Thursday night featured a showdown between two teams amid disappointing starts to their 2025-26 campaigns, active losing streaks, and an unfortunate amount of injuries.
The Sacramento Kings (3-12) head into FedEx Forum to face the host Memphis Grizzlies (4-11). Sacramento had dropped seven straight while the Grizzlies were amid a five-game skid.
Former All-Stars Domantas Sabonis (knee), Ja Morant (calf), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (ankle) all were sidelined. Brandon Clarke (knee), Ty Jerome (calf), Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), and Javon Small (toe) were also unavailable.
Early on, Sacramento’s turnover issues were apparent, and the Grizzlies simply played harder. Conceding easy points in the paint, second-chance opportunities, and open looks from beyond the arc led to a 137-96 clobbering in Memphis.
You could cite several statistics that highlight Memphis’ dominance over the Kings on Thursday night. Sixteen turnovers led to 30 points for the Grizzlies. The home squad also added 56 points in the paint and 22 second-chance points en route to a 137-96 victory.
Aldama recorded a game-high 29 points. Jock Landale poured in 21 points, and four other Grizzlies added double-digits as they shot 50.5 percent (50/99) from the field as a team. They had an impressive 42 assists, picking apart Sacramento’s “defense” with ease.
Sacramento’s top contributors weren’t worth highlighting as they suffered their eighth straight defeat, all by double-digits. Next up is a battle against the Nuggets in Denver on Saturday night.
Kings @ Grizzlies Game Notes
Looking to halt their losing skid at seven straight, Sacramento faced off against another struggling and shorthanded squad in Memphis.
Murray didn’t get the start in his season debut, as Precious Achiuwa remained in the lineup alongside Russell Westbrook, rather than Dennis Schroder.
It was a slow first quarter as the Kings offense was going to be more reliant on their perimeter creators without Sabonis. The Grizzlies found Zach Edey and the 7’4 second-year big man found himself with eight early points. His squad put together an early 10-2 run as they held an 18-10 lead over Sacramento halfway through the opening frame.
Murray made his first appearance not long after and started his season campaign by attacking an isolation. Sizing up Olivier Maxence-Prosper, he turned his back and knocked down a turnaround fadeaway from the mid-range.
His aggression in seeking shots will be key to his long-term development and the team’s success. Having stated his goal to win Most Improved Player at the beginning of the season, it’ll be interesting to track — even if missing the first 15 games hinders his chances of meeting the 65-game eligibility mark for season awards.
Turnovers have harmed Sacramento this season, a trend that continued Thursday night. Memphis capitalised in transition and was efficient from beyond the arc en route to a 35-22 over Sacramento at the end of one.
Sacramento was just 8/21 from the field while their opponents went 13/24 with 16 of their points in the paint. Three assists help paint the picture of what the Kings offense looked like.
Cohesion was lacking, as was any offensive flow, as they continued to cough up the ball in the FedEx Forum.
It felt like Memphis managed to turn every Kings turnover into a triple, taking over the game in the second half. Already facing a deficit, things only got worse.
Sacramento’s offense was disgruntled, unorganized, and just outright confusing. The players appeared to be on totally different pages, throwing the ball out of bounds or into opposing hands.
To be blunt, their second quarter performance was some of the worst basketball you’ll ever see. Sacramento was outscored 40-25, conceding 18 points off its seven turnovers. Memphis also managed 15 second-chance points on five offensive rebounds while managing 25 assists on their 28 makes.
They seemingly walked into a 75-47 first-half advantage. Edey was up to 16 points. Santi Aldama (15) and John Konchar (13) added notably to their tally.
For the Kings, it feels wrong even to highlight LaVine’s 14-point half. Their lack of effort and self-belief was apparent and reasonably concerning to their fanbase, reporters, and NBA consumers alike.
I have no idea what this Sacramento Kings offense is.
The Sacramento Kings (appear to) have no idea what this Sacramento Kings offense is.
— Tristi Rodriguez (@tristi_r14) November 21, 2025
Coming out in the third quarter, Coach Christie rolled out the same starting unit, and the results didn’t change much. While their effort was respectable early in the third, as LaVine and DeRozan attempted to keep their offense afloat, they didn’t make much of a dent, remaining down by 20+.
Five more turnovers in the third quarter led to nine more points for Memphis. Sacramento’s offense was pretty efficient, shooting the ball well, but a lack of defense led to them being outscored 38-29.
Trailing by 37 (113-76) headed into the fourth quarter, Westbrook, DeRozan, and LaVine never saw the floor again. It was an opportunity for Murray to work his way into game shape further, even if these closing repetitions weren’t a great representation of NBA pace.
Young players Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and Keon Ellis also got extended run in a lifeless battle.
Christie signaled for a timeout following a straight-line dunk from Maxence-Prosper in semi-transition, making the game 136-89 with 3:09 remaining. Even if you’re a true “anything is possible” type of optimist, this game had been over for a while.
You could cite several statistics that highlight Memphis’ dominance over the Kings on Thursday night. Sixteen turnovers led to 30 points for the Grizzlies. The home squad also added 56 points in the paint and 22 second-chance points en route to a 137-96 victory.
Aldama recorded a game-high 29 points. Jock Landale poured in 21 points, and four other Grizzlies added double-digits as they shot 50.5 percent (50/99) from the field as a team. They had an impressive 42 assists, picking apart Sacramento’s “defense” with ease.
Sacramento’s top contributors weren’t worth highlighting as they suffered their eighth straight defeat, all by double-digits. Next up is a battle against the Nuggets in Denver on Saturday night.
Where the Kings go from here is unclear, but something needs to change.
More Sacramento Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
With the Sacramento Kings entering what may be the early stages of a rebuild, many fans are wondering whether this would be the first rebuild of the Sacramento era.
It would not.
It’s understandable that fans and media alike would have forgotten the first one. It was so swift and successful, it didn’t feel like a rebuild at all. And given the circumstances, it was downright miraculous that the team pulled it off.
Geoff Petrie had been hired to be the General Manager of the Sacramento Kings in 1994, and along with Coach Garry St. Jean, guided them to 39 wins in each of his first two seasons, including a playoff trip in ’96. But by the time the 98-’99 season came around, the Kings had slipped back to also-ran status.
Read More:
Reflecting on the Sacramento Kings’ successful rebuild. Could we see it again?
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Saturday, November 22nd – @ Denver Nuggets – 7:00 PM PT
Monday, November 24th – vs. Minnesota Timberwolves – 7:00 PM PT
Wednesday, November 26th – vs. Phoenix Suns – 7:00 PM PT
Friday, November 28th – @ Utah Jazz – 6:30 PM PT
Sunday, November 30th – vs. Memphis Grizzlies – 6:00 PM PT
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