Sacramento Kings Outmuscled By Grizzlies, Drop Seventh Straight Game
By Rafe Wong
The Sacramento Kings were unable to break their losing streak tonight as they were defeated by the Memphis Grizzlies by a score of 106-88.
Make it a seven-game losing streak for the Sacramento Kings as they were unable to earn the win against the Memphis Grizzlies tonight. With this defeat, the Kings now have a record of 13-32 which has them ranked as the worst squad in the Western Conference.
Scroll down below to see how the Kings fared this evening by the quarter.
Game Summary
To begin the game, De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic got the ball rolling as they scored the first seven points for Sacramento. Due to their quick starts, the Kings found themselves up 11-4 early. But due to silly fouls and lack of rebounding, the Grizzlies were able to erase the Kings’ lead to take a 30-17 advantage at the end of the quarter.
Once the second quarter was in play, Sacramento made the adjustments. Their defense buckled up, their rebounding improved, and overall were just the more physical team on the court. As a result, the Kings outscored the Grizzlies 23-10 in the period and were able to tie the game at 40 going into halftime.
The Kings had the momentum entering the second half, but were unable to take advantage. During the third period, the Kings performed similarly to how they played in the first. They allowed the Grizzlies to produce easy points and their offense was suddenly halted. There was even a point where the purple and white only scored four points with under five minutes remaining in the quarter.
Although the third quarter was atrocious for Sacramento, they were still in reach to win as they trailed 67-59 going into the fourth.
In the final period, Sacramento found their rhythm offensively behind the stellar perimeter shooting from Vince Carter. Unfortunately, however, the Kings failed to prevent the Grizzlies to score also. A spark coming off Memphis’ bench helped them keep their lead intact which eventually gave them the 106-88 victory in the end.
Final Thoughts
Throughout tonight’s contest, I saw various versions of the Sacramento Kings. In the second quarter, I saw an energized team that performed well on both ends of the floor. But in the first and third periods, I witnessed a group that was offensively challenged and lacked aggressiveness. Meanwhile, also allowing their competition to roll over them on the defensive end.
It makes me scratch my head when trying to figure out why the Kings perform in this manner. But whatever the reason is, they must find a solution to their inconsistency woes in order to make steps forward in their rebuild.
Listed down below are some good, and not so good, notes to take away from tonight’s game.
Game’s Takeaways
- Tonight was the first time Zach Randolph played in Memphis after signing with the Kings this summer. The fans of his former team greeted him well as they gave him a standing ovation and played a tribute video highlighting his moments with the team.
- Ben McLemore was on a mission to perform well against his former squad as he finished the night with 21 points coming off the bench.
- Vince Carter continues to prove that age is just a number as he scored 15 points while making five three-pointers for the game.
- De’Aaron Fox had a solid night as the starting point guard. He was able to score 16 points while distributing six assists for the night.
- Ball security was a big issue for Sacramento as they turned the ball over a whopping 21 times.
- Bogdan Bogdanovic had a solid all-around performance as he recorded 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
Next time the Kings hit the hardwood will be Monday evening as they face off against Kemba Walker and the Hornets in Charlotte, North Carolina.