Kings notes: Some surprises from season-opening loss to Jazz

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SACRAMENTO -- The Sacramento Kings came out with energy and passion early against the Utah Jazz, leading by as many as 16 points in the first quarter. They hung around late, cutting Utah’s lead down to five twice in the final minute of the game.

In the end, the more experienced team came out ahead with the Jazz knocking off the Kings at Golden 1 Center by a final of 123-117.

A loss is a loss, but for a young Kings team, there was plenty to like from the effort. Here are five notes from Sacramento’s opening night defeat at the hands of the Jazz.

De’Aaron Fox wants to play

Fox came into camp in great shape and with a new mindset. He walked out of the opener with 21 points, seven assists and three steals in 38 minutes of play. If the Kings are going to compete, they need Fox to push the tempo and lead the team. Through one game, he’s showing he might be ready to do just that. 

“We definitely put ourselves in a position to win this game,” Fox told a crowded media scrum. “That’s a playoff team and sometimes the difference is execution and when they needed a bucket, they went and got it. That’s just something we’re learning.”

One down, 81 to go

The battle between Willie Cauley-Stein and Rudy Gobert was surprisingly fun to watch. Cauley-Stein got into the body to the NBA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year and came away with a stat stuffing, 23-point, seven-rebound, four-assist, two-block performance. This is the type of performance that will make Cauley-Stein a lot of money next summer in free agency, but he needs to find a way to put in this same effort night in and night out.

“That’s one of the things I’ve been training on, is just being consistent, that’s just preparation,” Cauley-Stein said. 

Bjelica goes off

When the Kings landed Serbian-born forward Nemanja Bjelica late in the offseason, it didn’t exactly jump the needle. After his opening night performance against the Jazz, people around Sacramento might be looking up how to pronounce his name. Bee-a-leet-za finished with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds in 27 minutes. He posted a plus 12 in the plus/minus category and helped solidify the Kings effort. Not a debut for the 30-year-old stretch four. 

“I’m just trying to win, to make my teammates better because that’s part of my game,” Bjelica told NBC Sports California. “I’m not a jealous shooter.”

Buddy Buckets puts up numbers

Before fouling out in the fourth quarter, Buddy Hield strung together a nice night as the Kings’ starting small forward. The third-year guard finished the evening 9-of-18 from the field on his way to 19 points. He turned the ball over four times, but he also hit the glass for six rebounds in 32 minutes of action. 

Harry and Marv sit

Harry Giles and Marvin Bagley struggled to get minute sin the opener. The duo combined for eight points, six rebounds and six personal fouls in a total of 21 minutes of play. It’s not what most people expected, but with Cauley-Stein and Bjelica playing well at the four and the five, it left very few minutes for the young pair. If it helps, there are still 81 games remaining in the season and plenty more opportunities for both players. 

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