Suns-Kings Preview

By KATE HEDLIN
Posted Apr 03 2012 2:51AM

The Phoenix Suns are trying to climb into the Western Conference's top eight, but that may be impossible unless they play better on the road against conference foes.

The Suns open a three-game road trip Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings.

Phoenix is in 10th place in the West - two games behind Houston for the final playoff spot and one game back of ninth-place Utah.

The Suns (26-26) bounced back from consecutive losses with a 92-75 win over New Orleans on Sunday.

Playing its first game since Grant Hill had surgery on his right knee, Phoenix put together one of its better defensive performances of the season. The Suns forced 19 turnovers and held the Hornets to 34 points in the second half.

Jared Dudley scored 21 points, Steve Nash had 14 assists and Channing Frye added 14 points and 11 rebounds.

"We had to come out and get the win," Dudley said. "We are at home, fighting for playoffs. We see that Houston has been losing, Utah has been losing, so we have to keep it going. It is going to come down to the road games, so the home games are must-wins. It doesn't matter who comes here."

Phoenix, though, plays seven of its next eight on the road, visiting the Jazz on Wednesday and the Rockets on April 13. The Suns are 10-15 on the road, including 4-12 against West foes.

To improve on that record, they are looking to increase their defensive intensity. They are 1-5 in their last six road games against conference opponents, allowing more than 100 points in all five defeats.

"We know that we are going to have to play well and we are going to have games that we have to win and a lot of those games are going to be on the road," coach Alvin Gentry said. "For us, (Sunday was) our first playoff game and we get on a plane and fly to Sacramento and that will be our next playoff game. I think that's the way we have to approach it."

A visit to the Pacific Division-worst Kings presents Phoenix with a good opportunity to start the trip on a positive note - the Suns won 98-84 in California's capital Feb. 11 - but Sacramento (19-34) won for the second time in three games Monday, defeating Minnesota 116-108.

The Kings have given up at least 103 points in eight straight games, but they tightened their defense late Monday, allowing 22 points in the fourth quarter after opening the period with an 11-0 run.

Tyreke Evans had 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists while DeMarcus Cousins scored 20 points and added nine rebounds. Sacramento had a 46-35 rebounding advantage, scoring 60 points in the paint.

Evans' numbers are getting better as he continues to adjust to a new position, and he's shooting 56.8 percent in his last nine games.

"I still put him in a position to be a playmaker," coach Keith Smart said. "Tonight was a game where he could push it up and make plays. He's a small forward with point guard skills."

After taking the final three meetings with the Suns in 2010-11, the Kings have lost both this season, shooting a combined 36.9 percent.

Suns upend Kings 109-100

Posted Apr 04 2012 2:15AM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Phoenix Suns star Steve Nash controlled the game when it mattered most, making big shots and finding open teammates in the fourth quarter with the game in doubt.

It's a trait the veteran All-Star point guard has exhibited throughout his NBA career, and he did it one more time Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings.

Marcin Gortat had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Nash added 18 points and 12 assists and the Suns held off the Kings for a 109-100 victory.

It was a key win for Phoenix, which is trying to move up in the standings with 13 games remaining, including six of the next seven on the road.

The Suns won their second straight and third in four games to move over the .500 mark (27-26) for only the third time this season.

The Suns moved within 1 1/2 games of Houston for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff berth.

"We know every game is critical," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "You have to treat every game like a playoff game. This group understands that urgency."

It was Nash helping to push the lead to double digits in the fourth quarter when the Kings kept hanging around, hoping they could get a win on a night when they didn't play well.

Sacramento even had a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter that didn't last long.

After getting a rest for the first half of the fourth quarter, Nash entered the game with 6:25 remaining and was key in a 12-2 run that put Phoenix ahead 101-90.

He made a 3-pointer and followed with an off-balance shot in the lane. A basket by Channing Frye gave the Suns an 11-point lead with 4:05 remaining.

Nash had seven points and three assists in the fourth. Nash also got Phoenix back on track in the second quarter when it squandered much of its 17-point lead but managed to go into halftime ahead by eight, thanks in part to Nash.

"I wouldn't call it a good win, but it was one we needed," said Jared Dudley, who scored 15 points. "They kept making runs at us and twice Steve Nash had to step in and come to the rescue and bail us out."

The Suns won despite the play of DeMarcus Cousins. He scored a career-high 41 points and had 12 rebounds for the Kings, who have lost three of four.

Cousins said Nash was the difference-maker.

"All the credit goes to Steve. He's an incredible player and he knows how to run his team. He sits on the sidelines, rests up a little bit, and then comes back in to (get) you. He doesn't take a lot of shots until the end of the game. He's a tough matchup."

Matched up most of the game against Gortat, Cousins made 16 of 25 shots, had five offensive rebounds and added two assists.

