Edey dominated with a career-high 32 points and five blocks, driving a crucial late-game run to secure the Grizzlies' third straight win.
Zach Edey delivered the most dominant performance of his young NBA career on Sunday night, piling up 32 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks as the Memphis Grizzlies closed out a 115–107 win over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.
It was a breakthrough evening for the second-year center, who set new career highs in scoring and blocks while anchoring a Memphis team that continues to gain traction on its longest winning streak of the season.
Edey made 16 of his 20 field-goal attempts, scoring exclusively at the rim in a game that never saw him attempt a 3 or reach the free-throw line. But his most important stretch came late, when he scored all six points during a decisive run that erased Sacramento’s brief fourth-quarter lead.
“I feel like everybody's been playing really good basketball, executing the game plan and the vision,” Edey said. “We’re controlling the paint every game… I think that’s the style of play we always want.”
The Grizzlies led most of the night, but the Kings surged ahead 103–102 with 4:51 remaining after a Keegan Murray floater. That only set the stage for Edey’s takeover.
First came a go-ahead finish off a Jaren Jackson Jr. feed. Moments later, Edey muscled in a putback to widen the cushion. And with 2:16 left, he punctuated the push by hammering home a lob from Vince Williams Jr., stretching the lead to 108–103 and swinging the momentum for good.
Memphis never relinquished control from there. Cedric Coward added a crucial layup in the final minutes, and Edey sealed the win with another dunk to complete the signature night of his career.
When asked how he’s elevated his game, Edey pointed to his comfort level.
“Feeling real comfortable… kind of settling in a little bit. Feel like I'm back at Purdue a little bit — just comfortable,” he said.
While Edey powered the interior, Memphis balanced the floor with contributions from across the roster. Cam Spencer scored 16 points, Jaylen Wells added 15, and both Jackson Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 13. Coward also provided 10 points and seven rebounds as Memphis dominated the glass 52–34.
Williams, despite missing all eight of his shot attempts, handed out a team-high seven assists and helped facilitate much of the late-game offense.
Spencer credited the team’s improving cohesion as a key factor in the win.
“We've just gotten more connected as we've gone on,” he said. “We’ve come together down the stretch and found a way to win games, which is what you need to do in the NBA.”
He also shrugged off a heated moment with Russell Westbrook, who jawed at him during a box-out battle.
“I’m a competitor, man. I’m not gonna back down from anybody,” Spencer said. “Two competitors going for a basketball… nothing dirty about it.”
Wells echoed the team-wide momentum Memphis is building.
“Feels good to win… just showing that what we're doing is working,” he said. “Definitely a big-time impact” from Edey on both ends.
Sacramento, trying to halt a two-game skid, briefly surged ahead late but couldn’t overcome Memphis’ control of the paint and the boards. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 23 points, while Malik Monk added 21. Zach LaVine scored 19, Murray finished with 12, and Precious Achiuwa added 11 points and seven rebounds.
Westbrook contributed seven assists, six rebounds and two steals, but Memphis held him to a frustrating 1-for-10 shooting night.
The Kings were outshot across the board, finishing at 45.7 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from deep.
Head coach Tuomas Iisalo pointed to Edey’s matchup advantage and the team’s interior play as the backbone of the victory.
“He had a big size advantage inside, and we went to him early and often… our guys kept finding him on that front rim,” Iisalo said. “That opened up shooting opportunities for the other guys too.”
But Iisalo emphasized that the win — and the three-game sweep of the road trip — was months in the making.
“We started the season in a little bit chaotic circumstances,” he said, citing early injuries and lineup instability. “Our guys have just put their heads down and kept working day to day… these types of wins bring a lot of belief in the work we’re doing.”
The Grizzlies now sit at 3–0 on their road trip with a chance to complete a perfect four-game sweep. As Wells put it:
“The goal is to go four-and-oh… it’s a very important game for us — as far as gelling together and knowing what we're doing is working.”
For Edey, who has delivered five massive performances in his last six outings, the formula isn’t complicated.
“Since I've been back, I think we've been playing great… taking away the paint, executing on offense, getting into actions every possession,” he said.
Memphis is finding its identity — and on Sunday night, it found its most dominant version of Zach Edey yet.