Despite showing some solid improvement in the first three games of their road trip, the Sacramento Kings got completely annihilated by the Memphis Grizzlies. It was their worst game of the season, despite it being their best opportunity for a win in their brutal season schedule.
The first three games of the Kings' current run of road games included faceoffs against the Timberwolves, Spurs, and Thunder. It was a gauntlet of some of the best teams in the league. Not surprisingly, Sacramento lost all three of those games, but there were bright sides.
Each game featured some positive changes to the starting lineup that definitely made a difference. Additionally, the Kings showed solid improvements on defense. That was particularly apparent when they faced off with OKC and displayed their best defense of the season in the first half.
Yes, all three of those games were losses, but the point differential was in the 13-to-14-point range. That's a far cry from the 30-point beatings the Kings were taking during their home stand. Then, that progress fell apart against the Grizzlies of all teams, a game the Kings probably should have won.
The Grizzlies stomped the Kings out
Going into the game, the Kings were three and 12 while the Grizzlies were four and 11. Both teams were missing their stars as Domantas Sabonis and Ja Morant were injured and will be out for some time. They're comparable teams in every way, giving the Kings a chance to get a much-needed win.
Instead, the Kings got blown out by 41 points, their worst loss of the season. By the end of the first half, the score was 75 to 47 for the Grizzlies, showing complete breakdowns of the Kings on both offense and defense. Sacramento never stood a chance and was basically owned the entire game.
There's no logical reason why this happened. Memphis and Sacramento are comparable teams in every way. And the Kings are used to playing without Sabonis, who has been on the bench injured a few times this season. Even for a team as bad as Sacramento, this was a dumbfounding loss.
After the Grizzlies, the Kings will go on to face the Nuggets, Wolves, and Suns, none of which will be anything close to easy. Sacramento is currently three and 13, and will likely be three and 16 by the end of those games. Stopping this slide feels impossible, considering where the team is at.