"He's good because he doesn't care," Gortat said. "He doesn't care if he turns the ball over, doesn't care if he misses on a bad shot, he just keeps playing. He's really talented. I got frustrated early and he got going and had confidence all game. I did a terrible job on him."

Isaiah Thomas had 25 points and seven assists, and Terrence Williams had another big game off the bench with a season-high 16 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Michael Redd had 16 points and both Frye and Jared Dudley had 15 for Phoenix. Shannon Brown had 12 points for the Suns.

Redd scored three quick baskets to begin the fourth quarter, stretching the Suns' lead to 87-82 with just under 10 minutes left. But three straight baskets by Cousins pulled Sacramento within 89-88.

"We knew we were going to get their best basketball," Kings coach Keith Smart said. "We have to look at games like this as our playoffs."

The Suns maintained the lead in the third quarter despite having no answer for Cousins. The Kings' center had 13 points and eight rebounds, yet Sacramento still trailed 79-78 heading the fourth.

Nash began looking for his shot more in the third quarter when he had seven points and three assists for Phoenix, which was outscored 27-20.

Gortat had 13 points and eight rebounds in a first-half matchup with Cousins. The Suns led by as many as 17 points in the second quarter and took a 59-51 advantage into halftime.

Notes: Despite shooting 39 percent in the opening quarter, the Suns still led 29-18. ... The Kings played without starting guard Marcus Thornton (bruised left calf) and key reserve John Salmons (sore right hip). ... Earning a rare start, Kings forward Donte Greene went scoreless and had three personal fouls in the first half. ... Redd scored 10 second-quarter points. ... The Kings made 4 of 11 free throws in the first half.

Notebook: Suns 109, Kings 100

Posted Wednesday April 4, 2012 1:31AM

By James Ham, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Kings played well for about 42 minutes before falling apart late and allowing the Phoenix Suns to walk away with the 109-100 victory in Sacramento.

Marcin Gortat led the way for the Suns with 20 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth. Veteran Michael Redd provided a huge spark off the bench, scoring 16 points in just 16 minutes of action. But when it mattered, former MVP Steve Nash torched the Kings, finishing with 18 points, 12 assists and six rebounds in the Suns win.

DeMarcus Cousins carried his Kings for most of the night, finishing with a career-high 41 points and 12 rebounds. Rookie Isaiah Thomas scored 25 points and handed out seven assists, while Terrence Williams continued his strong play off the bench for the Kings, dropping another well rounded 16 point, five assist and six rebound night.

QUOTABLE: "I believe tonight it was five against one. It was all five of us trying to guard Steve Nash. All the credit to Steve. He's an incredible player. He knows how to run his team. He's definitely professional and one of the best points (guards) to play this game. He's a tough matchup for anybody."
-- DeMarcus Cousins on the big night by Nash.

THE STAT: Nash finished the game with 12 assists and only one turnover, in 32 minutes of action. When the Suns needed to close out the Kings, they turn to their leader and he responded.

TURNING POINT: After playing out of his mind for most of the game, Cousins picked up an offensive foul for shoving Channing Frye at the 6:25 mark of the fourth. The Kings were trailing 93-88 at the time and the Suns went on an 8-2 run over the next two and a half minutes to put Sacramento away.

QUOTABLE II: "I just keep telling him all the time -- individually, our team, as a group, our players, keep telling him -- you're too important for our team for you to get sideways. The M.O. around the league is - get under his skin and he'll step out of his game. I'm not saying purposely, but I'm saying you can see what teams are doing sometimes."
-- Kings coach Keith Smart on the development of Cousins.

HOT: Cousins was dominant tonight. The Kings big man scored a game high 41 points on 16-for-25 shooting and added 12 rebounds for his 32nd double-double of the season.

NOT: Jimmer Fredette had every opportunity to shine in the first half and did not. The rookie scorer out of BYU missed all five of his shot attempts in the first half and finished 0-for-6 from the field with five missed 3-pointers.

GOOD MOVE: Coach Alvin Gentry seems to know the exact moment to reinsert Nash into a ball game. The veteran guard played only 32 minutes tonight, but orchestrated the game to perfection when he was on the floor.

NOTABLE: Cousins set a new career high in points with 41. The second-year big man out of Kentucky achieved his previous high of 38 on March 26 at Houston.

UP NEXT: For the Suns, Wednesday @ Utah, Friday @ Denver, Saturday vs. L.A. Lakers. For the Kings, Thursday vs. L.A. Clippers, Saturday @ L.A. Clippers, Sunday vs. Houston.

• Suns: --
• Kings: Salmons

• Suns: Brown
• Kings: --

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: Power Balance Pavilion, Sacramento, CA
• Officials: #13 Monty McCutchen, #6 Tony Brown, #73 Tre Maddox
• Attendance: 12462
• Duration: 2:17