Game Preview: Grizzlies At Kings

(AP) -- Already one of the NBA's best teams, the Memphis Grizzlies have risen to an elite level since the acquisition of Jeff Green.

The Sacramento Kings, on the other hand, continue to work through some transitional issues following the hiring of George Karl.

The Grizzlies look to win their third in a row Wednesday night in Sacramento, where they have dominated in recent years.

Memphis (41-14) has won 15 of 18 since Green made his debut Jan. 14, and the Grizzlies have been increasingly reliant on their new small forward.

Green led the team with nearly 35 minutes Monday, scoring 16 points with six rebounds in a 90-87 road win over the Clippers. He was a key component on defense as well, helping Memphis hold Los Angeles to its second-lowest point total this season.

"Jeff is an athletic guy who can go in and get engaged with rebounding when Zach (Randolph) and Marc (Gasol) are banging," coach David Joerger said. "Defensively, Jeff can guard bigger guys, bigger 3s, which has given us problems at times."

Green will match up Wednesday with Rudy Gay, who is averaging 20.0 points and a career-high 3.8 assists. He had 28 points as the Kings (19-35) beat visiting Boston 109-101 in Karl's debut Friday but shot 4 of 13 in a 126-99 road defeat to the Clippers the next night.

"Obviously I've played against him a lot. I know what kind of system he incorporated," Gay said following Karl's hire. "But playing against it and actually being a part of it, so we really have to get used to it and get better."

DeMarcus Cousins had 31 points and 15 rebounds against the Celtics, but he also struggled from the field in Los Angeles. Cousins was 6 of 19 as Sacramento's 34.1 shooting percentage was its second-worst of the season.

"This is a whole new playing style for this team, so I think fatigue kicked in," Cousins told the Kings' official website. "Our energy went down and we let them gain confidence and they just ran away with the game.

"The things we did (on Friday) night, we didn't do tonight."

Sacramento cannot afford another poor shooting performance against the Grizzlies, who lead the Western Conference with 16 wins since Jan. 11 and have allowed a league-best 91.3 points per game in that span.

The Kings have shot 47.6 percent and averaged 97.5 points in the first two matchups, but Memphis has won both behind 49.4 percent from the field and 104.0 points.

Cousins, the only player in the NBA averaging at least 20.0 points and 12.0 rebounds, finished with 22 and 12 in Memphis' 111-110 buzzer-beater win at home Nov. 13. He did not play in a 97-85 loss Nov. 30 in Sacramento, where he's scored 27.2 points per game in the last five.

Green had 29 points in his last trip to Sacramento as the Kings beat Boston 105-98 last Feb. 22.

Memphis has won its last five road games with the Kings and last nine matchups overall, holding Sacramento to an average of 88.7 points.

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