Sacramento Kings vs Memphis Grizzlies Prediction: Will Fox lodge another 25+ points night?

The NBA Regular Season is in full flow and we are in great shape early on as numerous teams have exceeded expectations and the gauntlet has been thrown. Some of these teams include the Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, and the Portland Trail Blazers. But this is early on in the season and defenses are still settling in to keep it up. Will Sacramento Kings’ keep it up against the guard galore of the Memphis Grizzlies?

Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings are yet to win a game and last played against the Golden State Warriors, losing 125:130 which means they now have three losses and no win. De’Aaron Fox continued to be scintillating, nailing 11 of his 21 attempts for 26 points and dishing 10 assists. The Kings gave up 50 points in the second quarter(89 in first half!) and allowed the Warriors to shoot around 53% which undid their hard work on offense as they scored 30+ in all quarters except for the third one.

Domantas Sabonis had 19 points and 14 rebounds but his +/- of -25 isn’t alluring and he only played 22 minutes. Harrison Barnes’ production has receded and that has opened up minutes for Keegan Murray, who played 38 minutes in the last game and nabbed 16 points and 4 rebounds.

Malik Monk recovered after a couple of sub-par games to post 16 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds while Richuan Holmes and Chimezie Metu gave solid minutes off the bench. Sophomore Davion Mitchell has lost his spot as someone who plays 25+ minutes while Kevin Huerter finally cooled off, shooting just one of eight from three. The Kings have now lost three close games in a row, and need an answer on defense. Sabonis isn’t getting done it thus far.

Memphis Grizzlies

Grizzlies recovered from a horrendous 41 points loss against the Mavs and stormed back with a 134:124 win against a clueless Brooklyn Nets. They had a decisive third quarter after being down by five points in the first half and turned it around with a 45:28 scoreline in that quarter, coming firing off the gates in the second half. They made 50% of their attempts and nailed 24 of 31 free-throws to stave off Kyrie and Durant, who combined for 74 points.

To counter that, Ja Morant and Desmond Bane combined for a stellar 75 points night, as Bane made eight triples. Santi Aldama has done his job as a starter in place of Jaren Jackson Jr. and had 17 points and 4 rebounds but doesn’t have the same defensive spark. Dillon Brooks had a horrible shooting night, making just 2 of his 13 shots and he was unable to click any of his five attempts from deep.

Steven Adams had 13 rebounds whereas Brandon Clarke, John Konchar, and Tyus Jones combined for a 28 points effort and although, the bench is looking less zippy than last season, but it does have a lot of substance. The Grizzlies have scored 125+ in two of the last three games and their offense has been on fire. Their defense is a bit lacking in absence of Jaren Jackson, who gives them the boost on that end.

Injuries

1. Kings: Nothing to report at the time of writing;
2. Grizzlies: OUT: Danny Green, Jaren Jackson, and Ziarie Williams. QUESTIONABLE: John Konchar is QUESTIONABLE.

Player Props

• Likely 25+ Points Scorers: Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, De’Aaron Fox;
• Likely 7+ Assists Givers: De’Aaron Fox, Ja Morant;
• Likely 10+ Rebounds Grabbers: Domantas Sabonis, Steven Adams.

Expert Betting Tips

The Kings haven’t been blown out yet but giving up 50 points in a quarter is not a great sign, their defense looked awful when Domantas Sabonis was in the middle. This means that the driving of Morant will be difficult to stop for the Kings and in case he kicks out, the cover for Desmond Bane can be shoddy. On the offensive end, things have gone well but can go south if De’Aaron Fox isn’t shooting well as Harrison Barnes is no more a factor(thus far).

Steve Adams will make life difficult for Domantas Sabonis but the Kings can still unlock a substantial inside-out game but for that to happen, Huerter will need to match at least 67% of what Desmond does, which is a tall task. The bench does have Malik Monk who seems to be back in groove for the Kings. I predict a Memphis win here but another close battle for the Kings. I see a 220-230 Points Range here