SALT LAKE CITY — Forward Rudy Gay saved the day for the Sacramento Kings, hitting a game-winning jumper with less than a second remaining for a 103-101 win over the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz worked out of a 10-point deficit in the final five minutes and finally tied the game with four seconds remaining on 3-pointer by backup forward Joe Ingles.
Gay took the ensuing inbounds pass after the ball was advanced with four seconds left following a Sacramento timeout. He dribbled to the right elbow and lifted the Kings to a big win.
All-Star forward DeMarcus Cousins had a huge outing, scoring 36 points with 17 rebounds. Gay finished with 24 points and nine rebounds.
Forward Gordon Hayward trimmed the lead to three with 29 seconds left after a basket and a free throw, helping to set up the dramatic ending.
Hayward finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, while rookie forward Trey Lyles had a career-best 19 points for the Jazz.
Guard Rodney Hood contributed 15 points and point guard Raul Neto added 13 for the Jazz, who fell for the second night in a row.
Utah fell to 17-22 and is just one game ahead of the Kings (16-23) in the fight for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot.
Both teams were playing on the second night of a back-to-back situation, with Utah having lost 99-85 at Portland and the Kings getting drubbed by the Pelicans 109-97 on Wednesday.
It was the shorthanded Jazz who looked the most sluggish for most of this night.
Utah’s shot was way off in the first quarter it hit 4 of 24 field goals while Sacramento shot 55.6 percent for a 26-12 lead.
The Jazz offense got a spark in the second quarter, outscoring the Kings 33-30, but Utah still trailed 56-45 at halftime after Cousins ended the half with a last-second putback dunk.
Lyles and Trey Burke keyed a 9-0 run that helped Utah get within 85-80.
Rookie Willie Cauley-Stein responded with a big putback bucket for the Kings and Cousins followed with a 3-pointer as Sacramento re-established a 10-point lead.
The Jazz didn’t quit, trimming the Kings’ lead back down to three after Gay seemed to have put the game away with a couple of baskets and a free throw.
Hayward made a wild, no-look shot while being fouled and hit the ensuing free throw to trim the Kings’ lead to 101-98 with 29.2 remaining.
Rondo missed a jumper and the Jazz then tied it on Ingles’ 3-pointer.
The Kings had one last hurrah, though, and improved to 6-12 on the road.
Utah, already playing without multiple key players, including injured forward Derrick Favors and guard Alec Burks, lost backup power forward Trevor Booker midway through the third quarter. He was inadvertently hit in the face by Cousins and was helped off the court with concussion-like symptoms.
NOTES: The Kings switched up their starting lineup, reinserting rookie C Willie Cauley-Stein into the first five with PG Rajon Rondo, SG Ben McLemore, SF Rudy Gay and PF DeMarcus Cousins. Sacramento went 3-3 at the beginning of the season with those starters. “Defensively, we need to get better, and Willie played very active (Wednesday) night,” Kings coach George Karl said. … The Jazz played without starting PF Derrick Favors (back spasms) for the 12th consecutive game. “Like any injury, it’s gotta run its course,” coach Quin Snyder said. “It’s being treated. Obviously, more than anything, we just want him healthy.” … The Jazz (F Joe Ingles) and Kings (F Omri Casspi) each have a player who previously played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.