SALT LAKE CITY – Tyreke Evans isn't the smiley type, spending most of his time somewhere between stoic and serene.
But it had been some time since the Kings rookie guard felt entirely like himself, so shrugs, gesticulations and looks of frustration had become the norm.
His shot wasn't falling. He wasn't getting to the free-throw line. He was out of rhythm with himself, not to mention his teammates.
The 20-year-old who grew so accustomed to being the best player on the floor had gone weeks without breathing the air of unstoppable confidence into his burly chest.
Until Saturday, that is.
Evans turned in a 32-point, seven-assist, two-turnover performance that was both timely and terrific in a shocking 104-99 win over Utah at EnergySolutions Arena.
It was a memorable, dramatic performance for this team at this time, the perfect elixir to a hellish week.
Andres Nocioni's driving-under-the-influence charge early Thursday morning was followed hours later by the news that leading scorer Kevin Martin would be gone for at least eight weeks because of a hairline fracture in his left wrist.
Just below there on the Kings' totem pole of terrors was the early disappointment of Evans' play after the rookie had been billed as a can't-miss instant success.
Yet here was Evans hitting 7 of 15 shots and converting 16 of 19 free throws, setting a Kings rookie record for attempts (previously 18) while falling one short of the made mark.
The Kings – who responded to a 15-point, second-quarter deficit with a 50-21 run that stretched late into the third quarter – won in Utah for the first time since Dec. 15, 2006. It was just the 15th time in 50 tries a Sacramento Kings team won on the Jazz's home floor.
Evans hardly did it alone.
Guard Beno Udrih (15 points, four assists, no turnovers) hit a nifty runner with 21 seconds left that all but ended the game. Nocioni hit four three-pointers.
Jason Thompson (12 points, 11 rebounds) was gritty in guarding Jazz big man Carlos Boozer (16 points, 17 rebounds). Second-year small forward Donté Greene chipped in all of his unexpected 10 points in the second quarter.
The biggest assist of the day came from Kings assistant Jim Eyen, who convinced coach Paul Westphal to implement a zone defense in the second quarter that took the Jazz from 60-percent shooting in the first quarter to 25 of 56 (44.6 percent) the rest of the way.
"(Evans) played big time for us, and we need him," said Nocioni, who had 14 points and five rebounds in 28 minutes. "Right now, he's the only guy we have who can score like that with Kevin out."
If Evans does, in fact, go on to be the special player the Kings expect, this will go down as the day of arrival.
Most of his production came in the first three quarters, though, as the Kings nearly gave up all of a 20-point, fourth-quarter lead when late execution and timid play nearly cost them the game. Still, Evans showed his potential.
"I've been a scorer all my life," Evans said. "That's one thing I can do is score the ball. With Kevin out, I think that's going to be some of my responsibility to help score."
He said it, of course, with a smile.
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