Grizzlies beat Sacramento 129-125, send Kings to their season-worst 10th straight loss

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Cam Spencer hit three key baskets late in the fourth quarter and finished with 20 points, and Ty Jerome added 28 as the Memphis Grizzlies beat Sacramento 129-125 on Wednesday night, sending the Kings to their season-worst 10th straight loss.

Spencer hit a 3-pointer with 2:08 remaining in the fourth to give Memphis a 122-118 lead. After GG Jackson hit a jumper, Spencer added a 16-foot jumper with 43 seconds left to keep the margin at four points. After the Kings pulled within a point on DeMar DeRozan's 3, Spencer hit a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to restore the four-point lead and help seal the win.

Jaylen Wells scored 18 points, Jackson added 16 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 15 as Memphis won its second straight. Santi Aldama, back in the lineup after missing four game with a right knee injury, had 12 points and six rebounds.

The Grizzlies were playing their first game since trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday in an eight-player, three-draft-pick deal. Memphis has also been engaged in talks about moving star guard Ja Morant. The trade deadline is Thursday afternoon.

Domantas Sabonis scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half and added 15 rebounds for the Kings, whose last victory came on Jan. 16 against Washington, the final game of a four-game win streak.

DeRozan scored 20 points, Nique Clifford added 14, and Russell Westbrook and Malik Monk had 13 points apiece. Zach LaVine scored 11 and Devin Carter 10 for Sacramento, which also had losing streaks of seven and eight games earlier this season.

Westbrook moved into 14th place on the NBA’s career scoring list with a 3-pointer at the 10:06 mark of the first quarter. He moved past Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946) and has 26,597 career points. Elvin Hayes ranks 13th with 27,313.

De’Andre Hunter, who was acquired by the Kings in a trade with Cleveland on Saturday, started in his Sacramento debut. He hit his first attempt, a 3-pointer, and finished with nine points.

Grizzlies: At Portland on Friday and Saturday night.

Kings: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

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Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (7) shoots a three point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Justine Willard)

Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis reacts after a basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Justine Willard)

Memphis Grizzlies forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper (18) is fouled by Sacramento Kings center Dylan Cardwell during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Justine Willard)

Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) shoots over Memphis Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer (24) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Justine Willard)

Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) and Sacramento Kings forward De'Andre Hunter fight for the rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Justine Willard)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Darius Garland could not have been more in transition than he was Wednesday night on his first day with his new team.

Officially traded earlier in the day from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Los Angeles Clippers for 11-time All-Star James Harden, Garland talked about his upheaval during halftime of Wednesday’s game between his current and former teams.

“I knew about it. It wasn’t a shock, though,” the two-time All-Star said. “It’s the business of basketball. Cleveland was great to me and my family, and I have respect for all of those guys over there. ... Seven years was a really long time, and it was great. I’m glad I’m here now. The next chapter in my book.”

Garland has been out since Jan. 16 with a big toe sprain on his right foot, and the Clippers have no timetable for his debut. But coach Tyronn Lue expects to implement a new game plan once the 26-year-old point guard is on the floor. Garland said he’s ready to go and waiting for the OK to play.

“He’s different from James and we can play different with a faster pace,” Lue said. “We can play him off the ball more. It’s going to be exciting. I’ve known DG for a while and having a young point guard under my tutelage, I think it’s the first time I have had one since Kyrie (Irving).”

Garland to play more than 70 games just once in his seven seasons because of injuries. He's on pace to play 42 games this season.

Garland’s uncertain availability, and the Cavaliers' need to get star Donovan Mitchell more scoring help, motivated Cleveland to swap their young floor leader for Harden, who is 10 years older.

Cleveland got the scorer it needed, and one who can also run the point, while the Clippers managed to get younger as they head toward an offseason without a first-round draft pick.

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson called Garland one of his favorite players. Yet that bond was not tight enough to prevent the deal for Harden, an 11-time All-Star and the player with the second-most 3-pointers in NBA history.

“Those are the toughest calls you have to make, but he goes up on my favorites list,” Atkinson said. “I’m going to miss him. We had a great relationship.”

Atkinson seemed to take comfort in handing Garland off to Lue, who is known for getting the most out of his players.

“Ty is going to be great for Darius,” Atkinson said. “Ty was a point guard himself and understands the position. You know, my relationship with Darius, and to lose it, is kind of a tough day. But the positive is that he is coming to the Clippers and he will be with Ty. I expect him to be great here and I’m rooting for him.”

It might not have been the change Garland was looking, for but he was starting to embrace the possibilities of teaming with Kawhi Leonard.

“I hope T-Lue uses me like he did Kyrie in that championship run they had (in Cleveland),” said Garland, whose father Winston Garland played 1 1/2 seasons with the Clippers in the early 1990s. “But whatever T-Lue wants me to be, whatever position he wants me to be in, I’m going to do that. I’m here to win games.”

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Los Angeles Clippers' Darius Garland speaks at a news conference during halftime of an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliers after he was traded from the Cavaliers, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Clippers' Darius Garland speaks at a news conference during halftime of an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliers after he was traded from the Cavaliers, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)