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Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies: Round three

By Jonathan Roberts

SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 24: Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies faces off against De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings on October 24, 2018 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 24: Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies faces off against De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings on October 24, 2018 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Sacramento Kings are on a two-game losing streak, but are at home against the Memphis Grizzlies in what will be their third matchup this season.

The Sacramento Kings are struggling. After losing prized rookie Marvin Bagley III to a knee injury, the Kings also lost Bogdan Bogdanovic and Iman Shumpert in their last two games.

While both Bogdanovic and Shumpert are expected to return to action tonight, it’s hard to deny how big of an impact not having them in the lineup has on this team. In fact, on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, six players came off the bench for the Kings and scored a combined 15 points. To put that in perspective, Bogdanovic’s season average is 14.7 points so yeah, they missed him dearly.

While reeling from their two most recent losses (both by 20+ points), the Sacramento Kings also took a loss the last time they played Memphis. Back on Nov. 16, their second meeting of the year, the Sacramento Kings fell 112-104 on the road to Grizzlies. The good news for Sacramento, however, is that their early season win over Memphis came in Sacramento and the Grizzlies are in the midst of a serious rough patch.

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Over the last 10 games for both teams, the Sacramento Kings are 6-4, while the Memphis Grizzlies have dropped seven of their last 10. The Grizzlies, for what it’s worth, have also dealt with injuries over this stretch, but are expected to have Kyle Anderson and Mike Conley available for tonight’s game. Former-King Omri Casspi, JaMychal Green and Joakim Noah are all listed as questionable for Memphis while Dillon Brooks and Chandler Parsons are out.

So, Sacramento has the edge in recent play, health and they’re playing at home. Should be an easy win, right? Maybe, but there is a troubling trend emerging in Sacramento in their third games against the same opponent.

The Sacramento Kings have played three teams at least three times, in every single third matchup, they’ve been demolished. Against the Utah Jazz, the Kings lost 133-112, OKC they fell 132-113 and in Minnesota they lost 132-105. To be fair though, the Thunder are the number two team in the West, the Jazz are 5-5 over their last 10 games and are 15-17 overall and the Kings rested almost everyone against the Timberwolves. Still, the trend is concerning.

Despite this, the Sacramento Kings are in a good position to end that streak of bad losses tonight. The Grizzlies are injured and struggling as of late and while the return of Conley and Anderson will make this a tougher out for the Kings, they should still be able to get the win.

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The Kings only lost by five on the road earlier in the season and that was when the Grizzlies were 9-5 and lighting the NBA in fire. Things have changed since and while Sacramento won’t have Marvin Bagley III for this one, they will have a Buddy Hield who is one-year (two-years?) older than he was in the last matchup, after the Kings guard celebrated his birthday on Dec. 17.

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