The minutes continued to pile up as Memphis Grizzlies center Jaren Jackson Jr. went the entire first half without a rebound Monday night against the Sacramento Kings.

The streak continued more than halfway through the third quarter when Jackson secured his first rebound with 5:19 left in the period. About 10 seconds later, Kings center Domantas Sabonis got his 10th rebound and 50th consecutive double-double.

It’s no secret that rebounding is one of the key areas of needed growth for the 6-foot-11 Jackson. After averaging seven rebounds through his first four appearances in March, Jackson had a chance to build on those performances in a statement-making type of matchup, but he failed. He finished with two rebounds in 39 minutes.

Sabonis finished with 18 rebounds and 25 points as the Kings defeated the Grizzlies 121-111 in Sacramento.

Jaren Jackson Jr.'s strength as a center

Playing center isn’t all about rebounding. In fact, many of the other areas are strengths of Jackson’s game. There aren’t a lot of centers who are as skilled offensively with the ability to shoot from the 3-point line, score in the paint and be one of the NBA’s top isolation scorers.

Jackson started slow, making just one of his nine first-half shots, but he finished with 25 points on 8-for-27 shooting and made 8 of 9 free throws. He attacked Sabonis late in the fourth quarter and helped the Grizzlies get to overtime.

Defensively, Jackson is still one of the best rim protectors. He blocked Sabonis twice on point-blank shots at the basket with the game tied at 97 late in the fourth. He’s also having a solid season in terms of creating steals. Jackson finished with four blocks and a steal on Monday.

Solving Jaren Jackson Jr.'s rebounding issues

Memphis has been giving Jackson a long run at center the past month. He hasn’t played much power forward as he had most of his career. Maybe the Grizzlies are willing to accept his flaws as a rebounder. Maybe they believe his other skills can somewhat offset that weakness.

The key to offsetting Jackson’s rebounding issues is surrounding him with guards and forwards who can rebound at a high level. The Grizzlies just so happen to have a few players who fit that description.

John Konchar, Vince Williams Jr. and Jake LaRavia are among the wings who have a higher total rebound percentage than Jackson. Konchar led the Grizzlies with 10 rebounds against the Kings. LaRavia came off the bench and added eight. He had two big offensive rebounds in one possession early in the fourth quarter that led to two of his 12 points on a putback. Williams was inactive due to left patellar tendinitis.

As a result, the Grizzlies weren't destroyed on the glass despite Jackson’s down night. The Kings won the rebounding battle 59-49, but Memphis finished with a 23-17 advantage in second-chance points.

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Brandon Clarke, who is recovering from an Achilles injury, is another player who can help offset some of those Jackson rebounding woes when he returns. While Jackson’s total rebounding percentage is 9.6% this season, Clarke has been 14% or higher in three of his four seasons.

Monday’s game showed how the Grizzlies can attempt to overcome Jackson’s rebounding issues, but the question is whether they are willing to accept that.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies debating Jaren Jackson Jr.'s future as a center