Grizzlies at Kings
The Sacramento Kings will be without All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins
when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. Cousins will miss at
least two games after straining his right Achilles' tendon during
Saturday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The severity of Cousins' injury was discovered in an MRI exam and club vice president Vlade Divac allowed that Cousins could end up missing more time if the injury doesn't respond to treatment. "It's a long season and things happen like that," Divac told reporters. "So it's better to make sure he's 100 percent recovered instead of pushing him to aggravate things." Memphis opened a five-game road trip on Monday by being demolished 119-69 by the Golden State Warriors for the worst defeat in franchise history. "I hate losing, and losing like this is even worse," center Marc Gasol told reporters. "It hurts. It should hurt your feelings. It hurt mine definitely. But we've got to believe in what we're doing, and hopefully we'll figure it out."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Memphis), CSN California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (2-2): Memphis shot just 27.1 percent from the field in the debacle against Golden State and was outscored 72-27 over the second and third quarters. The Grizzlies were 3-of-23 from 3-point range, outrebounded 65-44 and just flat-out uncompetitive against the squad that knocked them out of last season's playoffs in the second round. "Just a bad game overall," said power forward Zach Randolph, who scored just four points on 2-of-9 shooting. "(Golden State) is a championship team, but they're not 40, 50 points better than us. We know that."
ABOUT THE KINGS (1-2): Point guard Rajon Rondo has a lot to prove after a miserable 2014-15 season and he has produced 21 points and eight assists in each of the past two games. Rondo turned down a $55 million contract extension from the Boston Celtics last season and wore out his welcome in Dallas after being traded to the Mavericks and is playing for Sacramento on a one-year, $11 million deal. "This kid is a great student of the game," Kings coach George Karl told reporters. "He loves it. He has a passion for the game. He's a leader. I kid him all the time. He can be a positive or a negative leader, but his voice is heard and respected by the players."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Grizzlies won three of four meetings last season, including a split of two games in Sacramento.
2. Memphis SG Courtney Lee was 2-of-11 and missed all five 3-pointers Monday — making him 12-of-38 from the field and 2-of-16 from 3-point range on the season.
3. Sacramento SF Rudy Gay averaged 24.3 points in four games last season against his former Memphis teammates.