The Memphis Grizzlies saw some old friends in Zach Randolph and Vince Carter and rang in the New Year with a 114-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
In a game full of reunions and familiar faces, it was Tyreke Evans who stood out with 26 points (10-16 FG, 5-7 3P, 1-1 FT) against Sacramento, where he played five seasons over two stints (2009-2013, 2016-17) and was named the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year. Evans also totaled seven rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes for the Grizzlies, who earned their largest margin of victory this season. It was Evans’ fourth 25-point, five-rebound, five-assist performance in his last five games.
Willie Cauley-Stein had 21 points off the bench, Buddy Hield had 15 points, and Garrett Temple chipped in with 13 points. Randolph added four points and six rebounds in 18 minutes in his first game this season against his former team, which he guided to its first-ever postseason series victory in 2011 and the Western Conference Finals in 2013 during his eight seasons (2009-17) in Memphis. Carter also registered three rebounds in 15 minutes against the Grizzlies, where he played the past three seasons (2014-17).
Jarell Martin (11 points), James Ennis III (10 points), Wayne Selden Jr. (10 points) and Deyonta Davis (10 points) all reached double figures off the bench for the Grizzlies, who improved to 2-2 on their five-game road trip. Selden logged 17 minutes in his return from a 21-game absence with right quadriceps tendinopathy. Memphis’ bench totaled 64 points.
Next Game
The Grizzlies will end their five-game road trip in their first game of the new year on Tuesday, Jan. 2 against the Los Angeles Clippers at 9:30 p.m. CT at the STAPLES Center. Follow the action on FOX Sports Southeast presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners on listen to the call on 92.9 FM ESPN / 680 AM.
Key Stats of the Night
- Memphis’ hot shooting carried over from the previous night when the Grizzlies shot 52.1 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from three-point range, which were both season highs, in a loss last night to the Golden State Warriors. The team shot a season-best 53.9 percent overall and 46.7 percent from the perimeter tonight.
Key Run of the Night
- The Grizzlies shot 12-of-20 from the field in the first quarter and led by as many as 16 points in the first quarter. Memphis then scored the first 10 points of the second period to open up a 24-point advantage that grew to as many as 33 in the second half.
Team Quotes
Player Notes
- Tyreke Evans led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 5-of-7 from three. Evans is now shooting a career-high .426 percent from three on the season.
- Jarell Martin (11 points), James Ennis III (10 points), Wayne Selden Jr. (10 points) and Deyonta Davis (10 points) all reached double figures off the bench for the Grizzlies.