Kings light first beam of the season with 130-114 win over Jazz in opener
SACRAMENTO — The beam team is back. The Sacramento Kings opened the 2023-24 season with a dominant 130-114 win over the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Saly Lake City on Wednesday night.
Harrison Barnes scored 33 points, Domantas Sabonis added 22 points and 12 rebounds, and De'Aaron Fox chipped in 18 points for the Kings. Malik Monk dished out a team-high seven assists off the bench.
Sacramento buried Utah from the perimeter, knocking down 19 of 51 3-pointers. The Kings shot 46% from the field overall.
Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 24 points and six assists. Lauri Markkanen tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds and John Collins finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds in his Utah debut.
The Jazz had won six straight season openers before falling at home Wednesday night. Utah has now dropped four of its last five regular season games against Sacramento.
Barnes knocked down his first eight shots — including four 3-pointers — and scored 27 points before halftime. The veteran forward went 10 of 11 from the field in the first half.
Barnes offered a preview of what lay ahead when he made four baskets to spark a 10-0 run that put Sacramento up 32-21 late in the first quarter. Utah missed five shots and committed four turnovers over a four-minute scoreless drought, opening a door for Barnes and the Kings.
Sacramento led by as many as 19 points, going ahead 69-50 after Barnes and Sabonis combined for seven baskets in a four-minute stretch of the second quarter.
Utah cut the deficit to 74-65 early in the third quarter behind back-to-back layups from Talen Horton-Tucker and Walker Kessler but drew no closer.
Sacramento regained a double-digit lead on a 3-pointer by Fox and eventually led by as many as 23 points in the fourth quarter.
UP NEXT
Kings: Host Golden State on Friday. Sacramento went 1-3 in the season series against the Warriors last year.
Jazz: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. The Clippers have lost 11 straight regular season games in Utah.
