Sacramento, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Marc Gasol filled the stat sheet with 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as Memphis almost squandered a 20- point lead but pulled away late to beat the Sacramento Kings, 97-86, from Sleep Train Arena.
"I don't try to get rebounds, I don't try to get assists, I don't try to get points, I try to win. That's how I play and how I always will play. I don't care about numbers," Gasol said.
Zach Randolph added 22 points and 10 rebounds on 9-of-12 from the field for Memphis, which won its second straight game to reach the .500 mark for the first time all season. Mike Conley tallied 19 points and nine assists while Tayshaun Prince pulled down nine boards.
Travis Outlaw provided a spark off the Kings' bench, dropping 18 points on 6- of-9 efficiency in just 16 minutes. Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Thornton netted 15 and 12 points, respectively, as the Kings lost for the seventh time in eight tries since an opening night victory against the Nuggets.
"We can't give forth the effort we were tonight if we want to compete against a team like that," Kings head coach Michael Malone said.
No Kings' starter scored in double figures.
The Grizzlies led 47-34 at halftime and pushed its lead to 20 just over five minutes into the second half. Conley's trey prompted a Kings' timeout and mass substitution, as Sacramento pulled all five of its starters.
The reserve unit came off the bench with energy and dominated for the remainder of the quarter. Outlaw and Thomas scored 11 and 8 points, respectively, in the period, while the Kings shot 5-of-8 from behind the arc as a team.
Thomas' driving layup with 2:34 left in the period capped a 14-3 surge and the Kings trailed by just nine after 36 minutes.
Sacramento kept its foot on the pedal into the fourth, scoring the first four points in the final frame with an Outlaw jumper and Hamady Ndiaye dunk.
Outlaw's triple at the 7:18 mark had the Kings back within three, but that is as close as they would get. Out of a timeout, Conley sparked a 7-0 burst with a short jumper and driving layup. Randolph scored consecutive baskets late to put it away.
Earlier, Jerryd Bayless scored seven points in less than three minutes of first quarter action as Memphis took a 25-18 lead after the first.
Gasol scored five straight late in the second and with 1:07 left, Conley hit a 3 for a 17-point Grizzlies' advantage. Thomas' layup with 1.8 on the clock made it 13 at intermission.
Game Notes
The Kings' reserves outscored their counterparts, 57-19 ... Memphis' four-game road-trip continues with a meeting against the Clippers on Monday while the Kings host Phoenix on Tuesday ... The Grizzlies shot 55.6 percent from the floor while Sacramento hit at a 37.9 percent clip.
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