Sacramento Kings Score Final 10 Points To Beat Phoenix Suns
By Phil Watson
Nov 19, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings shooting guard Ben McLemore (16) reacts after dunking the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Phoenix Suns 107-104. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
DeMarcus Cousins scored 27 points to go with 15 rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots and the Sacramento Kings closed the game on a 10-0 run to beat the Phoenix Suns Tuesday night at Sleep Train Arena 107-104.
Gerald Green, starting in place of the injured Eric Bledsoe for Phoenix (5-5), canned a 3-pointer with 3:34 remaining to put the Suns up 104-97, capping a run of seven straight points for Phoenix after the Kings tied the game on a Travis Outlaw dunk.
Those three points would be the last of the game for the Suns.
Isaiah Thomas hit a pair of free throws and Cousins converted a three-point play to get Sacramento back within two at 104-102 with 2:21 left. Cousins followed that up with a block of Channing Frye’s jumper, but Thomas lost possession of the loose ball when his pocket was picked by Ish Smith.
The teams then traded mistakes.
Miles Plumlee was called for a three-second violation on Phoenix’s end, but Cousins gave the ball back with an offensive foul. Goran Dragic threw the ball away for the Suns, though, and set up Outlaw’s 15-foot turnaround jumper with 39 seconds left to tie the game.
Thomas stole the ball from Smith and then made both of his free throws after Smith fouled him to give the Kings their first lead since it was 33-31 early in the second quarter.
Dragic threw the ball away again for the Suns, but Cousins gave it back after the steal. After a jump ball in which 6-foot-9 Marcus Morris easily won the tip from the 5-foot-9 Thomas, Dragic misfired on a 16-footer with six seconds left. Phoenix got the rebound when the ball went out of bounds and got a shot, but Marcus Morris missed a corner 3-pointer.
Cousins hit one of two from the line after he collected the rebound and was fouled. Green made it interesting when his 60-foot heave hit off the backboard at the buzzer.
The Kings improved to 3-7 with the win, getting 19 points from Thomas and from rookie Ben McLemore, who was 4-for-10 from 3-point range. Greivis Vasquez had 11 points and six assists and Patrick Patterson came off the bench to score 10 points.
Green led the Suns with 23 points, Marcus Morris had 19, Frye added 17, Archie Goodwin had 16 off the bench in just 19 minutes and Plumlee and Dragic had 10 points each. Dragic also handed out eight assists, but turned the ball over seven times.
Sacramento led 33-25 after one quarter before Phoenix went on a 10-0 run to take the lead. The Suns hung 37 on the Kings in the second quarter to take a 62-54 halftime lead and led 88-82 heading into the fourth period.
For Phoenix, it was their third straight loss in the final minutes. The Suns lost at Portland 90-89 on Wednesday and fell on an overtime buzzer-beater to Brooklyn at home on Friday.
The teams go right back at it Wednesday night at US Airways Center in Phoenix to complete the Pacific Division home-and-home. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. Pacific.