Like a coup waiting to happen, the team that couldn't come close to Sacramento in the regular season nudged close to the Kings.

Just like the first time they tried to sneak in a win, though, the Jazz failed to finish this attempted playoff overthrow.
     
Oh, they had their shots. Unfortunately for Utah, the really important ones missed their mark.
     
With Bryon Russell's blown layup, a couple off-the-mark 3-point tries from Rusty LaRue and a slew of late-game Sacramento free throws, the Kings held on Saturday to beat the Jazz 90-87 at the sold-out Delta Center.
     
That done, top-seeded Sacramento took a 2-1 lead in the opening-round, best-of-five NBA playoff series that resumes with Monday night's Game 4 at the Delta Center.