The Memphis Grizzlies will face the Sacramento Kings on March 18 at the Golden 1 Center Arena. This will be the third meeting between the two teams this season, with the Kings winning the first two. Their most recent 103-94 win was on January 29. Domantas Sabonis scored 20 points, 26 rebounds and five assists in that game. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 22 points, three rebounds and two assists for the Grizzlies. The Kings have an all-time lead of 56-49 against the Grizzlies.
Preview
The Grizzlies have one of the best young rosters in the NBA, but their record this season has been disappointing. Injuries have also played a role in derailing Memphis, as they are currently in 13th place in the Western Conference with almost no chance of qualifying for the playoffs. Moreover, they are on a two-game losing streak, with their most recent 118-112 defeat against the OKC Thunder.
The Kings are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference and are 5-5 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a 98-91 loss against the New York Knicks on Saturday. Sabonis scored 21 points and 14 rebounds, while De’Aaron Fox had 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
Starting lineup
The Grizzlies are lacking players right now due to injuries and will be without Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, Derrick Rose, Brandon Clarke and Ziaire Williams. Scottie Pippen Jr., Lamar Stevans, Yuta Watanabe and Vince Williams Jr. are out as well.
Memphis is expected to start with Desmond Bane, Jake LaRavia, Jaren Jackson Jr., John Konchar and Santi Aldama.
The Kings will be without Trey Lyles and Sasha Vezenkov. They will most likely start with De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis.
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Prediction
The Kings are favored to defeat the Grizzlies on Monday. Sacramento has the home court advantage, so they should also cover the spread with the win. The game is expected to be high-scoring, with the team total surpassing the 224.5-point mark.
