Suns-Kings Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Jan 22 2013 10:42PM

The Phoenix Suns own the worst record in the Western Conference, so they're hoping a coaching change can provide a jolt.

The Sacramento Kings aren't much better, and their potential changes include packing their bags.

Lindsey Hunter will make his coaching debut as the Suns attempt to win for just the third time in over a month Wednesday night when they visit the Kings.

Phoenix (13-28) seems to be on its way to a third consecutive season out of the playoffs after losing 13 of 15 since a season-high four-game winning streak, falling to the bottom of the West.

Those woes continued with Thursday's 98-94 loss to Milwaukee, a defeat that resulted in coach Alvin Gentry and the club mutually agreeing to part ways.

That was the initial move in a shakeup that also has seemingly led to the departure of assistants Dan Majerle and Elston Turner, who were among those interviewed to replace Gentry.

Instead, it'll be Hunter - the team's player development director - at the helm for the remaining 41 games.

"I think the simple answer is that the organization needed a jolt," general manager Lance Blanks said. "We needed something that would shock the system of us, the players, and risk trumps safety in this business. We felt this was the right person to take the risk on."

Hunter spent 17 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2010, winning NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit. The three practices since his hiring have been longer than the ones Gentry ran.

"I know these practices are a lot longer than they are accustomed to, but we've got a lot to get accomplished," Hunter said. "Like I told them, I don't watch the clock. I just watch what they do, and we have to work until we can't forget what we're supposed to do, not until we get it. We have to work until we can't forget it."

The emphasis on defense may help the Suns since they give up an average of 104.1 points on 40.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc while going 3-17 on the road.

"I'm a defensive guy," Hunter said. "That's the identity that we're going to try to create, is being a tough, nasty, defensive-minded team, and we'll go from there."

The Kings (16-26) may be headed for an identity overhaul of their own, possibly relocating to Seattle and becoming the SuperSonics. While the move is still awaiting approval from NBA owners, Sacramento is making efforts to keep the team.

The Kings are returning home for the first time since the Maloof family announced that they were selling their entire 65 percent share for $525 million to a Seattle group led by investor Chris Hansen on Monday. Hours following that announcement, Sacramento fell 114-105 at New Orleans to lose for the sixth time in nine games. The Kings are allowing an average of 111.7 points in those defeats.

DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points and 13 rebounds against the Hornets, and is averaging 23.0 and 13.0 over the past five games.

The center has 20.9 points per game and 9.6 boards over seven meetings with the Suns, but turned in one of his worst performances of the season against them in a 101-90 loss Dec. 17. Cousins finished with nine points and 10 rebounds while making only 1 of 10 attempts from the floor.

That was Phoenix's fourth consecutive win in the series, and Jared Dudley is averaging 18.0 points over the past five meetings.

The swingman had 20 points against the Kings last month, while Shannon Brown poured in 22 while sinking 10 of 13 from the floor.

Brown, who averages 12.3 points, has totaled 41 over the last two games.

Suns beat Kings 106-96 in 1st game under Hunter

By JEFF WEIDEL
Posted Jan 24 2013 2:07AM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat had the game ball tucked under his jersey, and before heading into the locker room to celebrate, he approached an official at the scorer's table.

"I'm keeping the ball, so fine me for it, or send me a bill," Gortat said with a wry smile.

Luis Scola scored 21 points and the Suns won their first game under new coach Lindsey Hunter, who was presented the game ball after a 106-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

The Suns, tied with New Orleans for the worst record in the Western Conference at 14-28, outplayed the Kings in the second half, quieting a Sacramento crowd that was watching the Kings for the first time since the announced sale of the team to a group of Seattle businessmen.

It's been a tumultuous week for the Suns, too. They parted ways with coach Alvin Gentry last Friday following a stretch of seven losses in eight games.

In a surprise move, the Suns named Hunter - formerly the team's player development director - as their interim head coach for the remaining 41 games this season. Hunter spent 17 seasons as a player in the NBA before retiring in 2010, winning NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons.

"That was really exciting," said Hunter, who appeared to rely heavily on his assistant coaches throughout the game. "I'm more excited for the guys than I am anything else. They've worked so hard for me these past couple of days. This is a long, long journey and this is just the beginning for all of us."

Unhappy with the hiring of Hunter, assistant coach Dan Majerle departed and Elston Turner may be next to go. The team's lead assistant, Turner was not at Wednesday's game and reportedly will meet with Suns general manager Lance Blanks on Thursday regarding his future with the team.

"It's been painful," Scola said about the coaching changes. "You don't want it to happen. It's not the coach's fault, it's everyone's fault. We couldn't do it with Alvin, but we're going to try to make this coach successful."

The Suns were successful in Hunter's debut, thanks in large part to Michael Beasley. Playing in a reserve role, Beasley had 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Suns outscored Sacramento 32-19.

"We defended. And Michael Beasley was tremendous in the fourth quarter," Gortat said. "He took the game over by himself. He was unstoppable and gave us three straight possessions where he scored. He definitely helped us win."

The Suns shot nearly 48 percent and outscored the Kings 57-39 in the second half. Gortat, Goran Dragic and Shannon Brown scored 12 apiece for Phoenix, which has won two straight road games but is 4-17 away from home.

"They just made some good switches and changes at halftime," said Kings forward James Johnson, who had 14 points. "It worked on us. And Michael Beasley came in and we couldn't stop him during that run."

Tyreke Evans scored 16 points and DeMarcus Cousins had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Kings, who have dropped two straight and three of four. Cousins, who committed six of Sacramento's season-high 25 turnovers, was called for his 10th technical foul in the fourth quarter for delay of game.

