Sacramento rallies to win over Utah Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY — DeMarcus Cousins scored 21 points and the Sacramento Kings rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat the Utah Jazz 94-93 on Wednesday night.

The Kings used an 11-3 run, led by Ty Lawson and five free throws by Cousins, to take a 9189 lead with 25.9 seconds remaining. It was their first lead since the first quarter.

The Jazz led by 20 in the third quarter, but their defense disappeared in crunch time. Gordon Hayward was isolated against Cousins with 16.6 seconds remaining but missed a short fade-away that could have won it.

Cousins was coming off a 55point effort against Portland on Tuesday night that included his brief ejection late in the game — Cousins was initially given a technical foul for spitting his mouthpiece at the Trail Blazers’ bench, but the call was overturned.

Lawson set a season high with 19 points.

Hayward led the Jazz with 28 points and 10 rebounds while Rudy Gobert recorded his ninth consecutive double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. He and the Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns are tied for the longest active streaks.

The Jazz used a 9-0 stretch in the third quarter to take a 62-42 lead but couldn’t hold on in crunch time. A 13-2 Kings run spanning the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter cut the lead to five thanks to a barrage of 3-pointers.

Tip-ins — Kings: Omri Casspi missed his second consecutive game due to an illness. ... Rudy Gay missed his fifth consecutive game with right hip strain.

Jazz: Derrick Favors (knee) returned to the court after sitting out Tuesday as part of his rehab protocol. He remains on a minutes restriction . ... Boris Diaw had a season-high eight assists.

Injuries continue — The Jazz started their 14th different lineup Wednesday due to another combination of injuries. Shelvin Mack and Joe Ingles started together for the first time with Dante Exum (knee tendinitis) and Rodney Hood (flu-like symptoms) out. George Hill missed his 11th straight game with a sprained big toe.

No phychologist — Kings coach Dave Joerger was asked if he talks to the mercurial Cousins about playing with emotion, but not letting his emotions get the best of him. Cousins got his short-lived ejection Tuesday hours after being fined by the Kings for his tirade aimed at a newspaper columnist on Dec. 12.

“I just talk to him,” Joerger said. “I don’t psychoanalyze it.”