Sabonis ties Sacramento-era franchise record for rebounds in Kings’ win over Grizzlies

It didn’t go the way the Kings might have preferred or expected given the circumstances surrounding the injury depleted Memphis Grizzlies, but Sacramento extended its winning streak to four games Monday at FedEx Forum with a 103-94 victory in the third game of their longest road trip of the season.

Domantas Sabonis made history with his rebounding and De’Aaron Fox tied a personal mark in 3-point shooting, while the Kings improved to 27-18 overall and 13-10 on the road. They continue to hold the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies remain well outside the playoff picture at 18-30.

It was a game the Kings had to grind out because Memphis’ roster — littered with bench players and some battling for their NBA futures while their stars, including Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, are out with injuries — forced Sacramento to play in the mud.

“We told them before (the game), multiple times,” head coach Mike Brown said, “Hey, this is a dangerous group. They won three of their last four ... and it’s because they have a lot of guys that just play extremely hard. And in their minds, this is their opportunity, and they’re hungry to show that they belong in the league.”

Despite their slew of injuries, the Grizzlies held opponents to 104.5 points on 46% shooting over their last four games.

“They have nothing to lose because everybody’s quote-unquote writing them off,” Brown said.

With that, however, the Grizzlies’ offense struggled, shooting 37.5% from the floor. They made just 4 for 28 from the 3-point line after starting out hot in the first quarter. It helped Sabonis feast on the boards. David Roddy, a 6-foot-4 forward, led Memphis with 10 rebounds while Jaren Jackson Jr. had just three.

Sabonis tied Chris Webber’s Sacramento-era franchise record with 26 rebounds. Webber had 26 in an overtime game in January 2001. Additionally, the NBA’s leading rebounder extended his double-double streak to 28 games in the first half.

“It’s huge for us because he’s one of the few bigs in this league that can bring the ball up,” Fox said. “So, when he’s able to get rebounds, he has a chance to outlet it or he can start the (fastbreak) himself. So it helps our offense move a lot faster when he’s getting rebounds.

“He’s not the most athletic, but he’s strong, he’s smart — positioning, he’s able to pin guys under the basket. There’s a lot more that goes into rebounding than just athleticism.”

Sabonis leads the NBA, averaging 13.0 rebounds per game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert (12.5) and Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis (12.1). Of the league’s top 10 rebounders, only two-time MVP Nikola Jokic averages more assists (8.9 to Sabonis’ 7.9).

“I can’t tell all the secrets,” Sabonis said when asked about the keys to his rebounding. “But positioning yourself in the right position when you know guys are going to shoot. There’s no point of staying in the same space, you got to start your work early. ... Also, we shot 28% from 3, so that helped with the offensive rebounds.”

Sabonis on Monday added 20 points and five assists. His 41 double-doubles lead the NBA. Fox scored 23 points with five rebounds and four assists. Kevin Huerter added 17 points and led Sacramento with three made 3-pointers.

To Sabonis’ point, the Kings didn’t hit their first 3-pointer until Malik Monk made one early in the second quarter. The road team was outscored by 21 points from the 3-point line in the first quarter while Memphis made 7 of 10. Sacramento started 0 for 10 from long distance and fell down by 15 after one quarter.

Fox tied his career high for 3-pointers made in a season with 119 in just 39 games, a mark he reached in 73 games last season. It was initially ruled that Fox had two 3s b,ut one was later taken away and counted as a two-point basket.

The Grizzlies only had one of their usual starters available, Jackson, who finished with 22 points. Santi Aldama was their second-leading scorer with 16 points. The Grizzlies were on the second end of a back-to-back after losing in Indiana on Sunday. That snapped a three-game winning streak that included victories on the road against Toronto and Miami and a home win over the Orlando Magic, in which the Grizzlies played tough defense.

Memphis’ roster has been tattered by injuries with Morant out for the year with a shoulder injury suffered early this month. The Grizzlies were also missing Steven Adams (knee), Bane (ankle), Marcus Smart (finger), Brandon Clarke (Achilles), Luke Kennard (knee), John Konchar (ankle), Derrick Rose (hamstring), Vince Williams Jr. (knee) and Zaire Williams (hand).

Sacramento outscored Memphis by 19 points over the second and third quarters. The Grizzlies regained the lead in the fourth quarter and led by four with 4:43 remaining, but the Kings finished on a 15-2 run to secure the win.