Preview: Grizzlies vs Kings

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Tonight your Memphis Grizzlies return home to FedEx Forum to face off against the Sacramento Kings.

It’s been a frustrating week for the team and fans alike, as the Grizzlies have lost three consecutive games by double digits, two of which were blowouts on their home court, all three against championship contenders. There is no way to sugar coat the fact that the Grizzlies have not played their best basketball lately, in fact they are playing some of their worst basketball of the season. The effort against the Spurs last night was improved but still not anywhere near what we have come to expect from this team.

There are six games left in the regular season after tonight’s game, including one final meeting with the Thunder, Golden State, and the Clippers, respectively. After our loss in San Antonio last night, the Grizzlies have slipped behind the Rockets and into the number 3 spot for playoff seeding.

While there is still a chance to regain it, it requires us to win games and Houston to lose some, which is the opposite of what has been happening lately.
With the end of the regular season fast approaching, time is running out for the Grizzlies to right the ship. As the rankings currently stand, Memphis as the 3rd seed would face San Antonio as the 6th in the first round of the playoffs. For obvious reasons this would be less than optimal.

Back to the present, the Kings will be without center DeMarcus Cousins tonight, and the Grizzlies will yet again be without Tony Allen, who did not play last night as well due to a hamstring strain.
This most likely means Reggie Evans will start in place of Cousins, and Evans has given us trouble in the past. Also in the trouble category would be Ben McLemore, and of course former Memphis PF Rudy Gay. Rudy always seems to want to have a monster game anytime he returns to the FedEx Forum as an opponent, and tonight will likely not be any exception.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Grizzlies really need to play hard tonight and come away with a win, and they need to see a dominant Marc Gasol spearheading that effort. Marc has been noticeably passive in the last several games, especially compared to the first part of the season.

Zach Randolph can and should be a strong offensive presence for the team, but with Mike Conley and Courtney Lee both struggling, someone else is going to need to step up.

This is where we need to see Marc showing us why he’s an All Star, and why he is deserving of a max contract. I have complete faith in his ability to do this, and hopefully tonight we will see him come out of whatever slump he seems to be in.

Tip-off is at 7 PM, so we won’t have much longer to wait and see how it will shake out.

Aimee Stiegemeyer
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