Preseason review Utah Jazz vs. Sacramento Kings and final result

The Jazz improved to 4-1 in the preseason and defeated the Sacramento Kings in an electrifying clutch victory with a final score of 117-114.

What a game. This film was exciting until the end and gave us an insight into what young people can do in a difficult situation. Keyonte George led the Jazz with 24 points, while Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh contributed to some key shots in the fourth quarter.

Utah outscored Sacramento by a significant 3-point margin, hitting 14 of 9 triples. That's especially impressive considering they were against the team with the fourth-most 3-pointers made last season.

Without Isaiah Collier, the Jazz lacked a primary ball handler with whom the Jazz could run in non-Keyonte minutes. The result was significant; The Jazz piled up 24 team losses as soon as the final buzzer sounded.

Don't look at this Tuesday night preseason game the way it looks on the surface. In fact, this game was just as entertaining as a regular season game. In the first half alone there were 17 lead changes between the two teams – the Jazz were only ahead by 6 before they were able to win the game in the final phase.

Game notes

Keyonte George catches fire early

Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

Keyonte George returned to action tonight after missing Saturday's game in San Antonio with a mild knee sprain. There's no question that jazz has been lacking in its willingness to take photos and the way it creates something for itself. George lit up the Kings in the first quarter by recording 8 points and 1 assist on 3-4 FG to give the Kings a 31-30 lead. He found his groove for the most part, starting with a smooth drive to the rim followed by two triples. The second quarter was just as explosive as another lay-in and a banked floater made it a 12-point half. Hopefully Utah can find more and more ways to put him in a position to be the defense's main focus on the field.

Patty Mills makes her Utah Jazz debut

Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

Just in August, the Jazz acquired Patty Mills in a $3.3 million deal to bring in a locker room veteran to mentor this young Utah Jazz team. After missing Utah's first four preseason games due to a layoff, the Australian entered today's game with 3:25 left in the first quarter. Patty Mills scored his first shot as a Jazz in the second quarter with a layup assisted by Jordan Clarkson. It wasn't Clarkson's only point to Mills that night. Towards the end of the third quarter, Jordan Clarkson hit him from beyond the arc for his second basket. His minutes on the floor will be exactly what the Jazz need in terms of leadership.

John Collins makes a revelation on the bench

Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

While his contract always made him an interesting player for the Jazz, he was nothing short of great for the role he played against Sacramento as a backup. In his 20 minutes on the court, he contributed 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 3 blocks. He was aggressive, driving and getting in the lane. Additionally, he had improved defense, which you would expect from an 81st percentile shot blocker. He fought around a few shots at the rim to make life at the rim a little harder for Sabonis. Collins' new role as a backup allows him to focus more on the little things rather than trying to replace Kessler as a center back.

Next:

The Jazz conclude their preseason tour on October 18th to face the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. MT.