Sacramento Kings vs Memphis Grizzlies Match Player Stats (Feb 23, 2026)

The Sacramento Kings vs Memphis Grizzlies match player stats from February 23, 2026 tell a story of paint dominance, opportunistic defense, and a breakout performance that Sacramento needed. The Kings took it 123-114 at FedExForum, with Precious Achiuwa dropping 22 points and 12 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan adding 19, and Daeqwon Plowden chipping in 19 off the bench. For Memphis, Javon Small led with 21 points, but it was not enough as Sacramento controlled the second half and pulled away.

Final Score and Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown

Memphis actually outscored Sacramento in the second quarter to grab a halftime edge, but the Kings responded and held the Grizzlies to just 25 points in the fourth. That fourth quarter swing was the defining stretch of the night.

Sacramento Kings Player Stats

Double-Doubles: Precious Achiuwa (22 PTS / 12 REB), Maxime Raynaud (10 PTS / 13 REB)

Memphis Grizzlies Player Stats

Team Stats Comparison

This is where the Kings separation becomes very clear. Sacramento was cleaner with the ball, more physical in the paint, and made Memphis pay every time the Grizzlies turned it over.

Achiuwa Took Over the Paint

Let’s be direct. Precious Achiuwa was the reason this game never really felt close in the second half.

He finished 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting with 12 rebounds, including 7 offensive boards. Those offensive rebounds translated into 10 second-chance points, and he converted 5 of 6 second-chance attempts. His true shooting percentage for the game sat at 67.4%. That is not a player quietly getting his, that is a forward actively breaking the opponent’s defensive scheme.

His points in the paint total alone was 20, on 10-of-14 inside attempts. Memphis simply had no answer for his physicality once he got rolling.

DeRozan and Plowden Provided the Supporting Cast

DeMar DeRozan was quietly lethal. He shot 7-of-9 from the field, all two-pointers, which is pure DeRozan. He added 2 steals and 2 blocks, which is not a line you see from him often. His true shooting percentage on the night was 81.6%, and he finished plus-1 in a game where several starters were in tighter plus-minus ranges.

Daeqwon Plowden came off the bench and went 6-of-12 from the field with 4 threes on 9 attempts, finishing with 19 points. He gave Sacramento shooting spacing that Memphis struggled to account for while Achiuwa was demanding attention in the post. For a player still carving out his role, this was a confidence-building performance.

Nique Clifford: 6 Steals, Defensive Standout

Clifford’s stat line looks like a misprint at first glance: 12 points, 6 assists, 6 steals on 5-of-8 shooting. Six steals. In one game.

He generated 10 points off turnovers directly from his activity. His defensive rating on the night was an eye-catching 94.99, meaning Memphis scored at a drastically lower rate when he was on the floor. His steal percentage of 9.74% was the highest among all players in this game by a wide margin.

If you are looking at the Sacramento Kings player stats from this game and trying to understand the defensive backbone, Clifford’s night is the answer.

Maxime Raynaud Quietly Put Up a Monster Rebound Night

Maxime Raynaud did not score eye-catching numbers, but 13 rebounds in a game is a number that shapes outcomes. His defensive rebound percentage of 38.06% was the highest in the game, and he added 4 offensive boards that kept Sacramento possessions alive.

For a center still developing his offensive footprint in the NBA, his efficiency around the basket (5-of-9, all inside) combined with that rebounding impact made him a genuine plus. He finished plus-10, one of the best marks on the Kings roster for the night.

Memphis Had the Assists, But the Turnovers Hurt

The Grizzlies actually led in assists, 33 to 30, which tells you their ball movement was functioning. But 18 turnovers against a Sacramento team that converted those into 18 points off turnovers was the gap that proved too wide.

Javon Small was the clear offensive bright spot for Memphis. He went 6-of-8 from the field, hitting 4 of 5 threes, and added 9 assists against just 1 turnover. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 9.0 was the best of any player in the game. He kept Memphis competitive but could not carry it alone.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper was extremely efficient at 77.8% from the field for 17 points, but his minus-12 highlighted how the overall team structure around him broke down. GG Jackson (16 points, 3 threes) also posted a minus-12, which reflects how that starting lineup struggled when matched against Sacramento’s second-unit energy.

Memphis Bench vs Sacramento Bench

This is a stat worth pausing on. Memphis actually won the bench points battle 56 to 41. But Sacramento’s bench gave them something different: steals, second-chance production, and paint access.

Plowden’s 19 points were the headline, but Clifford’s 6 steals and Raynaud’s rebounding came from bench minutes too. The Kings got production that influenced possessions, not just scoring.

Paint Control Was Sacramento’s Foundation

The Kings outscored Memphis in the paint 64 to 54. They attempted 53 paint shots and made 32, compared to Memphis going 48 attempts for 27 makes. Achiuwa was the centerpiece of that, but the commitment to interior scoring ran through the whole roster.

Sacramento also held a meaningful advantage at the rim: 70.0% conversion at the rim (21-of-30) compared to Memphis at 65.6% (21-of-32). Getting there more often and converting at a higher clip is how you build a 9-point final margin in a game where both teams shot reasonably well overall.

How This Game Fits Into the Bigger Picture

The Kings entered this game at Memphis on a losing skid, having been blown out by San Antonio the night before. This was a needed result. Sacramento is fighting for positioning in the Western Conference standings, and road wins against conference opponents carry weight.

For Memphis, this is part of a broader process. The Grizzlies are running a younger rotation in parts, with players like Javon Small, Rayan Rupert, and GG Jackson all under 25. They showed enough ball movement and physicality to make this a real game, but the fourth-quarter collapse, outscored 25 to 31, reflected some of the defensive attention to detail that comes with youth.

If you follow Western Conference basketball regularly, TopHill Sports covers these matchups and trends throughout the season.

Advanced Stats Snapshot

Sacramento’s 90% fast break conversion rate (9-of-10 attempts) is genuinely remarkable. When you convert at that rate in transition, you punish turnovers at a premium. Memphis converted just 7-of-15 on fast break opportunities at 46.7%, a significant gap that influenced the final margin more than the raw points totals suggest.

Key Takeaways From the Sacramento Kings vs Memphis Grizzlies Player Stats

• Precious Achiuwa was the story of this game. 22 and 12 on 66.7% shooting with 7 offensive boards is a performance that changes how opposing coaches prepare for him.
• Nique Clifford’s 6-steal night was one of the better individual defensive performances of the NBA season to this point. Generating 10 points off turnovers from steals alone changes a game’s flow completely.
• Maxime Raynaud has been a quietly effective piece for Sacramento. 13 rebounds with a 38% defensive rebound rate earns lineup trust.
• Javon Small is putting together a real case for himself as a long-term Grizzlies contributor. 21 points, 9 assists, 1 turnover on 75% shooting is a very good game even in a loss.
• Memphis’s 18 turnovers remain the defining number. Against a Sacramento team that converts turnovers into transition looks at elite rates, that is a recipe for a bad night.

Final Thoughts

The Sacramento Kings vs Memphis Grizzlies match player stats from February 23, 2026 reveal a game where Sacramento won the margins that matter most: second-chance points, fast break efficiency, paint dominance, and turnover conversion. DeRozan provided the mid-range reliability, Plowden gave them floor spacing, but Achiuwa’s physicality and Clifford’s defensive chaos were the difference-makers in a 123-114 Kings road win.

For Memphis, there is enough in Javon Small’s all-around output and the team’s 33 assists to build on. But until the turnover problem gets addressed, these types of final-quarter collapses will keep appearing in the box score.