Kings-Suns Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Dec 16 2012 11:12PM

The Phoenix Suns won all three meetings versus the Sacramento Kings last season despite being unable to contain DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins has excelled against the Suns throughout his career, something he'll hope to continue as the visiting Kings try to end a four-game slide Monday night.

This is the first meeting in 2012-13 between the worst teams in the Pacific Division, with Phoenix (9-15) taking all three from Sacramento (7-16) last season. The Suns, of course, had Steve Nash for those contests.

Cousins, meanwhile, averaged 27.7 points and 11.7 boards in those defeats. His scoring average of 22.8 points against the Suns is his best against any opponent, and he's shooting 51.0 percent versus Phoenix - one of three teams he has made at least half his shots against.

Suns center Marcin Gortat will likely be tasked with trying to slow down Cousins. Gortat averaged 16.3 points on 64.5 percent shooting last season against Sacramento.

Teammate Jared Dudley also averaged 16.3 points in those contests, shooting 59.4 percent.

Dudley is averaging 15.0 points since rejoining the starting lineup Dec. 8 against the Clippers. He scored a season-high 22 in Friday's 99-84 home victory over Utah.

"I'm a glue guy where I gotta fit in with guys, where guys are unselfish, playing the game, we're moving the ball," Dudley said. "That's happening now, we're in a good rhythm."

Goran Dragic scored 17 and Gortat added 12 and 14 rebounds for Phoenix, which has posted consecutive wins since a season-high seven-game slide.

"We play well against good teams and we demonstrated this in the last two games," Dragic said. "If we can defend well and rebound then we can run."

Sacramento has lost every game during its skid by double digits, falling by an average of 17.7 points. The Kings fell behind by 14 points inside 10 minutes and trailed by as many as 34 in Sunday's 122-97 home defeat to Denver.

"The game was decided very early in this basketball game," coach Keith Smart said.

Starting guard Tyreke Evans played the first 10 minutes, then left for good with a sore left knee. He missed five of the previous eight games because of his injured knee.

"You want to have all your pieces you practice with. We know Tyreke is going through some issues with his knees and we hope to get him back," guard Aaron Brooks said. "But we have to play a little harder. Right now I think we are slow on everything."

Isaiah Thomas led the Kings with 20 points and Cousins added 19 and 11 boards. Sacramento played its third straight game without Marcus Thornton, who left the team to be with his sick mother in Louisiana.

Brooks will return to Phoenix for the first time since he played 25 games for the Suns last season after coming over in the trade that sent Dragic to Houston. Dragic signed with the Suns as a free agent before this season.

Sacramento is 1-9 on the road, and has lost 11 of its last 12 trips to Phoenix.

Suns come from behind to beat Kings 101-90

By JOHN MARSHALL
Posted Dec 18 2012 12:55AM

PHOENIX (AP) The Phoenix Suns couldn't seem to make a shot from anywhere, struggled defensively and gave up too many offensive rebounds while falling behind by 19 points in the first half.

No problem. Big comebacks are their specialty.

Shannon Brown scored 14 of his 22 points in third quarter to bring Phoenix back, Jared Dudley had 20 points and the Suns added to their list of comebacks by beating the Sacramento Kings 101-90 Monday night.

"Well, that was interesting," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "We have to play hard for 48 minutes and we did not do that tonight. We played a great second half, but we don't want to have that kind of start."

In its previous game, Phoenix scored 34 points in the first quarter and never looked back to beat Memphis.

The Suns were back to their fall-behind-big ways against Sacramento, out of sorts at both ends in the first half, drawing boos from the home crowd and plenty of stomping along the sideline by Gentry.

Phoenix looked like a different team in the second half, working the ball around for open shots on offense, playing better defense and getting to the glass better.

Behind Brown, the Suns outscored Sacramento 31-14 in the third quarter and had 58 points in the second half to earn their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Marcin Gortat had 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots. Luis Scola gave the Suns his usual hustle while scoring 14 points and dishing out a career-high 10 assists. Dudley hit a couple of big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter when the Kings tried to rally.

The Suns are still five games under .500 at 10-15, but six of those wins have been comebacks of 10 or more points, including three of at least 19 points.

"If we get down 35-40, I don't know, but in the NBA 10 to 15 points is not big, especially early on," Dudley said. "If it's late in the fourth, that's something different, but guys went out there and played hard."

Coming off a lopsided loss the night before, the Kings were the team that looked fresh, racing out to a 52-33 lead as Jimmer Fredette scored 12 of his 22 points in the second quarter.

Then things fell apart.

The shots that were falling in the first half didn't go down and the Kings had no defensive answer when the Suns hit the gas in the third quarter, leading to their fourth straight loss.

Aaron Brooks added 12 points for Sacramento, which had a 51-38 rebounding advantage, including 18 on the offensive glass.

"I thought this was a night to steal one on the road after a game last night," Kings coach Keith Smart said. "I thought they did everything the right way up until things started to go haywire in the second half."

Sacramento and Phoenix, the two worst teams in the Pacific Division, met heading in opposite directions.

