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They've felt what it's like to run up against the rookie wall.

For Raul Neto, his first NBA season has been a world of difference from his European experience.

"In Spain, I was 100 percent for every game because we had a week to recover from one game to another," the Utah Jazz point guard said. "Here, we are 80, 90, 70 percent every game — never 100 percent."

Trey Lyles feels it too.

"It's something that you've just got to forget about, go out there and push yourself," the forward said.

On Thursday night, just before they've reached the midway point of the season, the Jazz's tired rookies did their best to scale that proverbial wall against the Sacramento Kings. And in a 103-101 loss, Neto and Lyles were the ones doing their best to keep a mostly lifeless Jazz team from flatlining.

Lyles and Neto scored 10 points apiece in the first half, while the rest of their teammates struggled to come up with 25 more.

After setting a season-high mark with 16 points against the Blazers on Wednesday, Lyles topped it, scoring 19 points in 38 minutes against the Kings. It might have been a perfect night except for the ending, when Lyles, tasked with guarding Rudy Gay, watched the forwards' fadeaway 17-footer sail over his outstretched arms and into the hoop for the game-winner.

"It was huge," forward Joe Ingles said of the rookie's play. "It might put a damper on Trey with that last play, but he kept us in the game a lot of the way, and for a month now he's been playing great."

Neto, meanwhile, was coming off a poor night against Damian Lillard in Portland but managed to bounce back against the Kings. The point guard tied a season high with 13 points, while dishing out four assists.

"That's what it means to be young and be a rookie," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "Consistency is something that comes in time and with experience. Sometimes people find it quicker than others. I think for the most part he's been that with some blips."

Neto and Lyles still have to adjust as they enter the second half of their first season. But they've both shown a willingness to fight through the fatigue.

"It's way different than I'm used to," Neto admitted "I feel tired every day. On the off days, I just want to be home and get some rest. It's so much different. But every player wants to play games.

"We all have some pain or something that's bothering us, but once we start the game we just give 100 percent of what we have."

afalk@sltrib.com Twitter: @tribjazz