With 5:31 left in the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies trailed by four points and the FedExForum crowd was on its feet after a Jonas Valanciunas putback layup.

Fans screamed as Valanciunas and Sacramento’s Harry Giles III engaged in a brief, no-harm, double-technical, scrum. As the play was being reviewed, Ja Morant stood by the scorer’s table and raised his arms and implored fans to give even more.

“C’mon,” Morant said. “We need “Y’all.”

Almost more than the fans could know.

On Friday night when Dillon Brooks shook off his shooting woes and scored a season-high 32 points, Morant posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 assists, and Valanciunas grabbed a career-high 25 rebounds while scoring 13 points, it still was not enough to win.

The Grizzlies tumbled to their fifth straight loss, falling 104-101 to the Kings. With Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke sidelined by injuries, the Grizzlies’ lack of depth was, again, too much to overcome.

Coach Taylor Jenkins, seeing a chance to grab a victory – the Grizzlies won the fourth quarter 26-23, if not the game – rode Brooks for 40 minutes before he fouled out with 4.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Morant played 35 minutes.

“We needed every minute from those guys,” Jenkins said.

The Grizzlies gave themselves a chance when with 16.4 seconds left, Josh Jackson went to the floor and stole the ball from Harrison Barnes. Jackson managed to flip the ball out of traffic to De’Anthony Melton, who while stumbling rolled the ball to Morant.

Ja then did what Ja does: He went on a quick-twitch acrobatic drive and hit a layup with 10.9 seconds left, and got fouled. When he made the free throw, the Grizzlies were only down a point: 102-101.

Brooks then had to chase down Buddy Hield and foul to keep the clock from running out. Brooks fouled out and Hield hit both free throws with 4.4 seconds remaining. Tyus Jones replaced Brooks and missed a contested 3-pointer as time expired.

They were that close.

Point guard De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 25 points and five assists. Giles scored 16 points, Hield 14, and forward Nemanja Bjelica produced 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Waiting on deck here Saturday night: the Los Angeles Lakers.

“It’s over. We lost,” Morant said, when asked how the Grizzlies would move on so quickly. “It’s out the window. Turn the page.”

A better beginning wasted …

Slow starts were a problem on the recent road trip. The Grizzlies rectified that, getting off to an 18-7 start midway through the first quarter. Brooks had 13 points after a quarter and Valanciunas already had grabbed 12 rebounds.

But after leading by as many as 12 points in the first quarter, the Kings led 50-47 at halftime and when Brooks fouled Hield with 0.8 seconds left before halftime and he hit both free throws, it almost felt like more than a two-point play.

The Kings won the second quarter 29-17 and lived at the free-throw line, making 9 of 12 shots.

“We can’t foul,” Morant said. “It doesn’t allow us to get out in transition.”

JV’s big night on the boards

Valanciunas notched his 28th double-double of the season. His 12 boards in the first quarter is tied for the most in a single quarter by any NBA player this season.

“I looked up in the second quarter, and he had 14,” Morant said. “He does a lot for us inside, protecting the paint, play bully-ball down low. He’s special.”

Brooks finds a groove

While Brooks showed signs of coming to life at Houston on Wednesday night as he scored 22 points, he still went just 9 of 26 from the floor.

But against the Kings, he was 12 of 22 from the field and 3 of 7 from distance, plus hit all five of his free throws.

In the six previous games to Houston, he was averaging just 8.2 points per game.

“I’m ready to go now,” he said, adding that he made adjustments on his mid-range shot and his release of the ball. “I know my team needs me.”

Morant was in Brooks’ ear, too.

“I told him to keep shooting,” said Morant. “I know people were like, 'He’s in a drought, cold.’ Me, as a point guard, I have to put him in better positions and give him easier looks.”

The race for No. 8

Now 28-31, the Grizzlies still hold the No. 8 seed in the West but their advantage is down to two games over New Orleans. Portland sits 2.5 games back, and the Kings (25-34) and San Antonio Spurs are each 3.0 games out.

“I feel like it’s good pressure,” Brooks said of the playoff chase. “We were playing well and hadn’t really hit any adversity like this.

“We’re being tested.”

Numerology

• This was the Grizzlies’ first loss at home since Jan. 20 vs. the Pelicans.
• The Kings won the season series 3-1.
• The Grizzlies won paint points 58-48 and fastbreak points 27-15.
• Sacramento shot 41.8% from the floor, 28.9% (11 of 38) from 3-point range; Memphis shot 42.9% from the field and 26.7% from deep (8 of 30).
• The bench only gave the Grizzlies 22 points, led by Josh Jackson’s nine. He also had three rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Roster spot shuffle

The Grizzlies signed forward Jarrod Uthoff (YOU-toff) to a 10-day contract as a call-up from the Memphis Hustle, the franchise’s G-League team.

Uthoff, who goes 6-9 and 221 pounds, appeared in nine games with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2016-17 season. He played collegiately at the University of Iowa.

This season with the Hustle, Uthoff started 34 games and averaged 18.9 points and 10.7 rebounds. He ranked third in the G-League in double-doubles and was shooting better than 36% from 3-point range.

With Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke out with injuries, the Grizzlies wanted to add front line depth.

To make room for Uthoff, the Grizzlies waived sharpshooting guard Dusty Hannahs. In two games with the Grizzlies this season, Hannahs averaged 6.0 points in 6.5 minutes after signing a 10-day contract on a call-up from the Hustle on Feb. 21.

Last word

“I feel like a lot of people are panicking; not us, though. We know there are going to be bumps in the road.” -- Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant after the team’s fifth straight loss Friday night.