Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) shoots from between Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles, left, and forward Keegan Murray during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sat Mar 25, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (45-29) were back in action on Saturday night in Sacramento. The Kings were playing on the second night of a back-to-back after taking on the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. In the game against the Suns, the Kings pulled together from a great 135-127 win at home. The win moved the Kings magic number down to two games as they looked to clinch on Saturday.

If the Kings were to clinch a playoff berth, they would need to win the game on Saturday in conjunction with the Clippers and Suns losses. Kings PG De’Aaron Fox was out on Saturday with a lower leg injury. The Kings won on Saturday night by the final of 121-113 defeating the Utah Jazz (35-39).

In the first quarter, the Kings came out strong. The Kings showed no fatigue on the second night of a back-to-back. The Kings outscored the Jazz in the first quarter 32-26. Keegan Murray started the game with a hot hand scoring 14 points in the first quarter. The Kings did seem to fade late in the quarter as they hoped to stop that before the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings weren’t playing with the same energy as the first. They seemed to slow a bit after the first quarter and didn’t have Fox to pick them up. The Jazz continued the strong performance, building off the early minutes to outscore the Kings 35-23. The King offense lost all steam in the second quarter to dog themselves a hole going into the second half. The Kings entered halftime down 61-55.

In the third quarter, the Kings reacted well to the slow second quarter. The Kings came out firing in the third quarter to score 35 points in the frame. The Kings defense was also displayed in the third as they held the Jazz to only 17 points. After the outburst, the Kings would go into the game’s final quarter leading 90-78. The Kings played a great all-around quarter in the third to put them in a position to win.

In the fourth quarter, both teams battled, but it was ultimately the Kings who outlasted the Jazz to secure the victory. The Kings showed a lot of heart after a disappointing first half and the ejection of Monk in the second half. The Kings were outscored by the Jazz 35-31 in the fourth quarter but it was all meaningless.

The Kings still managed to hold the lead and secure the victory on the second night of the back-to-back. It was a great win for the Kings who were short-handed with the absence of Fox and the ejection of Monk. The Kings were led in victory by Kevin Huerter who had 27 points on the night. Walker Kessler led the Jazz with 31 points.

After the win, the Kings magic number is one game to clinch a playoff berth. The Kings can clinch with a win against the Timberwolves on Monday night at home.

Up Next: The Kings will remain at home to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday at 7 PM PST.