SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- DeMarcus Cousins labored up and down the court much of Tuesday night, the physical toll on a beat-up back and ankle apparent for long stretches.
When he needed it, though, the Kings center found the energy and resolve to post 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Sacramento held off the stubborn Utah Jazz for a 114-106 victory at Sleep Train Arena.
The Kings (8-15) would like to think it might be symbolic of what they are trying to do. A rough start has them laboring near the bottom in the Western Conference, but the question is whether they have enough energy, and time, to make their presence felt.
"I'll tell you, we had that game won in Oklahoma City, and that really started us in the right direction," forward Omar Casspi said of the Kings' 98-95 loss to the Thunder on Sunday, a game Sacramento led late into the fourth quarter. "We carried that over, the ball was moving, and we were able to defend. I'll tell you, everything starts with our defense."
Sacramento's defense, allowing a league-worst 108.8 points and 46.6 percent shooting, proved stifling for one of the few times this season. Utah made just 41.3 percent of its shots, committed 12 turnovers and never led after scoring the game's opening basket.
The success on defense translated to the other end of the court. Sacramento converted 55.8 percent of its shots, including 35.7 percent on 10-for-28 shooting from 3-point range. The Kings also outscored Utah 58-30 in the paint.
"I think that's about the best I've seen everybody, as a unit, as a team," Kings guard Ben McLemore said. "Everybody sharing the ball, moving the ball, playing defense, playing as one."
Forward Rudy Gay also scored 23 points, and Casspi added 19 points, 10 rebounds and four assists for Sacramento, which ended a three-game losing streak.
Kings point guard Rajon Rondo, the NBA assists leader, collected 13 more to go with 10 points. He produced a highlight-reel assist in which he dribbled behind the back and fired diagonally cross-court to Casspi for a layup.
"He's pretty fun to play with," Casspi said. "He's amazing -- makes everybody better."
Cousins, who scored just 43 points while shooting just 13-for-53 in Sacramento's previous three games, made eight of 14 shots from the field. He produced 15 points and nine rebounds after halftime.
"He's got a back and an ankle that are sore," Kings coach George Karl said. "It's the process of being a big guy in this league and how he plays and how he bangs. To be expected to bring 25 (points) and 12 (rebounds) a night, I don't think people realize how hard that is."
Gay needed only 13 shots, making 10 of them, to produce his highest-scoring night since a 36-point effort at Milwaukee on Nov. 25. The Kings beat Utah (9-10) for the first time in exactly a year, ending a three-game head-to-head slide.
Jazz guard Alec Burks came off the bench to produce 18 points, and Utah's reserves outscored Sacramento's 45-22. Forward Gordon Hayward scored 18 points, guard Rodney Hood added 17 points, and forward Derrick Favors had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Utah played without center Rudy Gobert (sprained right MCL).
Guard Trey Burke, who with Burks is part of the NBA's second-leading scoring tandem off the bench, scored 12 points for the Jazz, who used a 15-3 run to pull within 86-84 with 10:32 left. However, Kings forward Marco Belinelli, 2-for-19 from long distance over his previous five games, canned a 3-pointer to start a 7-0 run and restore order.
"Anytime you get down like that and you fight your way back, it's tough because you have to fight your way all the way back and fight again to take the lead," Hayward said. "They hit a big-time 3-pointer, and before you know it, the game's back up to eight or nine points."
Casspi's seventh straight double-digit-scoring game tied a career best set in his rookie season of 2009-10.
The Kings made 10 of 3-pointers, three of them from Casspi.
NOTES: Utah C Rudy Gobert (knee) has missed three consecutive games and five overall. The Jazz are surrendering 11 more points per game without Gobert and allowing opponents to shoot 46 percent from the field in his absence. Utah's opponents shoot only 42 percent when Gobert plays. ... The 43 points scored by C DeMarcus Cousins during the Kings' three-game road trip (a game vs. Boston in Mexico City was considered a home contest) marked his lowest three-game scoring output since he totaled 36 at Oklahoma City, New Orleans and Houston from Jan. 19-22, 2014. ... F Gordon Hayward, F Derrick Favors and G Alec Burks brought in a combined scoring average of 50.4 points per game, more than half of Utah's overall total of 97.8. ... Sacramento has used 12 starting lineups in its first 23 games, and none for more than three games in a row. ... Burks and G Trey Burke are the NBA's second-highest scoring tandem off the bench, combining to average 26.4 points.
