Postgame Recap: Kings @ Grizzlies
November 23, 2009 by Darryl Arata
MEMPHIS 116, SACRAMENTO 105
November 23, 2009 – At the FedExForum, in the third and final game of the road trip, the Kings struggled to get on track. And when they finally did, Memphis had an answer for everything. The Grizzlies handed the Kings their fourth straight setback, 116-105. Tyreke Evans, sidelined in the previous game with a sprained right middle finger and sore right ankle, returned to the city where he starred last season at the University of Memphis and finished with a game-high 28 points. He matched Lionel Simmons’ Sacramento-era rookie mark of seven straight games with 20 or more points. Struggling from the field (37.5 percent) and holding on to the ball (seven turnovers), Sacramento fell behind early as the Grizzlies led, 19-8, to begin the game and 25-18 after one quarter. Memphis increased its lead to as many as 21 points in the third quarter (84-63, 2:42 left). In the fourth quarter, the Kings rallied with a 17-7 run to trim the lead down to nine, 103-94, with 3:13 remaining. However, Rudy Gay then drilled a three-pointer to push the lead back to double-digits and Memphis held off the Kings the rest of the way. Sergio Rodriguez tallied 16 points and a game-high-tying seven assists off the bench. Omri Casspi chipped in 15 points. Jason Thompson grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Gay finished with 24 points and O.J. Mayo tallied 20 for the Grizzlies, winners of four of the last five games.
NOTES: In the fourth quarter, the Kings outscored (36-30), outshot (60.0-52.6 percent from the field), and outrebounded (11-7) the Grizzlies. Playing the entire fourth quarter, Tyreke Evans scored 11 points (5-8 FG, 1-1 3pt), Sergio Rodriguez recorded nine points (4-6 FG, 1-1 3pt) and five assists (no turnovers), and Jon Brockman tallied seven points (3-3 FG, 1-2 FT). Donte Greene recorded 11 points (4-7 FG, 2-7 3pt, 1-2 FT) and two rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench before fouling out with 40.9 seconds left in the game. Omri Casspi was ejected from the game after picking up his second technical with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter after Jamaal Tinsley locked his arm while the two fought for positioning.
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