DeMar DeRozan delivered one of his most productive performances of the season Sunday night, scoring 41 points and dishing 11 assists to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 116-111 victory over the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center.
The six-time All-Star carried the offensive load for Sacramento, which improved to 18-51 and secured its fourth win in the last five games despite entering the night with one of the NBA’s worst records.
DeRozan shot 11-for-21 from the field and went 18-for-21 at the free-throw line, repeatedly creating scoring opportunities in isolation and out of pick-and-roll actions.
The veteran guard also reached another career milestone recently, passing Hall of Famer Tim Duncan for 18th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Sacramento received additional production in the frontcourt from Precious Achiuwa, who finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.
Killian Hayes contributed 16 points and eight assists hours after signing a contract extension with the franchise earlier in the day.
Nique Clifford and Daeqwon Plowden added 10 points apiece as the Kings relied on a short rotation with only eight available players.
Utah, which fell to 20-48, kept pressure on Sacramento behind a strong scoring night from Cody Williams.
The forward finished with 34 points and seven rebounds, including 14 points in the first quarter to help the Jazz build early momentum.
Brice Sensabaugh added 22 points while Isaiah Collier scored 21 for Utah, which shot 48 percent from the field but struggled to contain DeRozan’s scoring in key stretches.
The game remained competitive into the final minutes as both teams exchanged scoring runs.
Sacramento appeared to gain control when Plowden knocked down his second three-pointer of the night to give the Kings a 110-99 lead with 4:45 remaining.
Utah quickly responded with perimeter shooting, cutting the deficit to 110-107 after consecutive three-pointers from Sensabaugh and Elijah Harkless.
DeRozan stabilized the offense down the stretch by drawing fouls and converting from the free-throw line.
He made three critical free throws over the final four minutes, including one with 14.9 seconds remaining that helped secure the win.
Sacramento also controlled the glass with a 50-40 rebounding advantage, with Achiuwa and Maxime Raynaud combining for 23 rebounds in the frontcourt.
Both teams entered the night significantly short-handed, with Utah dressing nine players and Sacramento operating with just eight.
The Jazz will continue their schedule Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the Kings return to Golden 1 Center on Tuesday to face the San Antonio Spurs.
