Kiwi centre Steven Adams has equalled his career-best NBA rebounding performance to help Memphis Grizzlies overcome Sacramento Kings 118-108 at home.
Adams hauled down 23 rebounds - including 13 at the offensive end - and added 11 points, as his Grizzlies won their third straight game in four days. Over that stretch, Adams has averaged 11.7 points and 20.3 rebounds.
Guard Ja Morant led all scorers with 35 points for Memphis, who took control of the contest in the fourth quarter, with Adams converting an offensive board for an eight-point run that put his team 11 ahead.
"That's where [Adams] is at, down in the trenches,” said Morant. "I don't think anybody else is going to go down there and battle with him.
"He's a man among boys."
Responded Adams: "I don't know what that means, but yeah, in the trenches... in the bloody trenches."
With six minutes remaining, he scored from a dunk to give the Grizzlies their biggest lead of the game at 105-92 and then blocked a shot from Kings guard De'Aaron Fox, as the visitors tried to rally down the stretch.
This season, Adams, 29, is averaging 10.8 rebounds a game - the best of his 10-year NBA career - and leads the league with 4.9 offensive boards.
"This team, they struggle at the rim," said Adams of the Kings. “They have no rim protection, so that was our main goal - attack the paint, attack the paint.
"That's our goal in general. We're a big point-in-the-paint team."
Memphis currently lead the Southwest division with 23-13 record, second in the Western Conference behind Denver Nuggets (24-12), and next host Charlotte Hornets on Thursday (NZ time).
