Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis (left) gets the throw down on the Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) in first half action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Sun Mar 31, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings defeated the Utah Jazz on Sunday night at Golden One Center 127-116. The Kings were coming off two bad losses to the Dallas Mavericks in search of getting back on track. The Kings and Jazz were set for tip-off at 7 PM PST at Golden One Center on Easter Sunday.

In the first quarter, the Kings gained a quick lead against the Jazz. The Kings outscored the Jazz in the first quarter 27-23. The Jazz offense quickly got everyone involved. The Jazz had seven scorers in the first quarter. On the other hand, the Kings Keegan Murray started hot, scoring 10 points to lead the Kings in the first quarter. The Kings didn’t show a lot of superiority so far in a game played against a largely injured Jazz squad. The Kings would look to take over the game in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, the Kings couldn’t create the separation they wanted. The Kings and Jazz scored 29 points in the second quarter, and the Kings remained up by four points. Collin Sexton led the Jazz in the second quarter, adding nine points. Domantas Sabonis got the offense going for himself in the second quarter, scoring nine points. The Kings would go into halftime with a 56-52 lead. It was an underwhelming half from the Kings, who would look to jump out ahead in the third quarter.

In the third quarter, the Kings went on an offensive terror. The Kings put up a mammoth 39 points in the third quarter to expand the lead with Harrison Barnes contributing 13 points. The Jazz scored 25 points in the third quarter to dig themselves a big hole going into the final quarter.

The Kings would take a 95-77 lead into the final 12 minutes. Keegan Murray and De’Aaron Fox were leading the Kings in scoring through three quarters with 20 points each. Brice Sensabaugh was leading the Jazz with 19 points.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings did what they needed to maintain the advantage and come away with a win. The Kings didn’t blow the Jazz off the court in the fourth as they did in the third. However, the Kings held on and defeated the Jazz 127-106.

The Kings played well in the second half and took care of a team they were expected to beat going into the game. The Kings outscored the Jazz in the final quarter 32-29. The leading scorer for the Kings in victory was Keegan Murray, who scored 25 points. Fox and Barnes had 24 points each. Sensabaugh and Sexton led the way for the Jazz in defeat, scoring 22 points.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the LA Clippers on Tuesday at 7 PM PST inside Golden One Center.