Kings Outlast Jazz 101-92 Without DeMarcus Cousins
The Sacramento Kings were without their leading big man DeMarcus Cousins due to a viral infection but managed to get past the Utah Jazz 101-92 at home on Monday night. Rudy Gay led the Kings with 29 points and rookie Nik Stauskas had a career-high 15 points off the bench. Darren Collison added 16 points for Sacramento. Gordon Hayward had a team-high 19 points for the Jazz.
It was an uphill climb for both teams as Utah jumped out to a 31-23 first quarter lead behind 12 of Gordon Hayward’s 19 points, but just 18 points in the second quarter gave way to the Kings’ 32 points and 57 percent shooting from the field. After an ugly 19-13 quarter in Utah’s favor, Sacramento responded with a 33-point fourth quarter and a few critical runs that gave them a cushion down the stretch.
Rudy Gay paced Sacramento with his individual scoring without the presence of Cousins on the floor. Behind Stauskas’ 15, the Kings’ bench scored a collective 34 points to Utah’s 22.
Sacramento moves to 11-10 on the season and Utah falls to 5-16.
