Memphis Dismantles Sacramento 136-105 Behind Boozer's Rookie Masterclass
Memphis handed Sacramento a 31-point beating, 136-105, in a game that stopped being competitive before halftime. Cameron Boozer posted 27 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block — and he looks every bit like the real thing.
Sacramento actually drew first blood. De'Andre Hunter drained a 24-foot three with Domantas Sabonis assisting at 10:52 of the first quarter, and back-to-back buckets pushed the Kings to a 7-0 lead before Memphis blinked. That Hunter triple was the biggest win-probability swing of the night — home win probability dipped from 77% to 73% — which tells you everything about how lopsided this game ultimately became. Memphis answered with a 27-11 run to close the quarter, Boozer leading the charge with a driving layup, a tip shot, and a 23-foot three. Isaiah Stewart piled on with a three, a two, and a pair of free throws. By the time GG Jackson buried a 25-footer with 1:42 left in the first, Memphis was up 27-15 and Sacramento was already chasing.
The second quarter was where Memphis buried the Kings for good. GG Jackson opened it with back-to-back threes — a 25-footer and a 22-footer — and Cam Spencer added a 25-foot running pullup to push the lead to 47-29. Darius Acuff Jr. tried to keep Sacramento alive, rattling off a 24-foot three and a 25-foot running jumper in quick succession to trim it to 36-29, but Memphis responded immediately. Jackson hit two more threes, Spencer added another, and Stewart converted inside to make it 49-29. The Kings managed just 30 points through the first half of the second quarter's scoring sequence. Sacramento never got within striking distance again.
Acuff Jr. finished with 38 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists for Sacramento — a genuinely impressive individual line on a night his team got run off the floor. Hunter added 19 points, 3 rebounds, and a steal. But the story of the night was Memphis's collective depth. Boozer (27 pts, 9 reb), Stewart (24 pts, 4 reb), Jackson (21 pts, 3 reb), and Grant (14 pts, 2 blk) all hit double figures, and Cam Spencer was a constant thorn as a facilitator. Four Sacramento players — Leaky Black, Adam Flagler, Micah Peavy, and Walter Clayton Jr. — were listed as DNPs by coach's decision, which appears to have thinned a rotation that was already overmatched. Memphis looks like a team with real frontcourt depth and perimeter shooting that can punish you from multiple angles — a dangerous combination this early in the season.