The Sacramento Kings are still chasing their first win, and Saturday’s trip to Memphis may give them a shot at one. The Kings fell to 0-5 after Thursday’s loss to the previously winless New Orleans Pelicans, and now they head into a matchup with the 5-0 Grizzlies, the NBA’s last unbeaten team.
Memphis already handled Sacramento once this season, winning 123-112 in Sacramento, but this one has the feel of a game the Kings could steal if the Grizzlies are not sharp. Sacramento is deep into a four-game road trip, and this meeting lands in a spot that could turn into a trap for Memphis.
The problem for the Kings is that they are still dealing with a thin roster. For the fourth straight game, they will be without four important players, including starting forward Keegan Murray. Sacramento has ruled Murray out for Saturday, along with three other key pieces.
Their full injury report:
Ben Simmons - OUT (right Achilles tendon repair/surgery)
The absences have hit Sacramento hard, especially with Raynaud and Cardwell unavailable. Losing both backup centers has wiped out the team’s frontcourt depth, and the lack of size has been a major issue. The bench has not helped matters either.
The Kings are clearly eager to get those players back, and they are reportedly willing to give head coach Doug Christie until the roster is fully healthy before making any call on his future.
Memphis, though, is not exactly at full strength either. The Grizzlies have listed starting point guard Ty Jerome and backup point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. as questionable heading into Saturday.
Their full injury report:
Scotty Pippen Jr. - QUESTIONABLE (low back soreness)
Jerome opened the season on a tear, leading the NBA in scoring at 34.7 points per game through three games, including a 31-point performance in Sacramento. Since then, the production has cooled off.
Over his last two games, he has totaled 25 points while shooting 25.9% from the field and 18.2% from three-point range. Even so, Sacramento would welcome the chance to face Memphis without him, especially if Pippen Jr. is also sidelined.
The Kings and Grizzlies are scheduled to tip off at 5:00 p.m. PT in Memphis.
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Grizzlies Face A Bigger Concern Than Sacramento Before Key Test
The Grizzlies are heading into their next meeting with Sacramento with more than the opponent to monitor. Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Quinten Post are all on the injury report, leaving Memphis with real uncertainty in the backcourt and up front as game time approaches. Jerome is dealing with upper back soreness, Pippen with lower back soreness and Post with a right ankle sprain, and all three will be evaluated closer to tipoff.
For a Memphis team trying to keep its footing in a key test, the timing matters as much as the names. Jerome has been the clubs most productive scorer and was central in the earlier win over the Kings, so his status in particular looms large, but the Grizzlies may not know their full rotation until the final availability report comes in. [Read more 🡒]
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For Grizzlies fans, the intrigue got a little more personal when Ty Jerome chimed in on social media and jokingly floated the idea of Murphy ending up in Memphis. It was the kind of throwaway remark that does not change anything on its own, but it did underline how much attention Murphy is drawing, even as New Orleans still appears to value him as a key part of its future. [Read more 🡒]
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Boozers fifth career game was the one that really jolted the conversation, because it showed just how far his ceiling might stretch if this start is any indication. Memphis does not need to rush the story, but it is hard to ignore how quickly Boozer has pushed himself into rare company while helping the Grizzlies win at a pace that has fans thinking bigger than they probably expected in October. [Read more 🡒]