Kings at Jazz
The Utah Jazz return from an uneven five-game road trip for a quick stay at home when they host the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. After opening the trip with a solid win over a surging Memphis team, the Jazz lost two straight -- scoring 68 points in a defeat at Dallas -- and then posted a very impressive victory at Boston, only to get throttled two nights later in Indiana.
"I just talked to the guys. I don't want to overreact, it's still early. But at the same time, you're going to lose in this league, but you can't keep getting your a** kicked like that," forward Jae Crowder told the Salt Lake Tribune after the 121-94 loss to the Pacers. "That's an a**-whupping, I feel like. It sends a message to the league. We need to be in every game, no matter who is on the court." Utah's last five losses have come by an average of 22.2 points and it sits a game below .500 with five out of the next six games on the road once the Kings leave town. Sacramento enters with some momentum after stopping the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder in Russell Westbrook's return to the court Monday night. Buddy Hield scored 25 points -- including a trio of key 3-pointers late in the game -- in the 117-113 win.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Sacramento), AT&T Rocky Mountain (Utah)
ABOUT THE KINGS (9-8): Hield is 10-for-20 from 3-point range over his last three games and scored at least 22 points in eight of his last 13 contests. "Right spots, right time," Hield told reporters Monday. "Just trying to pick spots where I could read the defense and the stuff they were giving up." Fellow guard De'Aaron Fox overcame a woeful shooting night (1-for-10) with 13 assists and veteran Iman Shumpert broke out for 23 points after averaging six over his previous four games.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (8-9): Second-year star guard Donovan Mitchell was as up and down as anyone on the trip and finished it with a clunker, scoring seven points -- his first single-digit effort since Feb. 7 -- and handing out only one assist in 32 minutes. "They came out and blew stuff up," Mitchell told reporters of the Pacers. "I had two turnovers early just from being loose with it. That set the tone." Fellow guard Ricky Rubio picked up much of the slack with a season high-tying 28 points while center Rudy Gobert recorded his 16th double-double, which ranks second in the NBA.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Mitchell scored 24 points to lead Utah to a 123-117 win at Sacramento in the opener for both teams Oct. 17.
2. Kings rookie PF Marvin Bagley III recorded his first career double-double Monday night with 15 points and 13 boards.
3. Sacramento C Kosta Koufos (calf) missed four straight games.