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Cousins, Kings knock off Jazz

Mar 31, 2012 - 4:33 AM Salt Lake City, UT (Sports Network) - DeMarcus Cousins' free throw with 3.8 seconds remaining lifted the Sacramento Kings over the Utah Jazz, 104-103, on Friday.

Despite getting stitches under his left eyebrow, Cousins ended with 27 points and 14 rebounds for the Kings. Marcus Thornton added 26 points and six boards.

"It feels good, especially playing through the type of adversity we played through tonight," Cousins said. "It was definitely a big win for us."

Isaiah Thomas donated 19 points and six assists for Sacramento, which snapped a four-game skid.

Al Jefferson finished with 27 points and 16 rebounds for the Jazz, who had a seven-game home winning streak stopped. Gordon Hayward had 19 points.

Down by three, 101-98, late in the fourth quarter, Cousins was blocked by Jefferson. But a persistent Cousins got the ball back and made a layup and free throw to tie the game with 2:20 left.

Jefferson put the Jazz back in front on a layup with 1:14 remaining. Following missed shots from Thornton and Jefferson, Thomas made two free throws to tie the game with 31.6 seconds to go.

Alec Burks then turned the ball over at the opposite end, giving Sacramento a chance to go in front. Cousins made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to give the visitors a 104-103 edge.

Hayward's layup was off the mark and Derrick Favors' attempted tip-in also missed. Utah tried for one last tip-in -- that actually went through the hoop -- but time had already expired.

"We got what we wanted. We got the shot we wanted to take - Gordon (Hayward) attacking the basket," Jefferson said.

The Kings led by as many as nine in the first quarter, but only managed to take a 32-29 lead into the second.

Down by seven, 39-32, with 8:20 to go in the second, Utah went on a 9-0 flurry to take the lead. Burks' layup made it 41-39 with 6:15 remaining.

Utah took a 59-56 edge into the locker room. The Jazz led for a majority of the third quarter and took an 84-80 lead into the fourth.

Neither team led by more than six in the final period.

Game Notes

Utah and Sacramento split four games this season. The Kings had dropped four consecutive trips to Utah...The Jazz lost at home for the first time since February 20 against the Spurs...Cousins took a blow to the head late in the third quarter...Sacramento improved to 5-22 on the road this season...The Kings played without guard Tyreke Evans (back) and forward John Salmons (hip)...Utah is a game behind Houston and Denver for the seventh and eighth seeds in the West.