Category: Sacramento Kings

Suns take advantage of Kings mistake laden third quarter in 109-104 win

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Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) takes it to the hoop against Sacramento Kings guards Davion Mitchell (15) and Terence Davis (3) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Mon Nov 8, 2021 (AP News photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

SACRAMENTO—One quarter can make or break a team.

For the Sacramento Kings, it was a horrendous third quarter doomed them in a 109-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday evening at Golden 1 Center.

Sacramento have lost three out of its past five games. Phoenix has won a season best five games in a row after starting the season 1-3.

Sacramento (5-6) were without the services of guard Tyrese Haliburton who was out with lower back tightness.

Phoenix (6-3) were without their star center DeAndre Ayton who was out with a lower leg contusion.

The Kings got off to slow start for its second consecutive game. The Suns opened the game on a 12-4 run led by the backcourt duo of Chris Paul and Devon Booker who combined for 10 of the 12 points.

Sacramento were able to get back into the game thanks for forward Harrison Barnes’ eight points to pace the Kings in the second quarter.

Phoenix finished the first quarter on a 7-2 run as they led 34-28. Cameron Payne had nine points off the bench in the opening 12 minutes.

Davian Mitchell gave the Kings its first lead of the game with a mid-range jumper with eight minutes left in the second quarter to put Sacramento up 42-21.

Sacramento found their rhythm in the second quarter as they outscored Phoenix 36-33 to close the gap to three points as they were down 67-64 at halftime.

Point guard DeAaron Fox, who had a quiet first quarter, responded by scoring 10 points in the second quarter. Terrence Davis had a strong half with 11 points and Buddy Hield scored eight points in the second quarter.

Payne paced the Suns with 17 points in the first half as he was the only Phoenix player in double digits at halftime.

The Kings played their worst third quarter of the season. A combination of poor shooting a multiple turnovers allowed the defending Western Conference champions to take control of the game and pull away from Sacramento.

The Suns started the quarter on a 14-0 run aided by four Kings turnovers. Sacramento’s first points of the quarter were a Mitchell layup with 6:52 left. Phoenix outscored Sacramento 31-12 and ended the quarter with a comfortable 98-76 lead. Fox and Hield provided no offense for the Kings.

“We let them get easy shots, easy looks and offensive rebounds,” said Mitchell. “We didn’t play with (any sort of) pace in the third quarter.”

The Suns scored 38 points off of 24 Kings turnovers, 10 of them in the third quarter. They had more fast break points than Kings (15-13) and their bench outscored Sacramento’s 48-33.

Kings head coach Luke Walton emptied his bench in the fourth quarter as he had seen enough watching his starters perform badly after a good first half. He had Mitchell, Chimezie Metu and Damian Jones play the entire fourth quarter along Fox and Barnes.

“What I’m most disappointed in is wasted opportunities,” said Walton. “We let Phoenix take us out of what we’re doing (as a team). We gave in. So at that point, we might as well not even play and stay here and have a practice we how we came out in that third quarter.”

Phoenix allowed the Kings back in the game playing isolation ball on offense for the entire fourth quarter. The Kings stepped up their defense and got the game to under single digits.

Sacramento were able to cut the lead to 105-100 with 2:36 left in the game.

We loved the fight that the group showed, the bench. Unfortunately it took the bench to come in and do that.”

Barnes scored a layup on what was originally called a blocking foul with 1:12 left that would’ve cut the lead to one point. Suns head coach Earl Watson challenged and the call it was overturned after review with Barnes earning the offensive foul and turnover.

Still the Kings had a chance to force overtime when Booker missed two free throws with 7.4 seconds. The ensuing play ended up with a fatal turnover that led to Paul sealing the deal with two free throws to ice the game for Phoenix.

Payne led all scorers with 24 points off the bench. Booker had 18 points on 8-15 from the floor. Mikal Bridges and Paul finished with 16 points.

Barnes led the Kings with 26 points to go along with six rebounds but committed a team high six turnovers. Fox had 24 points with five turnovers. Mitchell finished with 12 points and six rebounds in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: Robert Woodward II was out with a hamstring injury for Sacramento and Dario Saric did not play for Phoenix with a knee injury.

Sacramento finished 5-7 in Pacific Division games and 16-20 at home last season. The Kings averaged 113.8 points per game while allowing opponents to score 117.6 last season.

Phoenix went 51-20 overall and 30-12 in Western Conference play during the 2020-21 season. The Suns averaged 7.2 steals, 4.3 blocks and 12.0 turnovers per game last season.

The two teams played for the second time this season. The Kings defeated the Suns 110-107 in their last meeting on Oct. 28. Buddy Hield led the Kings with 26 points, and Devin Booker led the Suns with 31 points.

