Keegan Murray dazzled with a career-high 47 points, including an astonishing 12 3-pointers, just two shy of the NBA record, leading the Sacramento Kings to a dominant 125-104 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.
Murray’s phenomenal performance featured a Kings’ record-breaking 26 points in the third quarter alone, challenging Klay Thompson’s NBA record of 14 three-pointers. Although he missed his last two 3-point attempts, Murray joined an elite group of players to have made 12 or more 3-pointers in a single game.
Kings coach Mike Brown praised Murray’s natural gameplay, highlighting the team’s effortless collaboration in finding him open shots.
“I thought Keegan was playing the right way,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “There was nothing really forced. Our guys didn’t really force anything to him. They just hit him when he was open.”
Domantas Sabonis contributed significantly with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. The Kings were also impressive from beyond the arc, shooting 22 of 45, their third game this season with at least 20 three-pointers.
For Utah, Colin Sexton led with 28 points, followed by Lauri Markkanen with 18. The Kings seized the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Jazz by 18 points. Murray’s third-quarter performance surpassed Mitch Richmond’s franchise record for points in a quarter, set in 1995.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz Updates
Murray, reflecting on his exceptional play, compared it to his college days when he would ‘blackout’ and everything would just fall into place. His 12th three-pointer at the end of the third quarter pushed the Kings to their largest lead.
“It kind of reminded me of my last year in college,” Murray said. “I’d get hot, and I would just blackout for a little bit, and so everything would just go in. That’s kind of what happened in the third quarter.”
Jazz coach Will Hardy acknowledged Murray’s relentless performance, admitting that the young player punished every defensive mistake precisely. Murray scored 19 points in the first half, helping Sacramento to a 62-50 halftime lead.
“Keegan never let us off the hook,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “Every time you make a mistake, he makes the shot. The percentages will tell you, you know, that’s not necessarily realistic either, but it was one of those nights. And he’s obviously a very good young player, and hats off to him.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz Updates
Coach Brown sees immense potential in Murray, believing he’s just beginning to tap into his capabilities at the highest level. Sacramento played without starting point guard De’Aaron Fox due to shoulder irritation, and Utah missed guard Jordan Clarkson and John Collins due to a hamstring strain and illness, respectively.
“He’s just barely scratching the surface because he’s been asked to do something that he’s never been asked to do at the highest level,” Brown said. With his work ethic, determination, skill set, and all that other stuff, he’s gotten a chance to be a high-level player in a lot of different areas.
“Everybody’s just seeing a little bit of it now, so there’s a ton of room to grow for sure.”
Next, the Jazz will host the Brooklyn Nets, while the Kings welcome the Washington Wizards, with both games scheduled for Monday night.
