SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Malik Monk scored 31 points, DeMar DeRozan added 29 and the Sacramento Kings beat the Memphis Grizzlies 138-130 on Friday night.
De’Aaron Fox added 23 points for the Kings, who won their third in a row.
Jaylen Wells had 30 and Jarren Jackson Jr. scored 28 for the Grizzlies.
The Kings led 78-72 the half, and 102-100 after three quarters. The Grizzlies took a 110-109 lead on Scottie Pippen Jr.'s two free throws at the 7:56 mark of the fourth quarter.
But the Kings went on a 20-10 run to regain the lead capped with a 3-pointer by Monk with 4:21 remaining.
Zach Edey returned from a two-game absence due to a concussion and had nine points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Ja Morant (right AC joint strain) and Marcus Smart (right index finger) did not play. Keegan Murray missed his second straight game for the Kings (left ankle soreness).
Kings guard Devin Carter, the son of Grizzlies assistant coach Anthony Carter, made his debut with the team in the first quarter. The No. 13 overall selection in the 2024 draft out of Providence underwent left shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum last July.
Kings: Dished out 21 assists in the first half. Three players had four or more.
Grizzlies: Down by 15 points early in the third quarter, the Grizzlies surged back to tie the game 100-all on two free throws by Jackson with 1:27 left in the quarter.
The teams combined for 150 points in the first half. The Kings made 29 of 59 shots from the field (52.7%) while the Grizzlies knocked down 26 of 50 shots (52%).
The teams made 17 3-pointers combined in the first quarter. The Kings were 10 of 18 while the Grizzlies made 7 of 11.
The Kings travel to San Francisco to play the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. The Grizzlies end their five-game road stretch at the Warriors on Saturday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) reaches for a rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento, Calif., Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) pleads with an official after a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento, Calif., Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis, left, is guarded by Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk, left, drives past Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells, center, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tanner McKee threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns in a game full of backups to help the Philadelphia Eagles tune up for the postseason with a 20-13 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday.
The NFC East champion Eagles (14-3) are the No. 2 seed in the conference and will host Green Bay next weekend in a wild-card game.
With making a run at the Super Bowl a priority, the Eagles rested their core starters, notably running back Saquon Barkley, quarterback Jalen Hurts, wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and offensive linemen Landon Dickerson and Lane Johnson.
Barkley lost his shot at breaking Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record. Barkley finished the season with 2,005 yards rushing, 101 yards shy of breaking Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards set with the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.
While the prudent was move, there was some disappointment in Philly that Barkley didn’t get a chance at breaking the record, especially against the team that let him go at the end of last season.
“Would have broke the record in the first quarter,” former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook wrote on social media.
Any doubt that coach Nick Sirianni made the right move to play it safe was erased about 750 miles away in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Packers wide receiver Christian Watson was carted into the locker room and quarterback Jordan Love hurt his throwing elbow in a game against Chicago.
Hurts might not have played anyway after the franchise QB spent a second straight week in the NFL concussion protocol. He missed the last two games. Kenny Pickett started last week against Dallas but hurt his ribs, opening the door for 2023 sixth-round draft pick McKee to start in a half-empty Lincoln Financial Field.
McKee impressed with a pair of touchdown passes in garbage time last week against Dallas and opened strong against the Giants.
McKee completed all three passes for 48 yards on the first drive and hit Ainias Smith for a 15-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. He threw a 7-yard TD pass to E.J. Jenkins in the fourth for a 17-3 lead.
The game may have been meaningless to the Eagles, but not to McKee. The 24-year-old threw for 190 yards in the first half in what was essentially his first real audition to unseat Pickett next season as the backup quarterback.
With Barkley sitting out, the Eagles rushed for only 51 yards in a game with fairly muted play-calling.
Tight end Dallas Goedert had four catches for 55 yards in his return from a knee injury. Goedert missed the last four games and his return is a needed boost ahead of the postseason.
The Giants saw their bid for the No. 1 draft pick take a serious blow when they upset Indianapolis last week, and it officially ended when Cleveland lost Saturday to Baltimore.
Both the Browns and Giants are 3-14, but New York's Week 3 win in Cleveland was the tiebreaker.
Wide receiver Malik Nabers had five catches to finish with 109 overall and top Steve Smith for the season franchise record. Smith had 107 receptions in 2009.
Drew Lock, just 22 of 29 for 138 yards passing, hit Nabers for a 45-yard touchdown in the fourth that cut the deficit to 17-10.
Jake Elliott missed a 39-yarder on a windy day and connected on a 24-yard field goal to send the Eagles into halftime with a 10-3 lead. He added a 32-yarder in the fourth.
Graham Gano kicked a 25-yard field goal for the Giants in the third quarter and added a 53-yarder in the fourth that made it 17-13.
The Eagles get set to play a home playoff game against the Packers while the Giants face an uncertain offseason.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
New York Giants wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (17) runs with the ball during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
A Philadelphia Eagles' fan watches action during the second half of an NFL football game between the Eagles and the New York Giants Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
New York Giants tight end Chris Manhertz (85) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles safety Tristin McCollum (36) and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Oren Burks (42) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
Philadelphia Eagles tight end E.J. Jenkins (84) scores a touchdown past New York Giants safety Dane Belton (24) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) catches the ball before scoring a touchdown past Philadelphia Eagles safety Tristin McCollum (36) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) catches the ball before scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
Actor Bradley Cooper watches action during the second half of an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee chases a loose snap during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee (16) throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley poses for photos with kids before an NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee (16) throws to Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Ainias Smith for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee warms up before an NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