Just a week ago, the Suns were reeling, on a seven-game losing streak that included a 40-point blowout to struggling Detroit on Nov. 28, the third-worst loss in franchise history.

Phoenix started its current five-game homestand with a loss to Orlando, but followed with wins over Memphis and Utah, two teams in the upper half of the Western Conference.

The Kings appeared to be putting things together with a modest three-game winning streak, only to play poorly at both ends during a four-game losing streak. Sacramento was blown out 122-97 by Denver at home Sunday night and has struggled on the road all season, winning 1 of 10 games before facing the Suns.

The Kings missed nine of their first 12 shots before getting into groove with a 10-0 run.

After that, it was the Suns who looked worn down.

Phoenix missed all seven of its 3-pointers in the first quarter and wasn't much better from anywhere else, unable to get even layups and tip-ins to go down. The Suns failed to hit a field goal over the final 5:19 of the first quarter and continued to struggle in the second, falling behind by 19.

Phoenix managed to hit a couple of shots late, but still trailed 54-43 at halftime - the 20th time in 25 games this season the Suns have trailed by double digits.

Hitting the shots that weren't falling early, Phoenix went on an 18-4 run midway through the third quarter, going up 61-58 after Brown hit three straight shots, including a 3-pointer as he fell into Sacramento's bench.

"You work so hard in the first half to establish a lead then you let it go in three minutes," Brooks said. "It's kind of disheartening."

The Suns didn't let up, hitting 13 of 21 shots in the third quarter and playing better defense, holding the Kings scoreless for four minutes to turn an 11-point deficit into a six-point lead.

Phoenix extended the lead to 85-75 on a 3-pointer by Michael Beasley from the corner midway through the fourth quarter, but the Kings clawed back within three. The Sun sealed their latest comeback after that, going up 97-84 on consecutive 3-pointers by Dudley and a driving layup by Brown.

NOTES: Hall of Fame center Bill Russell attended the game. ... Phoenix has won 12 of its past 14 games against Sacramento at home. ... Sacramento played without G Tyreke Evans, who left with sore knee after the first quarter against Denver Sunday night.

Notebook: Suns 101, Kings 90

Jonathan Dalton, for NBA.com
Posted Tue Dec 18, 2012 1:41 AM - Updated Tue Dec 18, 2012 1:41 AM

THE FACTS: Shannon Brown scored 14 of his 22 points in the third quarter, matching Sacramento's point total for the period, and the Phoenix Suns rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat the Kings 101-90 for their season-best third straight win.

Jared Dudley had 20 and Luis Scola and Marcin Gortat each scored 14 for the Suns, who have trailed by double digits in six of their 10 victories. Gortat added 13 rebounds and six blocked shots while Scola recorded a career-best 10 assists.

Jimmer Fredette scored a career-high 22 off the bench and Aaron Brooks scored 12 for the Kings, who have lost five straight overall and four in a row against the Suns.

QUOTABLE: "I look on the right side (of the record) and we've got 15 losses. We can't overlook anyone. Anyone in this state. Anyone. Not even (Scottsdale) Chaparral High School."

-- Suns coach Alvin Gentry

THE STAT: The Kings missed seven of their first 10 shots and nine minutes into the game had as many turnovers as field goals. After scoring 32 points in the second, Sacramento went 7-for-22 from the floor in the third with another five turnovers.

TURNING POINT: Brown gave the Suns their first lead since late in the first quarter, 59-58, scoring seven points in 62 seconds to key a 26-6 run over the second and third quarters.

QUOTABLE II: "You work so hard in the first half to establish a lead and they you let it go in three minutes. It's kind of disheartening."
- Brooks

HOT: Brown was 10-for-13 for the game and 6-for-7 in the third quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers. As a team, the Suns were 13-for-21 for the period and had 10 assists on 13 baskets.

NOT: Only three Sacramento players scored in double digits and the Kings' starters combined for just 41 points. ... Kings center DeMarcus Cousins spent much of the game in foul trouble and finished with nine points on 1-for-10 shooting from the field and 7-for-8 from the line.

NOTABLE: Sacramento has won in Phoenix just once since Nov. 6, 2005. ... Phoenix went 6:31 across the first and second quarters without a field goal. ... The Suns are 6-2 against the Western Conference. ... The Suns have followed their seven-game losing streak with a three-game winning streak, the first time that's happened in club history since 1987-88 when Phoenix dropped nine straight and then won four in a row. ... Scola is the fifth non-guard with double-digit assists in a game this season, joining Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Greg Monroe and Nicolas Batum.

IN THE ARENA: Hall of Famer Bill Russell was seated just to the right of the Suns bench.

UP NEXT: For the Kings, Wednesday vs. Golden State, Friday @ L.A. Clippers, Sunday vs. Portland. For the Suns, Wednesday vs. Charlotte, Saturday @ Portland, Sunday vs. L.A. Clippers.

• Kings: Honeycutt
• Suns: Frye, Marshall

• Kings: --
• Suns: Gortat

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #45 Brian Forte, #75 Eric Dalen
• Attendance: 13068
• Duration: 2:12