Kings- Grizzlies: Memphis Toasts Lifeless Kings 109-94

Tonight the Sacramento Kings (4-7) visited the Memphis Grizzlies (3-6) in a matchup of teams trying to get their seasons turned around.

For the Kings, Bobby Jackson got his first start of the year, in place of the injured Kevin Martin. Jason Thompson started in place of Mikki Moore.

The Kings came out flat and dispassionate. In the first half every loose ball, every rebound, every hustle play seemed to go the way of the Grizzlies. Memphis took a 64-47 lead into halftime.

Rudy Gay led with 17 first half points for the Grizzlies. The Kings Beno Udrih led the Kings with 11 points at the half.

The Kings were outrebounded 24-11, which was symbolic of the beatdown and hustle the Grizzlies were showing.

The Grizzlies came out in the third quarter and made their first three shots. The rout was on. By the midpoint of the third quarter the Kings had put most of their young bench in the game to get experience.

Memphis led 90-71 after three quarters.

The Kings started the fourth quarter with a glimpse into the future. Coach Reggie Theus put out a lineup of Brown, Douby, Greene, Thompson and Hawes. How did the experiment go? Well, the Kings outscored the Grizzlies by four points in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, they still lost 109-94.

Rudy Gay finished with 20 points for Memphis. John Salmons led Sacramento with 18.

As a fan of the Kings and a fan of the NBA this game was painful to watch. The Kings never showed up and the Grizzlies weren’t much better. Furthermore, I have never seen so few fans at an NBA game in my entire life. I don’t suspect the Kings are much of a draw in Memphis, but I have to wonder if the Grizzlies games are always like this. If so, why is there even a team in Memphis?

The Kings next visit New Orleans to play the Hornets tomorrow night.