Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) finished with 23 points but it wasn’t enough to beat the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum in Memphis on Thu Dec 5, 2024 (Sacramento Kings X photo)

The Sacramento Kings (10-13) were tied with the Memphis Grizzlies (15-8) going into the fourth quarter Thursday night 86 apiece. They had slim leads throughout the fourth quarter until the four minute mark. Memphis turned the tables taking slim one or two point leads for the remainder of the game.

With three minutes left in the game the Grizzlies took a five point lead 108-103. Memphis held onto that lead for the rest of the game winning by the score of 115-110. It was another quiet night for Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray. DeMar DeRozan had the high score for the Kings with 26 points followed by Malik Monk with 23 points.

Game recap: Thursday night the Kings took on the Grizzlies at FedExForum. The Kings are coming off an impressive win over the Houston Rockets last Tuesday night winning that contest 120-111. After that terrible losing streak, this win over Houston was hopefully a turning point for the team.

All five starters had double digits along with Kevin Huerter and Isaac Jones off the bench. It was a great win for the team. They were looking to take that confidence into Memphis and celebrate two wins in a row. The Grizzlies come into this game on a losing note dropping their last game to the Mavericks Tuesday night.

As this game unfolded, the opening quarter could not have been closer with the Grizzlies leading after the first 12 minutes of play 33-32. The Grizzlies were looking to win their seventh straight game at home. The second quarter was equally as close with the two teams deadlocked at 30. At the half, Memphis had a one point lead 63-62.

The two teams would finish the third quarter tied at 86 and this was anybody’s game. The game would continue with countless lead changes and ties and so it all came down to the fourth quarter.

The Kings led throughout most of the fourth quarter albeit by only a few points. They led going into the final three minutes and that is when the Grizzlies turned the tables on them. For the remainder of the game the Grizzlies had a slim lead although the Kings got within two points but could not overtake Memphis.

The Grizzlies Marcus Smart hit a couple of free throws with 2.9 seconds left in the game to clinch the win for Memphis. There had been 20 lead changes and 11 ties in this crazy game. The Grizzlies had won their seventh home game in a row. Sacramento came away with a disappointing loss.

Sacramento had a 16-9 edge on offensive rebounds. They got some great offensive effort from DeMar DeRozan who finished with 26 points and Malik Monk who scored 23 points but fell short in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

They needed just a bit more especially since Memphis had 22 turnovers and with 6:45 left in the final quarter Ja Morant was hit with a pair of technicals which earned him an ejection. He was obviously frustrated finishing the game 2 for 13 missing all six of his three-point attempts. This was a tough one for the King who have now lost seven of nine games.

Game notes: Thursday night the Kings took on the Grizzlies at FedExForum. The Kings are coming off an impressive win over the Houston Rockets last Tuesday night winning that contest 120-111. After terrible losing streak, this win over Houston was hopefully a turning point for the team. All five starters had double digits along with Kevin Huerter and Isaac Jones off the bench.

It was a great win for the Kings. They were hoping to take that confidence into Memphis and celebrate two wins in a row but just couldn’t pull it off with a loss. The Grizzlies came into this game on a losing note dropping their last game to the Mavericks Tuesday night.

Friday night, the Sacramento Kings will take on Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. The Kings lost a close one to San Antonio last Sunday 127-125. Wembanyama scored 34 points in that game and will looking to pin another loss on the Kings Friday night. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 5:00 PM.