Vince Williams Jr. may not be Babe Ruth in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, but he called his shot.

The Memphis Grizzlies wing turned point guard saw film from the loss against the San Antonio Spurs from Nov. 18. What stood out more than anything was his missed playmaking opportunities with center Zach Edey.

After morning shootaround on Nov. 20 ahead of the game against the Sacramento Kings, Williams vowed to do a better job of getting Edey the ball. It only took a little more than three minutes of game action for Williams to come through on his declaration.

Not only did Williams find Edey, but he found Santi Aldama, Jaylen Wells and several other Grizzlies players while totaling a career-high 15 assists.

His performance led to Memphis setting a new franchise record with 42 assists in a 137-96 win over the Kings at FedExForum.

Memphis (5-11) snapped a five-game losing streak with the win. After the game, Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo told players that no team deserved this win more than them.

“We’ve been working very hard trying to figure this thing out, and everybody is being stretched to the limit,” Iisalo said. “It’s great to see a day when everything just clicks and you play great as a collective.”

Aldama led the Grizzlies with 29 points, tying his career high. Jock Landale added 21 points off the bench, and Memphis outrebounded the Kings 49-32.

Before the game, Aldama said he was having trouble sleeping at times because of all the losing. Memphis had lost eight of nine games before beating the Kings (3-13).

“I’m going to sleep way better than I have been,” Aldama said. “Good one. It feels good to be back in the winning column.”

Vince Williams Jr. keeps it simple

Williams made the game simple. He knew that pick-and-roll opportunities with Edey would likely lead to him feeding the 7-foot-3 target or Aldama being open on the backside for a 3-pointer. He dissected the Kings defense and easily surpassed his previous career high of nine assists. He added four points and five rebounds.

Williams’ 15 assists fell short of the individual franchise record of 19. In the first half, he totaled nine assists. He tailed off in the last two quarters, but that wasn’t the plan.

“I was going for 20 (assists),” Williams said. “I wanted 20. At least 16, but honestly, it felt good. My teammates made me look good tonight.”

A big playmaking performance from Williams can go a long way for Memphis. The Grizzlies are currently without all four of their rostered point guards due to injuries.

“I said it earlier, you got to get the big dog the big dog the ball,” Williams said, referring to Edey. “I missed him a lot in San Antonio, so honestly, just go out there, try to get him going, and then Santi wide open in the corner if he’s going.”

Zach Edey’s impact

Edey’s impact has been felt since his return from the ankle surgery he underwent in June. In his third game of action, he totaled 16 points and made all seven of his field goal attempts, including one 3-pointer.

The rebounding impact is often discussed, but Edey’s ability to command attention on offense and defense has opened up space and opportunities for his teammates.

“When he’s out there, it’s way easier,” Edey said. “He’s such a big target. If they guard me, he’s going to be open. If not, I’m going to be even more open.”

Jahmai Mashack’s moment

Memphis had so many highlight moments as a team. There was GG Jackson’s bounce pass to Edey that led to a thunderous dunk, Cedric Coward’s full-court pass to Aldama and several more moments, but most Grizzlies players highlighted rookie Jahmai Mashack’s first career points as the most memorable.

Mashack entered the game in the fourth quarter, making his NBA debut. The former Tennessee standout wasted little time knocking down a corner 3-pointer for his first career points, then he added another 3-pointer for good measure.

Teammates made sure Mashack got the game ball to take home. Iisalo presented it to him in the locker room after the game.

“I was going out there wanting to make sure I was kind of like a little warm,” Mashack said. “My anxiety kind of took over — I kind of got amped up, but I had to call myself down. I was just telling myself first time I touch the ball, if I’m open, shoot it. That’s what I’ve worked on all the time.”

The game ball from today. It’s going home with Jahmai Mashack after he scored his first career NBA points. His teammates were thrilled for him after the game. Jock Landale told John Konchar to get the ball, and Tuomas Iisalo gave it to Mashack in the locker room. pic.twitter.com/r3GUUJElW6

— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) November 21, 2025

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.