Keyonte George scored 31 points and Lauri Markkanen added 28 to lead the Utah Jazz to a 128-119 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday at Delta Center. The win snapped Utah’s four-game losing streak and marked their first NBA Cup group-stage victory.
Brice Sensabaugh contributed 20 points, while Markkanen helped fuel a third-quarter surge that put the Jazz ahead 90-73. Utah outscored Sacramento 28-22 in the third and closed the game on a 38-point fourth quarter to maintain control.
Sacramento’s Russell Westbrook recorded his 206th career triple-double with 16 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds, but the Kings went winless in four NBA Cup games. Zach LaVine led all scorers with 34 points, and Keegan Murray added 23 points and nine rebounds.
The Kings trimmed Utah’s halftime lead to 67-65 on a Murray 3-pointer, but George hit consecutive threes and followed with a floater to regain double-digit separation. Utah also held Sacramento without a field goal for six minutes in the second quarter, fueling a 20-2 run led by Markkanen’s baskets and free throws.
Utah shot 48% from the field and 78% from the line, while Sacramento converted 45% overall and 34% from deep. Jusuf Nurkic also made key contributions, including a layup to cap Utah’s third-quarter run and help seal the lead.
Looking ahead, the Jazz host Houston on Sunday, while the Kings return home to face Memphis.
