Minus Ja Morant, Grizzlies rout Kings
Dillon Brooks #24 of the Memphis Grizzlies handles the ball against Louis King #23 of the Sacramento Kings during the second half at FedExForum on November 28, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee. Justin Ford/Getty Images/AFP
Dillon Brooks scored 21 points and Desmond Bane added 18 as the Memphis Grizzlies led by as many as 37 in a 128-101 rout of the visiting Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
Jaren Jackson Jr. tallied 17 points and nine rebounds and Brandon Clarke added 15 points for Memphis, which led wire-to-wire in its first game since star guard Ja Morant suffered a sprained left knee in Friday’s loss to Atlanta.
Dillon Brooks splits the defense and throws it down 😤
He's leading the way for the @memgrizz with 21 PTS on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/5ekswLCtFD pic.twitter.com/m2wwuuS8e9
— NBA (@NBA) November 29, 2021
Bane made four 3-pointers and De’Anthony Melton scored 14 points to help the Grizzlies snap a two-game skid. Memphis shot 48.1 percent from the field while limiting Sacramento to 34 percent.
Buddy Hield scored 14 points and Terence Davis 13 to lead Sacramento, which fell to 2-2 under interim coach Alvin Gentry. De’Aaron Fox added 12 points and Davion Mitchell had 11 points and six assists.
Memphis scored 11 straight points to open the game and held a 38-25 advantage after the first quarter.
The Grizzlies’ sizzling start carried over into the second quarter. Mitchell hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 44-35 with 9:36 left before Memphis responded with a 23-9 run to move ahead 67-44.
Brooks and Bane had 15 points apiece in the first half for the Grizzlies, who took a 76-52 lead into the break after shooting 55.4 percent from the field and outscoring the Kings 46-16 in the paint.
After Gentry pulled his starters early in the third quarter, Memphis remained in control and scored 12 straight points to lead 98-61 with 6:09 left in the period.
The Grizzlies held a commanding 106-74 lead at the end of three quarters, and both coaches sat their starters in the final period.
Chimezie Metu recorded eight points and 11 rebounds for the Kings, who were outscored 72-36 in the paint.
Memphis point guard Tyus Jones started in place of Morant and finished with six points and eight assists in 24 minutes.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said before Sunday’s game that Morant is expected to be out at least “a couple of weeks.”
Sacramento shot 9 of 42 (21.4 percent) from 3-point range and played without injured starters Harrison Barnes (foot) and Richaun Holmes (eye).
