Kings at Grizzlies
The Sacramento Kings are scuffling after a 1-6 homestand and the finale was the worst of the bunch as the team blew a 22-point lead and lost small forward Rudy Gay for the rest of the season. Gay tore his left Achilles' tendon on a drive toward the basket during Wednesday's 106-100 loss to the Indiana Pacers and won't be with the team when it opens an eight-game road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
Gay is a free agent following the season, so it is possible he played his final game with the team. "That's a tough thing to watch, man," star center DeMarcus Cousins told reporters. "I hate it for him. I spoke to him and told him, 'I'll keep you in my prayers.'" Memphis has dropped three of its last four games after suffering a 104-101 road loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. The Grizzlies won 12 consecutive home games against the Kings before falling 96-92 on Dec. 16 in their first game against former coach Dave Joerger.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), FSN Southeast (Memphis)
ABOUT THE KINGS (16-25): Sacramento has lost eight of its last 10 games to fall nine games below .500 and needs a quick turnaround on the road trip to remain in the Western Conference race. Cousins posted his first triple-double of the season with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists against the Pacers but the enduring memories were Gay's fall to the floor and the Kings' collapse after leading by 19 at halftime. "Certainly a tale of two halves," Joerger said afterward. "They came out and were much more aggressive in the second half. We struggled. ... They came out and played with a lot more energy in the second half, and we, for one reason or another, did not come with as much force as we did to start the game."
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (25-19): Standout center Marc Gasol had a dreadful showing in a victory over the Kings on Dec. 31, when he missed all six of his shots and scored a season-low two points. Gasol is shooting just 25 percent in two games against Sacramento this season while averaging 11 points and four rebounds. He contributed 28 points and seven assists against the Wizards but collected just two rebounds.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Grizzlies won five of the past six meetings, with the teams splitting two games this season.
2. Sacramento PG Ty Lawson (ankle) is questionable after missing the loss to Indiana.
3. Memphis F JaMychal Green, who had 15 points and 13 rebounds against Washington, is 15-of-19 shooting over the past three games.