Sacramento Kings defeat the Utah Jazz 106-97
The Utah Jazz will not be in the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs for the first time in five years. Despite getting off to an impressive 15-5 start to the season, the Jazz suffered a slump of historic proportions. A 106-97 defeat at the hands of the lowly Sacramento Kings on Sunday night proved to be the final nail in the coffin.
Tyreke Evans led the show for the Kings with 24 points in front of a jam-packed Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento. Around 17,215 spectators came to support the Kings, who are playing their final games in the city of Sacramento, and are all set to relocate to Anaheim.
The Kings’ guard Marcus Thornton posted 15 points and seven rebounds in the victory. Thornton was overwhelmed after the result and appreciated Sacramento’s loyal fans.
He told reporters after the game, “The fans don't surprise me, I'm a history guy. I remember when Peja (Stojakovic), (Chris) Webber and (Mike) Bibby were here. They were really behind that team. The fans are great here. They are supporting us even with everything that is going on off the court.”
DeMarcus Cousins and Francisco Garcia added 17 points apiece to help the Kings end their two-game losing streak. Darnell Jackson added 11 points while Beno Udrih finished with 12 points for the Sacramento Kings.
Although the Kings are experiencing the worst season in franchise history, with a record of 22-54 and are currently 13th in the Western Conference standings, Cousins still seemed very upbeat.
He said, “Even though the season is almost over, we want to end it strong, go out on a good note. We want to build for next year and hopefully we start the season like we are ending this one”.
Trailing 7-3 early in the first quarter, the Kings found their groove midway through the frame, and raced to a 26-19 lead by the end of the first 12 minutes. The home team kept up the pressure on the Jazz in the second quarter as well, extending their lead to 10 points to lead by 50-40 at half time.
Staring at a 10-point deficit at the end of the first half, the Jazz finally started to warm up. The Kings however, countered every Jazz move. They continued to lead in the third quarter and never let the Jazz within an eight-point barrier in the fourth period, ultimately cruising to a 19-point win. The Kings shot 52 percent overall in the match to seal the win.
For the Utah Jazz, Paul Millsap finished with 21 points and seven rebounds, while Kyle Weaver and Gordon Hayward scored 19 points each.
The Utah Jazz are currently in 11th place in the Western Conference and will meet the mighty Los Angeles Lakers in their next game at the Staples Centre on Tuesday night.
The Sacramento Kings will play the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night followed by the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.
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