Utah continue turnaround with 107-104 victory over Sacramento
Home court, home crowd, but unfortunately, the host Kings could not take advantage of a home meeting with the rocking Jazz.
The visiting Utah Jazz downed the Sacramento Kings 107-104 on Monday night at ARCO Arena in front of a capacity crowd.
Al Jefferson played one of his finest all-around games of the entire season with a team-high 23 points.
Deron Williams also played well as he had 21 points and nine assists for Utah, who won their second consecutive road game after dropping the previous six contests of the season 2010-11.
Deron Williams stated, "We have struggled on the road, so this was a very important win for us", "It's not a pretty win, but at least it's a win. I am hoping this gets us back on track".
Paul Millsap finished with 18 points while Raja Bell scored 17 points for the Jazz, who won the thirtieth game of the season 2010-11.
DeMarcus Cousins did all he could as he registered a game-high 25 points and 14 rebounds for the Kings, who have lost three straight contests.
Tyreke Evans shot the ball well as he had 21 points while Jason Thompson scored 14 points for Sacramento, which committed 20 turnovers during the game.
Kings coach, Paul Westphal, said, "I thought the turnovers killed us", "They killed us in the first half and they killed us in the second. We built a lead in the second half by taking care of the ball, and then turnovers popped up again down the stretch.
That's a good team and you can't just give them those possessions like we did".
First quarter recap
The first aspect that jumps out is the pace. Sacramento and Utah began the game at a crisp pace, using 30 possessions apiece in the opening quarter.
Second quarter recap
Jefferson and Williams got off to a fast start for Utah in the second quarter as they added 14 and 11 points respectively. However, Omri Casspi also played at the other end with nine points for the Kings, taking a 56-55 lead into the locker room.
Third Quarter Recap
The Jazz got a little bit loose around the mid-way point of the quarter, turning the ball over and missing shots. The Kings took advantage, tracking down Utah and taking an 87-80 advantage after three quarters.
Fourth quarter recap
Trailing by seven points, Utah was on to the right track at the right time as they controlled every aspect of this quarter, limiting turnovers, making and playing tenacious defense.
Jefferson’s sizzling dunk and a fast-break layup from Earl Watson tied the game at 81 for good.
Center, Kyrylo Fesenko, broke the ice with his hook shot to put Utah ahead by 81-83. The game was tied for the second time at 99 with three minutes remaining. However, Utah took a 101-99 lead on two of Millsap’s free throws.
The top scorer for Sacramento, DeMarcus Cousins then had a 3-pointer to pull the Kings to 105-104 with 1:04 to go.
The 30-years old Andrei Kirilenko came off the bench with two free throws and the Jazz sealed the victory at 107-104.
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