Murray scores 26 points to spark hot-shooting Kings to a 118-101 win over Jazz

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Keegan Murray scored a season-high 26 points and Zach LaVine added 22 to lift the hot-shooting Sacramento Kings to a 118-101 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.

Murray made five 3-pointers, LaVine had four and Keon Ellis returned to the court to make three 3s as the Kings made 15 of 36 from beyond the arc. Sacramento was equally potent inside the paint with 50 points and shot 52.9% overall to start their four-game road swing.

Murray scored on a mix of dunks, drives and his trademark long jumpers while topping 20 points for the first time since he had 21 on Nov. 24 in a loss to Brooklyn.

Walker Kessler had a season-high 25 points and 14 rebounds for Utah, which has lost four of five. Kessler — who shot 10 for 10 from the field and had five assists — joined Nikola Jokic as the only players in NBA history with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and no turnovers while shooting 100% from the field.

KJ Martin had his best game since arriving in Utah at the trade deadline with 16 points.

The Jazz, as has been their practice against mid- to low-tier opponents, held out their top scorers, including Lauri Markkanen (back), John Collins (back) and Collin Sexton (ankle). Coupled with some rugged Sacramento defense, the Jazz struggled to compete on the interior and were outrebounded 47-34.

Kings: After a sloppy start, the Kings ran a precision offense in the second half to stay one pass in front of the Jazz and get easy shots.

Jazz: Beyond Kessler, the decimated Jazz had no inside threat, which was amplified by poor perimeter shooting.

DeMar DeRozan’s jumper with 9:48 to play capped a 14-3 run that made it 91-72 and broke open the game.

Jordan Clarkson avoided going scoreless for the first time since joining the Jazz by making a layup with 1:09 to play. He shot 1 for 14 for 2 points.

The Kings play at Houston on Saturday, while the Jazz continue their nine-game homestand Friday against Minnesota.

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This story has been edited to correct the spelling of Zach LaVine’s name throughout.

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