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Grizzlies try to stay hot in Sacramento

Jan 29, 2014 - 3:21 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Memphis Grizzlies are starting to look like a playoff team again and will continue a three-game road trip Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena.

Memphis is unbeaten in its last four road games and has won three in a row overall and eight of its last nine games, including Tuesday's 98-81 victory over the tough Portland Trail Blazers.

Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge got his numbers with 27 points and 16 rebounds, but the Grizzlies were able to keep Portland's other big guns under control. Zach Randolph led the Grizzlies with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Mike Conley and Marc Gasol scored 19 and 15 points, respectively.

The Grizzlies shot 51.8 percent and are 6-1 since Gasol returned from a knee injury. The were 10-13 without Gasol in the lineup.

"We moved the basketball, we screened hard, we cut hard and it all looks good when the ball goes in," said Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger. "We made a lot of shots."

Joerger's team is 12-4 this season when Randolph leads the Grizzlies or shares the lead in scoring. Randolph has 27 double-doubles this season and 24 in the last 34 games played. He passed Pau Gasol for the all-time franchise record for double-doubles with 190.

Conley needs one more game to pass Rudy Gay for the all-time franchise record for games played (479).

Memphis, which is third in the NBA in opponents' scoring at 95.6 ppg, has a 13-5 record since Dec. 21 and all five losses in that span have come by single digits. It is 11-7 as the visitor and will close the road trip Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Grizzlies haven't reached 100 points in each of their last seven games and are averaging only 95.8 ppg this season.

Sacramento has lost four in a row and six of seven games, and dropped a 106-99 decision at Utah on Monday.

Jason Thompson led six players in double figures with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Derrick Williams added 17 points and 15 boards, Ben McLemore scored 14 and pulled down nine rebounds and Marcus Thornton added 11 points. Travis Outlaw and Isaiah Thomas finished with 10 points apiece for the Kings, who were without DeMarcus Cousins (sprained left ankle) and Rudy Gay (strained left Achilles) for the third straight game.

Cousins is questionable for Wednesday and Gay is expected to miss at least one to two weeks. Thomas is questionable versus the Grizzlies because of an illness and is averaging 21.0 ppg in his last 25 starts.

The Kings were outscored 31-20 in the third quarter after a 50-50 score at halftime.

"Something happened at halftime. I can't explain it," Kings head coach Mike Malone said. "We had no energy to start that third quarter."

Sacramento has scored 100 or more points in 13 straight home games and has a 9-15 record as the host. It will begin a Texas tour Friday against Dallas and San Antonio.

The Kings are 0-2 against the Grizzlies this season and winless in the previous six meetings between the teams. Memphis has a 15-4 record in the past 19 overall matchups with Sacramento and is unbeaten in three straight as the guest in this series.