Kings Defense Struggles In 122-101 Loss To Jazz
By: Morgan Ragan
The Utah Jazz came into their game with the Sacramento Kings with the league's worst record, a 1-10 road record and losers of four straight but their offense came alive Wednesday night in a 122-101 win at Sleep Train Arena.
Utah led by as many as 28 points and hit 13 three-pointers in a route of the Kings who played with 10 players for the second consecutive game.
"From the jump ball tonight, the energy, the effort, we were very flat," head coach Michael Malone said after the game. "They (Utah Jazz) didn't feel us for one second on the floor tonight."
New acquisitions Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray did not play because Greivis Vasquez had yet to pass his physical with the Toronto Raptors. The new players are expected to play for Sacramento when the team visits Phoenix on Friday.
DeMarcus Cousins got into foul trouble early, playing only seven minutes of the first half. Cousins finished with his 10th double-double of the season with 21 points and 11 boards.
The Jazz shot nearly 57 percent behind the arc making 13-23 three-pointers. Richard Jefferson, Alec Burks and Brandon Rush each hit three three-pointers.
Malone emphasized postgame how the Jazz got what they wanted on the court.
"I am not going to use any excuses. We had enough bodies and enough talent in that locker room to give forth a much better effort than we gave tonight," Malone said.
Analysis:
No excuses for Sacramento being dominated by the (5-19) Jazz on Wednesday night. After beating the Mavericks 112-97 Monday night with only 10 guys on their roster, the Kings proved that they had the ability to beat a respectful team.
This was the most points the Kings allowed an opponent to score this season. Utah had 35 assists and shot almost 54 percent from the field. In other words, the Kings defense was atrocious.
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