 2 seed.
It’s not too far-fetched to believe that we may not see all five Grizzlies starters in the lineup together until round one of the Playoffs.
With the team so close to breaking the franchise record for wins in a single season, many fans hope the team will be able to match or surpass the 56-win mark. But, you should remember the team has much bigger goals in mind.
Resting players and getting everyone healthy is a key part of setting up the team to be successful in their mission of winning an NBA Championship.