Key Stat of the Night
- The Kings shot a massive 48.7% (19-39) from 3 while the Grizzlies only knocked down 40% (12-30) from behind the arc.
Key Run of the Night
- Sacramento used an 18-2 run to stretch their lead to 13 points at 25-12 with 6:02 remaining in the first quarter. The Kings would lead wire-to-wire for the rest of the game.
Game Recap
The Memphis Grizzlies dropped the first half of a road back-to-back as they fell to the Sacramento Kings 129-125 inside Golden1 Center Thursday night.
The Grizzlies started strong on the offensive end, shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 80 percent from three-point range in the first quarter. However, the Kings would use a huge first quarter from Harrison Barnes to give them the advantage early on. Sacramento used an 18-2 run to stretch their lead to 13 points at 25-12 with 6:02 remaining in the first quarter. Barnes would finish the quarter with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including a perfect 4-of-4 from three-point range, as the Kings held a 37-35 lead after one quarter of pay.
The Grizzlies struggled on the defensive end in the first half, allowing Sacramento to rack-up 70 points on 56.5 percent shooting to take a 70-61 lead into the break. The Grizzlies second-unit would give Memphis a boost, scoring 61 points on 54.3 percent shooting. De'Anthony Melton gave the Grizzlies a spark, scoring 14 of his career-high 24 points in the second half. Memphis used an 18-5 run to trim the Sacramento lead to five with 1:16 remaining in the third before the Kings would take a 97-90 lead into the fourth. Memphis made it a two-point game at 115-113 following an acrobatic shot from Ja Morant to cap off a 21-8 Grizzlies run. Morant went on to score 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter alone. The Grizzlies narrowed the lead to as little as one point at 125-124 with 7.5 seconds remaining before the Kings would ice the game away with free-throws down the stretch.
Melton led the Grizzlies with six rebounds and three assists to go with his team-high 24 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. totaled 16 points (6-12 FG, 4-9 3P), two rebounds and two assists. Jonas Valanciunas added eight points and 11 rebounds on 3-of-6 shooting. Tyus Jones added 16 points, six assists and three rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench. Morant tallied 19 points, two assists and one rebound as the Grizzlies dropped to 28-27 on the season.
Barnes finished the night with 32 points on a career high-tying 7-of-11 from three-point range to lead Sacramento. De'Aaron Fox totaled 26 points (9-16 FG, 4-6 3P) to go with four assists and two rebounds in 34 minutes. Buddy Hield led the Kings bench with 20 points, four assists and three rebounds on 5-of-12 shooting. Kent Bazemore added 18 points, three rebounds and one steal as the Kings improved to 22-33 on the season.
Next Game
The Grizzlies will wrap up a back-to-back as they visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, February 21 at 9:30 p.m. Fans can watch the game on FOX Sports Southeast or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN.
Team Quotes
Player Notes
- De'Anthony Melton led the Grizzlies with a new career-high 24 points.
- Ja Morant tallied 19 points, two assists and one rebound.
- Jaren Jackson Jr. totaled 16 points, two rebounds and two assists.
- Jonas Valanciunas added eight points and 11 rebounds on 3-of-6 shooting.
- Tyus Jones added 16 points, six assists and three rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.
- Harrison Barnes finished the night with 32 points on a career high-tying 7-of-11 from three.
- De'Aaron Fox totaled 26 points, four assists, and two rebounds.
- Buddy Hield led the Kings bench with 20 points, four assists, and three rebounds.
Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2019-20 Season Tickets can do so by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com. Single Game Tickets are available for purchase at the FedExForum Box Office, ticketmaster.com, online at grizzlies.com or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX.
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