Grizzlies 97, Kings 86
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Forward Zach Randolph scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 97-86 victory Sunday afternoon over the Sacramento Kings.
Center Marc Gasol and guard Mike Conley each added 19 points for Memphis, while guard Tony Allen scored 12.
Forward Travis Outlaw led the Kings with 18 points off the bench, all in the second half. Guard Isaiah Thomas, a backup, had 15 points. Forward Marcus Thornton scored 12 and forward John Salmons 10, both coming off the bench.
The Grizzlies (5-5), who swept the four-game series between the teams last season, beat the Kings for the fifth straight time. Memphis won back-to-back games for the first time this season and improved to 2-0 on their four-game road trip.
The Kings (2-7) lost for the seventh time in their past eight games.
Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins scored just nine points, all in the first half. Cousins and most of his fellow starters left the game with 6:28 remaining in the third quarter with the Kings trailing 61-41 and didn't return.
After building a 47-34 halftime lead, the Grizzlies opened the third quarter with a 7-0 run, pushing their advantage to 20 points at 54-34. Conley drained a 3-point shot, forward Tayshaun Prince scored on a fastbreak lay-in, and Allen added a fastbreak lay-in after a Cousins turnover.
The Grizzlies led 61-41 with 7:37 left in the third after another Conley 3-point basket. That's when Kings coach Michael Malone substituted for all five of his second-half starters.
With Thomas, Outlaw and Thornton leading the way, the Kings outscored Memphis 24-13 the rest of the third, cutting the lead to 74-65. Thomas and Outlaw scored eight points apiece during the run, while Thornton added five.
The Kings' backups kept the pressure on in the fourth quarter as Sacramento cut Memphis' lead to 80-76 on Outlaw's 3-point play. Outlaw drilled a 3-point shot, slicing the Grizzlies' lead to 82-79 with just over seven minutes left.
But after Memphis coach David Joerger called a timeout with 6:28 left, the Grizzlies went on a 7-0 run, increasing their lead to 89-79 with 4:36 left.
Conley and Randolph scored inside, Randolph made a free throw, and Conley drove hard for two more points.
Thornton ended the run with a free throw with 3:48 left, but the Kings never got closer than seven points.
The Grizzlies rolled to a 47-34 halftime lead with Gasol scoring 13 points and guard Jerryd Bayless eight off the bench.
Memphis shot 51.3 percent from the field (20-for-39) and held Sacramento to 31.9 shooting (15-for-47) in the first half.
Cousins led Sacramento with nine first-half points and five rebounds, but he picked up two quick fouls and played only 14 minutes.
NOTES: Kings F Patrick Patterson and F Travis Outlaw suited up but did not see action in the first half. Outlaw entered the game in the third quarter. They each bruised a knee when they collided Friday night against Detroit early in the second quarter, knocking them out of that game. "They're still a little banged up," Kings coach Michael Malone said before the game. "I think Travis took the lesser of the hit, but he's banged up a little bit as well." ... Kings F Luc Mbah a Moute made his first start of the season, replacing F John Salmons. Salmons started the first eight games. ... Grizzlies 7-foot-1 C Marc Gasol and 6-9 F Zach Randolph entered the game averaging a combined 30.5 points and 15.3 rebounds. They give Memphis a pair of powerful, inside scoring threats, an increasing rarity in the NBA, Grizzlies coach David Joerger said before the game. "Maybe that's why we're kind of the knuckleball team for other teams to play against," Joerger said. "We're playing two bigs and pounding the ball inside where a lot of teams are trying to play a (power forward) that is possibly making 3-point shots and certainly shooting them. We are different than most teams."
