Malik Monk #0 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles the ball during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on November 30, 2025 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings returned home from a brief one-game road trip in Utah where they lost 128-119 on Friday night. The Kings welcomed the Memphis Grizzlies to Golden 1 Center on Sunday in the Kings’ last home game until December 11th. The Kings lost to the Grizzlies 115-107 amongst the fog.

In the first quarter, it was an all-too-familiar story for the Kings this season. The starters, consisting of guys like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, got the Kings into an early nine-point deficit. However, the Kings bench rallied back and managed to take the lead, sharing a positive +8 over their minutes on the court. The Kings outscored the Grizzlies 35-31 in the first quarter as they looked to continue what the young guys started.

In the second, neither team was able to create much separation as the Grizzlies barely edged the Kings in the second quarter. The Grizzlies outscored the Kings 31-24 in the quarter to take a three-point 62-59 lead into halftime. The Kings had overall shown a solid effort in the first half that they hoped they could build on in the second half of the game. Zach LaVine led the Kings in first-half scoring with 14 points, and Malik Monk dropped 10 points as the runner-up. The Kings only attempted eight (three made) three-pointers in the first half, which wasn’t a recipe for sustained success in the second half.

In the third quarter coming out of halftime, the starters for the Kings immediately let the Grizzlies go on a 6-0 run to open the quarter. However, the Kings fought to come back and take the lead going into the fourth quarter. The Kings outscored the Grizzlies 28-21 in the third quarter and took the four-point 87-83 lead to the final 12 minutes of the game. The disparity between the Kings starters and bench couldn’t be more evident, as the starting unit posted a combined individual -70 through the first three quarters and the bench countered with a combined +90 in the same span.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings couldn’t hold their slim lead and were outscored by the Grizzlies 32-20 in the quarter to drop the game by a 115-107 final. The Kings couldn’t get the job done as Zach Edey led the way for the Grizzlies with a career-high 32 points. The Kings were led in defeat by DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, who scored 23 and 21 points respectively for the Kings.

After the game, most of the Kings players quickly vacated the locker room without much to say after another loss at home.

Up Next: The Kings head out on the road to take on the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. PST.