The Memphis Grizzlies blew an opportunity defeat the Sacramento Kings in the season’s second week, but they receive a second chance on Friday night.
This NBA season, there are a handful of surprising teams — for better or for worse — and two of those trending upward face off for a second time on Friday evening.
The Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Sacramento Kings on October 24th. This dropped the Grizz to 2-2 in 2018-19. Creeping up on one month since the loss, the Grizzlies have gone 6-3 (8-5 overall) and the league is starting to take notice. Similarly, the Kings own an 8-6 record.
Prior to the start of the regular season, most NBA experts had Memphis and Sacramento back in the NBA Draft Lottery discussion. Today, both would be eligible for postseason play if the NBA Playoffs were to begin in November.
Though the Memphis Grizzlies certainly deserve plenty of credit, it seems as if national media would rather do anything but to give it. On the Sacramento Kings’ side of things, they do not have the veteran star presence that the Grizz have, but they are reaping the benefits of successful Draft selections.
In the October 24th meeting between these two clubs, the Kings’ De’Aaron Fox stole the show — and the victory — with 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and one steal. He was all over the place, including inside of the Grizzlies’ heads.
Within the frontcourt, Sacramento’s Willie Cauley-Stein notched a double-double and got the better of Memphis’ Marc Gasol. His athleticism on defense kept Big Spain to a poor 4/13 showing from the field.
In speaking of Gasol, the loss to the Sacramento Kings was the game in which the Grizzlies fan base first began to feel as if the season was over. Marc took a Fox elbow to the neck and shoulder area and he was writhing in pain. For a second, it looked as if he had suffered a broken collarbone.
Thankfully for Marc Gasol and Grizz Nation, the injury was minor — just a stinger — and he was able to avoid missing any time.
This hurt the Memphis Grizzlies down the stretch in their road loss versus Sacramento. Statistics show that this Grizzly bunch is at its absolute best when No. 33 is present on the floor.
Gasol was forced out of that game with 5:54 remaining in the fourth quarter as the scoreboard read 80-87. It is a mystery what would have been the result if the Spaniard would have been able to finish those final few minutes. The mark could have been potentially placed in the win column via this lone factor.
This was the game in which a portion of the fan base began to question Marc Gasol’s passion. Yes, he sustained an injury, but he did not seem fully engaged prior to his early exit. For instance, he was not putting much effort into running back on defense, and did not once think about contesting the big fastbreak dunk by De’Aaron Fox.
In recent games, it appears as if Big Spain has found new life. His shot is starting to fall, he is more aggressive on both ends of the floor, and he is trusting his teammates, especially the newcomers.
In taking a look at the Grizzlies’ bench unit, Memphis did an excellent job on the defensive end in the first meeting against Sacramento. The Kings average the NBA’s seventh-best mark of 40.0 points per game in the bench scoring department. Though the Grizzlies closely follow with 39.4, the talk of the town is Memphis’ stifling defense. This area must remain consistent if the Grizz truly wish to avenge their previous loss.
On October 24th, the Grizzlies allowed just 20 points off the bench. Through 13 regular season contests, it is no fluke that Memphis ranks first in team defense, allowing 101.6 points per contest. Alternatively, the Kings place 25th and give up 13.9 additional points. To enhance the Memphis Grizzlies’ odds of victory on Friday, Sacramento has been allowing 123.7 points in their road meetings.
If the Grizz are serious about making a playoff push this season, they must come away with a win on Friday versus Sacramento. It is time to avenge the October loss and defeat the youthful Kings club. This is an opportunity to prove that Memphis is the better team indeed.
Tip time is set for 7:00 PM Central Time inside the Grindhouse. Former King and current Grizzly Omri Casspi is listed as “probable” after missing the past five games due to right knee soreness. Big man Ivan Rabb will also return to action for the Grizzlies to provide additional frontcourt depth after recently coming down with an illness.