GG Jackson #45 of the Memphis Grizzlies is guarded by De’Andre Hunter #15 of the Sacramento Kings in the second quarter at Golden 1 Center on February 04, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–Amidst the numerous rumors of trades and roster turnover, the Kings welcomed the Memphis Grizzlies to town on Wednesday night at the Golden 1 Center.

In the first quarter, the Kings started the game off strong with a solid presence under the basket. The Kings led in the paint, outscoring the Grizzlies 18-12, as Domantas Sabonis got off to a hot start with eight points and five boards in the opening quarter. Other than that, it was a relatively even quarter of play, with the Kings outscoring the Grizzlies 31-28 in the opening act.

In the second quarter, it was more of the same from both teams as they remained neck and neck leading into halftime. Domantas Sabonis led the Kings and all scorers in the first half as he dropped 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Twelve of the 20 points Domas scored in the first half came in the second quarter. The Grizzlies outscored the Kings 30-26 in the second quarter to take a 59-57 lead into the break. The points-in-the-paint disparity became even more apparent in the second quarter, as the Kings outdid the Grizzlies 20-10 in that category in the frame.

In the third quarter, it looked early on that the Kings were going to go down big to the Grizzlies coming out of the break. In fact, the Kings trailed by eight points early in the third as the Grizzlies were putting it together out of the half. Yet, the Kings were able to step up and bring the game back, taking a two-point, 91-89 lead into the fourth quarter. The Kings outscored the Grizzlies 34-31 in the third while trying to carry their momentum into the final 12 minutes.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings struggled to keep up with the Grizzlies, but they managed to keep the game within striking distance throughout the quarter. The Kings trailed by what felt like 3-5 points most of the quarter and were down 124-122 with just over a minute to go. However, the Grizzlies hit some tough late-game shots to defeat the Kings 129-125.

With the loss, the Kings’ losing streak reached 10 games, and they dropped their fourth straight home game.

It’s clear the Kings are transitioning from the veterans to the young players in the rotation, something that is new to Nique Clifford, but he is embracing the situation.

“It’s something I’ve never been through, so it’s been a little different for me than college,” Nique Clifford said after the game. “You don’t have guys getting moved from team to team, and it is a different experience, but I feel like as a professional, you approach every day trying to get better, trying to get better individually, and then as a team coming together trying to figure out what we can do to put out a good product on the court.”

The product hasn’t been good for the Kings, and they will take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday at 7 p.m. PST at the Golden 1 Center, looking to snap their 10-game skid.