Keegan goes crazy! Murray breaks NBA and franchise 3-point records in Kings’ win over Jazz

Keegan Murray started the day by eating bacon, eggs and fruit for breakfast.

“That’s what I eat every day,” he said.

By the end of the night, Murray was doing things you don’t see every day. The second-year forward from Iowa erupted for a career-high 47 points to lead the Kings to a 125-104 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday before a sellout crowd of 17,794 at Golden 1 Center.

Fans cheered Murray’s every move and chanted his name as he set team and NBA records for 3-point shooting on a night Sacramento will never forget. The cheers turned to playful boos for Kings coach Mike Brown when he took Murray out of the game with 2:24 remaining, ending any hope of a 50-point game.

Brown didn’t want to risk an injury with the Kings leading by 20 points. Murray didn’t mind his coach’s decision, but he appreciated the crowd’s support.

“It’s a really cool feeling just to have the city have your back, especially tonight, so I’m grateful for the fans and them encouraging me through the ups and the downs. It was a special night for the entire city.”

Kings center Domantas Sabonis had 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to help the Kings (15-9) win despite the absence of All-NBA point guard De’Aaron Fox, who was out with a right shoulder injury. Malik Monk came off the bench to post 18 points and eight assists.

Collin Sexton scored 28 points to lead the Jazz (9-17), but this night belonged to Murray.

“Keegan never let us off the hook,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “Every time you make a mistake, he makes the shot. The percentages will tell you that’s not necessarily realistic either, but it was just one of those nights, and he’s obviously a very good young player.”

Murray’s record-setting performance came hours after a league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings see him as a foundational piece and they are unwilling to include him in trade talks. Murray went 16 of 23 from the field, 12 of 15 from 3-point range and 3 of 4 at the free-throw line. At one point, he made 11 consecutive 3-pointers, including 7 of 7 in the third quarter, becoming the first player in NBA history to make 11 in a row in a single game.

Murray finished two shy of Klay Thompson’s NBA record of 14 3-point goals in a game. He is one of seven players in NBA history to make 12 or more, joining a list that includes Thompson, Damian Lillard, Zach LaVine, Stephen Curry, Donyell Marshall and Kobe Bryant.

During his postgame news conference at Chase Center in San Francisco, Curry was informed that Murray made 12 of his first 13 3-point attempts through three quarters in Sacramento.

“He did what?” Curry said, raising his eyebrows. “… Twelve of 13 is nuts.”

Curry asked how much time remained in the Kings’ game and then left the podium, saying: “I’m gonna go watch that game.”

Murray also set multiple franchise records.

▪ 3-point goals in a game: Murray broke Buddy Hield’s team record of 11 3-point goals in a game against the Boston Celtics on Nov. 25, 2019.

▪ 3-point goals in a quarter: Murray’s seven third-quarter 3-pointers broke a team record that was shared by Harrison Barnes and Omri Casspi. Barnes made six 3s in a quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 20, 2021. Casspi made six in a quarter against the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 28, 2015.

▪ Points in a quarter: Murray scored 26 points in the third quarter, breaking Mitch Richmond’s record of 25 set in the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 15, 1995.

“It was a special night for him, obviously,” Kings guard Kevin Huerter said. “It felt like anything he was throwing up was going in. … It just shows you how high level of a shooter he is and I’m really happy for him.”

Murray, the unexcitable 23-year-old whose dry wit and personality have delighted coaches, teammates and fans, remained stoic as always.

“We were trying to tell him to smile, but Keegan was business as usual,” Huerter said. “We were in the huddle like, ‘Man, have a good time. This is special what you’re doing.”

Keon starts but gets ejected

Brown elected to start undrafted two-way player Keon Ellis at point guard with Fox out of the lineup.

Ellis was coming off a career night of his own after posting 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in Thursday’s 128-123 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ellis was held to two points on 0-of-3 shooting against the Jazz, but he had seven assists before he was ejected in the fourth quarter after picking up his second technical foul.

“Keon’s a young player whose confidence is growing every time he steps out on the floor,” Brown said. “He had a defensive play (against Oklahoma City) where he came across from the weak side and trapped the box against (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) and got the block. I didn’t even see that coming. He’s long. He’s a decent athlete, great anticipation and all that type of stuff, but for him to go up and challenge for that block and get it against a player of that caliber was extremely impressive.”

JTA arrives

Juan Toscano-Anderson joined the team in Sacramento on Saturday, a day after signing with the Kings. Toscano-Anderson, who is wearing No. 95, made his Kings debut when he checked in for the first time late in the fourth quarter. He finished with two rebounds and one assist in 2:24.

Toscano-Anderson, 30, is a 6-foot-6, 209-pound forward with a 6-10 wingspan. He has played 191 games over four NBA seasons. He spent three seasons with the Golden State Warriors while Brown was serving as Steve Kerr’s lead assistant. Toscano-Anderson helped the Warriors win an NBA championship in 2022 before splitting time between the Los Angeles Lakers and Jazz last season.

“He’s a veteran that obviously has been in a couple different winning environments,” Brown said. “He’s vocal, brings a lot of energy, versatile, long, communicates really well, leads by example, and he’s not afraid to lead with his mouth, too.”

Up next

The Kings will continue their six-game homestand when they play host to the Washington Wizards on Monday.

Washington (4-20) snapped a six-game losing streak with a 137-123 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday. The Wizards, who also endured an earlier nine-game losing streak, will face the Kings on the second night of a back-to-back after visiting the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

Kyle Kuzma is averaging 23.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the Wizards. Jordan Poole is averaging 17.0 points, but he is shooting just 41.5% from the field and 30.4% from 3-point range.

Upcoming schedule

Dec. 18 vs. Washington Wizards

Dec. 20 vs. Boston Celtics

Dec. 22 vs. Phoenix Suns

Dec. 23 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Dec. 26 at Portland Trail Blazers