Kings catch fire in third quarter, blast Jazz

Domantas Sabonis posted a double-double of 28 points and 11 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan added 20 points and eight assists and the Sacramento Kings scored their second win in as many nights by putting together a 113-96 rout of the Utah Jazz on Tuesday in Salt Lake City.

A 14-2 run that started early in the third quarter turned a three-point Sacramento lead into a 15-point cushion. The Kings also closed the frame with a flurry, using another 14-2 burst to take a commanding 90-66 advantage into the fourth.

Utah, which dropped its fourth straight game to open the season, never seriously threatened Sacramento the rest of the way.

Before pulling away in the second half, the Kings got 17 points from Sabonis before the break to build a 61-52 lead by intermission.

Sabonis ended up making 13 of 18 shots from the field for the game, providing the foundation of a solid offensive night for Sacramento. The Kings shot 52.2 percent overall, a figure that would have been even higher had they not made only 8 of 31 attempts from 3-point range.

DeRozan went 9-for-14 from the floor to reach the 20-point mark for the fourth time in as many games with Sacramento. He landed with the Kings this past offseason via a sign-and-trade deal after spending the past three seasons with the Chicago Bulls.

All five Sacramento starters scored in double figures, including De'Aaron Fox, who finished with 19 points.

Jordan Clarkson notched 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting for the Jazz, who also got 18 points and seven boards from reserve John Collins. Kyle Filipowski chipped in 12 points, Brice Sensabaugh netted 11 and Keyonte George totaled 10 to go along with a game-high 11 assists.

Utah forward Lauri Markkanen, an All-Star in 2022-23, had seven points in 17 minutes before exiting the game with a back injury.

--Field Level Media