The Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The absence of some key players hasn't stopped the Sacramento Kings from getting off to a quick start.

Vlade Divac had 24 points and nine assists as Sacramento beat the Memphis Grizzlies 116-99 Saturday night to improve to 3-0.

The Kings had little trouble with the Grizzlies despite playing without starters Mike Bibby and Chris Webber. The inside-outside tandem of Divac and Bobby Jackson did much of the damage as Sacramento built an 88-69 lead after three quarters and coasted the rest of the way.

"We are confident that if we play our game, we'll be in a good situation to win games," Divac said. "It doesn't matter who's playing, the system is really good."

Jackson scored 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field, and Hedo Turkoglu added 22 off the bench as six Sacramento players scored in double figures. Turkoglu scored 13 in the second quarter.

"(Jackson) is going to do that every night," said Webber, who missed his second game with an abdominal strain. "Every time we need him, he is right there for us."

Memphis is winless after three games, allowing at least 100 points in all three outings.

"On defense, you have to buckle down," coach Sidney Lowe said. "Our rotation was not good."

Peja Stojakovic finished with 13 points for Sacramento. Gerald Wallace and Keon Clark each scored 10, and Clark added a game-high 10 rebounds.

Pau Gasol, last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, led Memphis with 20 points. Gordan Giricek scored 14, and reserve Stromile Swift finished with 12.

The Kings erased an early Grizzlies advantage thanks to an 11-0 run midway through the second quarter that gave them a 55-49 lead at halftime. Divac had 15 points in the first half.

"All our effort in the first quarter was just wasted," Gasol said.

Divac did his damage by drawing fouls. By the break, four Memphis big men were saddled with at least three fouls, and rookie Drew Gooden was whistled for four in seven minutes.

"I feel like we could have come out a lot stronger than what we did," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "Our bench stepped it up, and I feel after the first quarter we were playing our game."

The Grizzlies committed 18 turnovers.

"We are not exactly in a good mood," Gasol said. "We have lost three in a row. We did not show a very good game out there. That is not the way to do things to get better as a unit, as a team."