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The NBA is about making adjustments. At the start of the season, the teams struggled to understand the Kings and their frantic pace, but the Memphis Grizzlies had a game plan and forced Sacramento to make many mistakes in their 112-104 victory on Friday night.
It was a game of contrasting styles. Memphis came in last night in the NBA, while the Kings placed first, leading the league with 105.3 possessions every 48 minutes.
"You know how they're going to play, you're trying to speed them up," Kings goalkeeper De'Aaron Fox told reporters in Memphis after the match. "You may be able to speed them up for three or four minutes, but they will do what they are going to do. They will slow down the game, they will go into their sets and they will execute. "
After losing to Sacramento three weeks ago, the Grizzlies forced the Kings into a methodical game, and the Kings struggled. They forced the action too often and were careless with the ball.
"They were locked up, they were physical, they attacked us," said Kings coach Dave Joerger about the Grizzlies. "They forced 21 turnovers. It's too much, too much for us.
Turnovers were the star of the night, especially late in the game. Fox led the team with six mistakes, but he was not the only one to give up. The Kings finished the night with 21 turnovers, including five in the fourth quarter while the game was on the line.
"It's hard to play against such a team," Fox said. "They play so slowly. They get what they want, they get where they want. I just think the turnarounds hurt us.
The Kings have had many opportunities. After being led 87-78 in the fourth quarter, Sacramento earned less than two points ahead on three points. But the experience of the Grizzlies has shown and they have found a way to curb the tide.
"It's a team of veterans, they have already lived everything," said Fox. "We did not run and they responded very well. We gave ourselves a chance to win and then shot ourselves in the foot with turnovers. "
While Fox struggled to keep the ball, he was still leading the Kings with 23 points, 10 assists and four rebounds.
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Buddy Hield added 16 points, but he played less than two minutes in the fourth quarter. After the match, Hield told reporters he did not know why.
It's a long season, but Sacramento is in most contests. Although no one likes to lose, it seems to have slipped under the skin of young kings.
"We had the game in our hands, that's what the game sometimes shows you," said Hield. "But that's what it is. You must suck and go from the front. It's the NBA. "
Kings must have short memories. They will be back on the pitch on the second night of a Saturday in Houston against the Rockets. This is another opportunity to win and another opportunity for the Kings to show that they can compete with the best in the league.
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