National Basketball Association
Sacramento 94, Utah 93
When: 9:00 PM ET, Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Officials: #27 Mitchell Ervin, #9 Derrick Stafford, #58 Josh Tiven
Attendance: 19195

SALT LAKE CITY -- Coming back from large fourth-quarter deficits was not in the Sacramento Kings' DNA much this season. That all changed Wednesday against the Utah Jazz.

The Kings clamped down on defense, started filling in the hole the Jazz dug for them and earned a chance to win it in the final seconds. Sacramento did not let that chance go to waste and escaped with a 94-93 victory.

"We took it to another level," forward DeMarcus Cousins said. "We were kind of beating ourselves up early because we couldn't make shots. They were kind of having their way with us. We weren't happy with calls not going our way or whatever the case may be. (Then) we took it to another level."

Cousins scored 21 points and collected eight rebounds to lead the Kings. He also hit several key free throws in the final minute to complete the rally. It marked just the second time Sacramento won this season when trailing after three quarters.

Playing a big role down the stretch is nothing new for Cousins. He also scored 55 points Tuesday in the Kings' home win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Ty Lawson added 19 points off the bench to lead the Kings to their fourth win in six games. Sacramento (12-17) shot 18 of 36 (50 percent) from the field after halftime to fuel the comeback.

Lawson played a huge role in facilitating the rally, scoring 10 points in the final quarter alone. He showed flashes of what made him such a coveted player during his stint in Denver.

"I want him to know I have faith in him to play him longer minutes," Kings coach Dave Joerger said. "The last two games, he's finished the games."

Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert both had double-doubles to lead the Jazz (18-12). Hayward finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Gobert added 17 points and 14 rebounds. The loss snapped Utah's three-game home winning streak.

"We just lost focus," Gobert said. "Everybody (has) got to be focused. They played (Tuesday) too, it's not an excuse. We just got to play every minute on the court. Do what we do defensively, so even when we don't make shots, we can win the game -- especially when you're up 20."

The Kings benefited from strong bench play. Their reserves outscored Utah's reserves 49-21. It helped Sacramento rally from 20 points down in the second half and took just its second lead of the game, 90-89, when Cousins made two free throws with 1:08 left.

Utah had one last chance after Cousins twice missed free throws in the final seconds. However, Hayward missed a layup with 5.9 seconds left. Cousins hit two more free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining to ice the win.

"We shouldn't have ever been in that situation," Hayward said. "It was one of those things where we've done this four or five times already this season. This one finally came back to bite us. You can't keep blowing 20-point leads and win every single time. This one stings for sure."

Utah had no trouble starting strong against Sacramento this time around. The Jazz scored on their first four possessions -- highlighted by a pair of baskets from Gobert -- to jump out to a quick 8-4 lead. They held onto that lead through the remainder of the half.

Utah opened up a double-digit lead midway through the second quarter, going up 33-23 on a pair of free throws from Gobert. The Kings briefly rallied and cut the deficit to 39-35 after Darren Collison drove for a layup and Arron Afflalo drained a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession.

Sacramento's initial comeback didn't last long. The Jazz answered with a 9-0 run to push the lead back to double digits. Hayward took a steal from Joe Ingles in for a dunk, and Shelvin Mack followed with a 3-pointer to cap off the spurt and give Utah a 48-35 lead with 44.5 seconds remaining before halftime.

Utah's shooting onslaught continued early in the second half. The Jazz rattled off nine more unanswered points to stake a 62-42 lead with 7:30 left in the third quarter. Utah capped the run with a brilliant sequence. Ingles buried a 3-pointer. Gobert then blocked Cousins on the other end, and Boris Diaw fed Hayward in transition for another 3-pointer.

Sacramento erased the lead entirely in the fourth quarter. Back-to-back baskets from Afflalo and Garrett Temple cut Utah's lead to 75-73. Then, the Kings tied it at 88-88 on a pair of free throws from Lawson with 1:59 remaining.

"Our bench was tremendous," Cousins said. "They won this game for us. It wasn't one of our best wins, but it's a win. It was a tough win. This is a tough place to play, especially off of a back-to-back."

NOTES: Jazz G Rodney Hood (flu-like symptoms) and G Dante Exum (left knee tendinitis) did not play. ... Kings G Rudy Gay missed his fifth straight game with a right hip flexor strain. Gay last played in a 116-92 win over the Lakers on Dec. 12. ... Utah C Rudy Gobert registered his ninth straight double-double, the longest active streak in the NBA. He is averaging 16.7 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game during that stretch. ... F DeMarcus Cousins ranked in the top 10 in the NBA in free-throws made (186) and free-throw attempts (246). He made 10 of 13 foul shots Wednesday. ... Utah tops the NBA in opponents' points per game (94.9) and opponents' field-goal percentage (.425).
Top Game Performances
 
Sacramento   Utah
DeMarcus Cousins 21 Scoring Gordon Hayward 28
Arron Afflalo 3 Assists Boris Diaw 8
DeMarcus Cousins 8 Rebounds Rudy Gobert 14
DeMarcus Cousins 10 Free Throws Made Gordon Hayward 8
Ben McLemore 2 Steals Joe Ingles 2
Willie Cauley-Stein 2 Blocks Rudy Gobert 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Sacramento 94 45.9 10-21 16-24 13 41 3 5 11
Utah 93 44.6 9-27 18-22 19 43 6 7 11
Upcoming Games
  • Utah will play their next game at home against Toronto. The Jazz have a W/L % of .611 after a win and .583 after a loss.
  • Sacramento will play their next game on the road against Minnesota. The Kings have a W/L % of .273 after a win and .500 after a loss.