Grizzlies grind out 107-91 win over Kings
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Marc Gasol scored 28 points and Zach Randolph added 20 to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 107-91 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night at FedExForum.
Gasol, a candidate to make the NBA All-Star team as a reserve, and Randolph, a sixth man of the year candidate, helped the Grizzlies to a lopsided edge on the boards. Randolph had 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double and Gasol had nine.
Tony Allen also chipped in with a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) for the Grizzlies.
DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings, playing their first game without injured Rudy Gay, with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Gay is out for the year after tearing his left Achilles in Wednesday's loss to Indiana.
The Kings dropped their fourth straight and seventh in their last eight.
Memphis (26-19) improved to 13-1 against Sacramento at FedExForum since the 2009-10 season.
The Grizzlies led by only six with 2:51 to go in the third quarter before going on a 19-6 run to close the quarter, capped by a 35-foot 3-pointer by Randolph at the buzzer for an 83-64 lead.
During the run, Gasol had back-to-back 3-pointers and Mike Conley, who finished with 16 points, dropped in consecutive layups.
Memphis put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter as Randolph scored the first six points of the quarter and Conley, Randolph, James Ennis and Andrew Harrison sank 3-pointers.
The Grizzlies finished with 11 3-pointers, the 21st time this season they have made 10 or more in a game.
Despite falling behind 9-0 to start the game, the Grizzlies recovered quickly and eventually built a nine-point lead shortly before the half.
Memphis led 49-40 after Conley sank a technical free throw and Gasol added two additional free throws with 2.7 seconds to go in the first half. Memphis was up 49-42 at the break.
The Grizzlies overcame a poor-shooting first quarter (7 of 23, 30.4 percent) that resulted in only 15 points. The Kings led 23-15 after the first quarter.
But the Grizzlies recovered behind Carter, who had 11 points and connected on two 3-pointers in the second quarter. Carter’s three-point play early in the quarter gave Memphis a 27-26 lead. A late 14-4 run capped by a Gasol three-point play gave the Grizzlies a 44-36 advantage with about two minutes left.
The Grizzlies shot 54.5 percent in the second quarter to create their halftime cushion and outrebounded the Kings 29-18. Cousins haf 16 at the half to lead the Kings.
For the Grizzlies, forward Chandler Parsons sat out to rest, but he is expected to play Saturday night against the Houston Rockets.
Also, the Grizzlies lost guard Troy Daniels in the second quarter to a right knee injury. He left with 8:46 to go and did not return. Daniels did not score in eight minutes.
NOTES: Entering the game, the Grizzlies were allowing a league-low average of 37.4 points in the paint. Memphis led the NBA last season allowing only 38.7 paint points per game. ... The Kings played the first of an eight-game road swing. It is the franchise's second time in three years to have an eight-game road trip, both caused by a game cancellation. Part of the road trip is a Jan. 30 game at the Philadelphia 76ers, postponed from Nov. 30 because of unsafe playing conditions. ... Grizzlies G Vince Carter had his 27th game this season with 10 or more points. He has accomplished the feat playing as a reserve after his 39th birthday. He broke the record of 26 games set by Kevin Willis. ... Sacramento was playing its first game without second-leading scorer Rudy Gay (18.7 points) because of a torn left Achilles tendon suffered in Wednesday's game vs. Indiana. Gay will miss the rest of the season.