Game story (Evans flourishes)
Game notes (Nocioni relieved after win and reflects on DUI)
NBA Plus (Looking at Durant and the Thunder, who play in Sacramento Tuesday)
SALT LAKE CITY - Gavin Maloof mistook the media room for the owner's suite, but he was making the rounds pumping his fist nonetheless.
The Kings co-owner made the trip to Utah to see a game no one expected the Kings to win. But they did, and they did it with a few notes that didn't make the above-linked coverage.
* Injured players Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia looked dandy in their suits and did a fine job as male cheerleaders. Both guys were genuinely ecstatic after the win.
* Ime Udoka winds up with the best plus-minus of the bunch (plus-19) in his Kings debut. Feisty defender, glue guy and composed in ways the Kings badly need. Kings coach Paul Westphal jokes that Udoka proved training camp is unnecessary. Desmond Mason doesn't find it funny - wherever he was.
* Jason Thompson has another impressive outing - 12 points, 11 rebounds, five assists. Great frontcourt ball movement with Spencer Hawes.
* Donte' Greene's breakout was surprising in this sense: Omri Casspi was ready to roll. The rookie small forward had turned his left ankle recently and was questionable for tonight's game. But even after Casspi said he was good to go, Kings coach Paul Westphal obviously opted to give Greene a shot that he made the most of. Casspi didn't play. I'll chock this one up to Westphal taking the safe route with one player while utilizing a chance to get a guy out of the doghouse at the same time.
* Kings hit 11 of 19 threes, 27 of 32 free throws and shoot 49.6 percent overall. A welcome change for Westphal, who noted before the game that the Kings had averaged eight more possessions than their opponent but they obviously weren't doing much with them. Ranked 23rd in shooting percentage (42.37).
* The Jazz were awful after the first quarter, and except for a short stretch in the fourth when the Kings almost blew all of their 20-point lead as the offense came to a halt. Deron Williams couldn't do it alone (29 points, 15 assists, three turnovers).
Golden State (1-3) at Kings (2-4)
When: 6 p.m.
Where: Arco Arena.
TV: CSNCA.
Radio: KHTK (1140 AM).
Kings update: Now would be a good time for the Kings to remember what they learned in the preseason, that lowering their opponent's field-goal percentage and increasing their own rebounding numbers can make quite an impact on their competitive chances.
Warriors update: The Warriors have fallen to Houston, Phoenix and the Clippers. But just like the Kings, their first win came against Memphis in a game in which Anthony Morrow and Monta Ellis scored 24 points apiece. The Kings downed the Warriors 101-94 in the preseason Oct. 17 at Arco Arena.
Probable starters
KINGS
G Beno Udrih
G Tyreke Evans
SF Andres Nocioni
PF Jason Thompson
C Spencer Hawes
WARRIORS
PG Monta Ellis
SG Stephen Curry
SF Stephen Jackson
F Kelenna Azubuike
C Mikki Moore
- Sam Amick
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