Redemption. After dropping the season opener to the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center, the Sacramento Kings returned the favor on Wednesday at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Sacramento jumped all over the Jazz in the fourth quarter and then held off a late charge to pick up the 119-110 victory.
Seven Kings players scored in double-figures to help counter a big scoring night from second-year phenom, Donovan Mitchell. It was Sacramento's first win over the Jazz since 2016, snapping a six-game losing streak.
Here are six notes as the Kings improved to 10-8 on the season.
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Fox with the Hammer
De'Aaron Fox continues to impress in his second NBA season. In the early third quarter, the 20-year-old raced around the Jazz defense and threw down one of the most impressive dunks of the young season. In addition to becoming a highlight reel star for the evening, Fox nearly posted a second career triple-double in the first 18 games, finishing the evening with 17 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds in the win. Not a bad evening of work for the Kings' budding star.
Going Up
Willie Cauley-Stein put on an arial assault on the rim. The 7-foot leaper ran at the rim all night long and his teammates tossed up for him to go get it. Against one of the best defenders in the league, Cauley-Stein scored 23 points on 11-for-15 shooting and added seven rebounds before fouling out late. He was a monster against the NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert, for the second time this season.
NBA
Bogi is Back
Bogdan Bogdanovic came up huge for Sacramento in the fourth quarter. After sitting the first 10 games of the season, Bogdanovic has slowly played himself back into game shape. He showed he had plenty left in the tank late in the win, scoring 12 of his 18 points in the deciding fourth quarter. This was the first game this season that Bogdanovic played 30 minutes, which is a good sign for the Kings.
Bjelica in the Clutch
Like Bogdanovic, Nemanja Bjelica came up huge down the stretch. The 30-year-old foward hit a pair of 3-pointers in the mid-fourth to give the Kings a 17-point lead and he finished a tough And-1 late to help seal the deal. Bjelica scored half of his 18 points in the final period and he added seven rebounds in the win.
Fearless Rookie
Marvin Bagley's confidence is growing with every opportunity. Like Cauley-Stein, the 19-year-old attacked Gobert in the post to come away with 11 points and six rebounds for the game. Coach Dave Joerger continues to show more faith in the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and it's paying dividends.
By the Numbers
The Kings have been an offensive juggernaut this season. Against Utah, they shot 52.8 percent from the field and 44 percent from behind the arc. They also outrebounded the Jazz 48-46 and finished with a 27-to-11 assist-to-turnover ratio.