Rookie forward Thomas Robinson had 12 points and a season-high 14 rebounds off the bench for the Kings, who outrebounded Phoenix 49-30.

"A very disappointing loss for our basketball team - 25 turnovers, 27 points we gave on those turnovers, and a lot of missed free throws (15 of 24)," Kings coach Keith Smart said. "It's unfortunate for our team to lose this game. Don't take anything away from Phoenix, they made plays when they had to."

This was the first game in Sacramento since the Maloofs, owners of the Kings, reached a deal to sell controlling interest of the team to a group led by investor Chris Hansen, who will file for relocation to move the franchise to Seattle next season. That move will require NBA approval.

On Tuesday, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson identified 20 local investors who committed $1 million each in a bid to purchase the Kings. Johnson, who attended the game and sat in a courtside seat, said he plans to announce several major investors later this week in his ongoing effort to keep the team in Sacramento.

"It's just business, but nobody really knows what's going on," Evans said. "So we've just got to keep playing and worry about the season. It's not really a distraction. My job is basketball. It's not where we are moving to."

The Suns used a 15-1 run in the fourth quarter to grab control of the game. Phoenix closed the spurt with six straight points, taking a 96-85 lead with 4:29 remaining. A three-point play by Scola, who had nine fourth-quarter points, gave Phoenix a 13-point cushion with just under a minute left.

Beasley, who entered the game shooting just under 37 percent, made eight of 15 shots, hit his only 3-point attempt and had six rebounds in 21 minutes.

"Beasley is still a proven player in our league," Smart said. "Obviously he played well. He was able to make some big plays down the stretch."

Despite uncertainty about the team leaving town, the 12,741 Sacramento fans in attendance were surprisingly subdued, treating it like a routine midseason game.

There were multiple signs displayed in support of the team, however, and one courtside fan yelled, "KJ (Kevin Johnson) you're the man" several times. A small group of fans also chanted "Stay in Sac."

"Coaches and for the most part players don't get caught up in everything that goes on off the floor," Smart said before the game. "They focus on practices and deal with the guys they work with. You are not paying attention to what your team is doing if you are focusing on the outside. We try to focus on the game."

The Suns played well in the third quarter and continued that trend in the fourth. Scola made a pair of jumpers and Beasley added a dunk and later followed with a jumper at the midway point in the quarter, giving Phoenix a 92-85 lead.

Markieff Morris scored eight points in the third quarter when the Suns closed the gap, outscoring the Kings 25-20 and pulling to 77-74 entering the fourth.

James Johnson hit all five shots in the second quarter when he scored 11 points, helping the Kings take a 57-49 lead into halftime.

NOTES: Cousins connected on a 3-pointer with 1 second left in the first quarter. ... Jermaine O'Neal, the Suns' co-captain, did not practice or travel with the team Tuesday due to a medical issue. He reportedly had a verbal confrontation with Blanks earlier in the week. ... Kings reserve guard Jimmer Fredette entered in the second quarter after not playing in the two previous games. He had two points in just under 4 minutes of playing time. ... Former Suns scout Dan Panaggio returned to the team as a new assistant coach, joining Noel Gillespie and Igor Kokoskov, who replaced Turner as lead assistant.

Notebook: Suns 106, Kings 96

James Ham, for NBA.com
Posted Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:13 AM - Updated Thu Jan 24, 2013 1:13 AM

THE FACTS: The Phoenix Suns got Lindsey Hunter a win his first game as an NBA head coach, besting the Sacramento Kings 106-96 at Sleep Train Arena.

Michael Beasley caught fire late and finished with 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting in just 22 minutes. Luis Scola added 21 points and seven rebounds as six Suns scored in double figures in the win.

DeMarcus Cousins notched another big game for the Kings, finishing with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Rookie forward Thomas Robinson shined in his 26 minutes of play, scoring 12 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, while Tyreke Evans added 16 points, six rebounds and four assists.

QUOTABLE: "It's real exciting. I'm more excited for the guys than anything else because they've worked so hard these couple of days for me and this is a long, long journey and this is just the beginning for all of us."
-- Lindsey Hunter

THE STAT: The Kings didn't value the ball and the result was a season-high 24 turnovers.

TURNING POINT: The Kings took a 77-74 lead into the fourth quarter, but were outscored by 13 in the quarter, mostly by Beasley.

QUOTABLE II: "Right now we've proven we can lose against everybody. We've made that really clear. We can lose against every team in the NBA."
-- Luis Scola

HOT I: Beasley went crazy on the Kings in the fourth, scoring 13 of his 19 points in the final quarter as the Suns pulled away late.

HOT II: James Johnson had a huge impact in the first half, scoring 11 points off the bench on 5-for-5 shooting and blocking two shots. He didn't fair as well in the second half.

NOT: Isaiah Thomas had a rough shooting night, finishing with six points and seven assists on 2-for-10 from the floor.

GOOD MOVE: Coach Keith Smart went to Thomas Robinson early in the second half to slow down Markieff Morris and the rookie responded with his best game as a pro.

BAD MOVE: Johnson couldn't slow Beasley at all in the fourth quarter and it took way too long for Smart to try something different.

NOTABLE: Hunter coached his first NBA game for the Suns. Robinson set a new career high in rebounds with 14.

UP NEXT: For the Suns, Thursday vs. L.A. Clippers, Saturday @ San Antonio, Sunday @ Dallas. For the Kings, Friday vs. Oklahoma City, Saturday @ Denver, Monday @ Washington.

• Suns: Frye, Garrett, O'Neal
• Kings: Honeycutt

• Suns: --
• Kings: --

• Lead Changes: 8
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, CA
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #18 Matt Boland, #72 J.T. Orr
• Attendance: 12741
• Duration: 2:11