AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

By Jeff Hall

SACRAMENTO –

The Kings hosted a tough team in the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are one of the NBA’s best teams and the Kings came away with a 102-90 win.

The Kings got off to a good start in the first quarter against the Grizzlies an opened the game with a 32-25 lead. The Grizzlies struggled with poor shooting in the first shooting 43 percent from the field. The Kings shot 53.8 percent with just two turnovers that led to four Grizzly points. Ben McLemore led the Kings in scoring with 11 first quarter points.

The Kings carried their lead to the end of the first half of action with a 61-52 lead as the Grizzlies there poor shooting finishing the first half shooting 44.4 percent from the field Late In the second quarter Kings Head coach George Karl received his first Technical and DeMarcus Cousins got into foul trouble and picked up his third foul with three minutes remaining in the first half. Cousins walked off the court extremely frustrated with the officiating and kicked a chair on the bench Rudy Gay then put on a scoring show with six quick points inside the paint. Gay had 16 points in the first

But Zach Randolph fired a desperation shot and finished the half firing a sixty-two foot shot and sinking the long three pointer as time expired in the second.

Early in the third quarter the Grizzlies began showing their frustrations when Zach Randolph and DeMarcus Cousins got into a heated exchange under the basket at the Grizzlies end. Randolph was charged with a technical.

Once Cousins got into foul trouble the Kings began to struggle in the third quarter and saw their 10 point lead evaporate. The Grizzlies began stepping their game up both defensively and physically and that play would gain a one point lead 77-76 at the end of the third. The Grizzlies outscored the Kings 25-14 in the third.

The Kings responded with a strong fourth quarter outscoring the Grizzlies

Cousins foul trouble kept his scoring numbers down, However Cousins still had a Solid performance with 16 points and Nine rebounds and six assists despite limited minutes

Rudy Gay led the way in scoring for the Kings with twenty-eight points and 10 rebounds and six assists.

Coach Karl was pleased with the play of Cousins despite the foul trouble. “Cousins had a great game considering he played twenty-four minutes, most guys don’t have games like that in that amount of time.” said Karl after the game.

Up next the Kings will host the San Antonio Spurs at Sleep Train Arena on Friday.

Kings Notes: The Kings announced Vance Walberg as a new assistant coach. Walberg has more than three decades of experience at the pre, collegiate an professional levels. Walberg was formerly an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers. He was an Assistant for George Karl with the Denver Nuggets.