Suns at Grizz- Keys to the Game

The Suns and the Grizzlies have been fighting for the last few play-off spots all season, but the teams ended the first half of the season in opposite ways. The Suns won 5 of their last 6, while the Grizz lost 6 of 7. But that was the first half of the season, and tonight starts the second half. Hopefully the Grizz will come out rested and motivated to make a push.

The Grizzlies have taken 2 of 3 from the Suns with the most recent win being 125-118 on January 18 at the FedEx Forum. Marc, Rudy, OJ, and Z-Bo thrived offensively combining for 105 of the 125 points. I think all four of them can have success tonight. Their success combined with my 3 keys to the game, and I believe Grizz start the second half with a W.

My Keys:

1.Z-Bo needs to bounce back. Zach has struggled in February, shooting only 40% and averaging 14.0 points a game. Hopefully the All-Star game has encouraged him, and he'll be back to his old ways tonight

2. Gasol vs Lopez match-up. Lopez got his first career start in the January 18 game and had good production. He has been playing well since averaging 12.4 points on 64.4% shooting. I give Gasol the advantage, but he must win the match-up for us to have success tonight.

3. Rudy Gay. Rudy has been a bit of a head case since he came into the league, and that was shown during our recent slide where he seemed bothered by his All-Star snub. The break gave Rudy a chance to rest his hurt ankle, and hopefully has motivated him to play harder and produce more.

Those are my keys to the game, but there are two more things that could potentially give the Grizzlies a nice advantage.

1. The Stoudemire trade distractions. If you've been following the NBA through the midst of the Winter Olympics, you have heard about the Amare Stoudemire trade rumors. I would love to see him moved to the Eastern Conference, so we don't have to see much but two times a year. Whether or not he gets traded, all the talks have been a distraction. The Suns have 2 days left until Thursday's trade deadline (2/18), but Amare expects to play tonight versus the Grizz. As much as the team tries to stay out of it, no matter what, you're going to be affected when rumors of your second best player's getting traded.

2. Steve Nash's big weekend. Steve made it to the Olympic Opening Ceremony, then flew to Dallas and participated in the Skills Challenge and played in the All-Star Game. At 36, Nash needed, but didn't get the All-Star Break rest. Best case scenario, he comes out tired, and Conley can take advantage of that.

Go Grizz, Go USA!