UP NEXT: Sacramento begins a four-game road trip on Wednesday 11/10 as they take on the San Antonio Spurs at 5:30pm at AT&T Center.

Kings can’t defeat Pacers despite Barnes 22 point performance 94-91 at Golden One

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Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes (22) gets the ball knocked out of his hands by Indiana Pacers guard Brad Wanamaker (10) and forward Domantas Sabonis (11) at the Golden One Center in Sacramento on Sun Nov 7, 2021 (AP News photo)  

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings (5-5) were back in action on Sunday afternoon. The Kings were in action after having the day off on Saturday after taking on the Charlotte Hornets (5-5). On Sunday, the Kings welcomed the Indiana Pacers into Golden One Center. The Kings dropped a close one to the Pacers (4-7) 94-91 in Sacramento. If the Kings were able to win it that would have been their third straight win. Before we dive into the action on Sunday let’s take a look at how the Kings faired in their last game.

Friday flashback: The Kings played the Charlotte Hornets on Friday and won in a convincing fashion. The Kings played a tremendous game on both ends of the floor as the Kings drubbed the Hornets by a final of 140-110. It was one of the Kings most authoritative wins of the year.

Sunday recap: The game against the Indiana Pacers was set for tip-off at 3 PM PST in Sacramento.

In the first quarter, the Kings got off to a slow start. On the defensive end, the Kings allowed the Pacers to score 27 points. The Kings didn’t seem to have the energy that they played with the whole game on Friday. Similarly, the Kings offense was lackluster to start the game. The Kings only managed 19 points against the Pacers in the first quarter. The Kings looked to turn things around in the second.

In the second quarter, the Kings stopped the bleeding against the Pacers. The Kings still didn’t look in rhythm but they at least kept the Pacers from expanding the lead. The Kings outscored the Pacers in the second quarter 24-21 as the Kings pulled a little closer.

As is the theme early on this season Harrison Barnes was the main reason the Kings were in the ball game as he had 11 first-half points. Chris Duarte was the largest contributor for the Pacers with 12 points. The Kings went into halftime down 48-43 looking to come back and win the first game of a back-to-back.

In the third quarter, the Kings got off to a slow start again. The Pacers continued to hit their shots as the Kings really struggled to get any momentum going on the offensive end. Buddy Hield hit a couple of big threes to keep it close. However, the Kings were outscored 26-24 in the third to dig a 74-67 hole going into the final quarter. The Kings would need to start hitting shots if they wanted any chance of winning the game.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings intensity took an obvious jump up. The Kings defense was getting into position every time down the floor. The question was if the Kings shots would start falling enough times to cut the deficit. It was. The Kings managed to claw their way back and tie the game.

However, the Kings weren’t able to close the deal as the Pacers just barely managed to beat the Kings down to the final seconds of the game. The Kings outscored the Pacers 20-24 in the final quarter but it wasn’t enough as the Kings came up short 94-91.

The Kings offense just never caught rhythm as the Kings only managed 91 points in the game. The Kings were led in defeat by Harrison Barnes who scored 22 points. Caris LeVert scored 22 points for the Pacers in victory. With the loss, the Kings drop to 5-5 on the year as the Pacers improved to 4-7 on the year. The Kings will have to look to the second night of the back-to-back for victory.

Up Next: The Kings stay home to take on the Phoenix Suns on Monday at 7 PM PST at Golden One Center.

Kings crush Hornets with 30 point victory 140-110 at Golden One

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The Sacramento Kings put on the defensive pressure on the Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) on Fri Nov 5, 2021 at Golden One Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

By Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO–The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Friday night. The Kings had the day off on Thursday after taking on the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. The Kings entered action on Friday with a record of 4-4 and what seemed to be some early season momentum. The Kings opened up on the Hornets with a 30 point win 140-110 at Golden One Center in Sacramento.

The Hornets entered play on Friday with a 5-4 record looking to improve on their solid start to the season. The Kings and Hornets would play in Sacramento at 7 PM PST. Before we dive into Friday night’s action let’s take a look at the Kings last game.

Flashback Wednesday: The Kings took on the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night and beat them handily. The Kings matched their play most of the game and took over in the final quarter. The Kings ended up winning the game 112-99.

Friday tip off: The Kings were set to take on the Charlotte Hornets at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

The first quarter was a tremendous outburst from the Kings. The first quarter saw everything the Kings had to offer this year. The defense was spectacular, and the offense was on fire. The Kings hit 9 three’s in the first quarter alone to set the tone for the offense. The Kings in the first quarter managed to outscore the Hornets 41-22.

In the second quarter, the Kings took a step back. The Kings defense allowed the Hornets to score 31 points to try and mount a comeback. Fortunately for the Kings, the shots continued to fall for the purple and black. The Kings outscored the Hornets by scoring 33 points in the second quarter to take a 74-53 lead into halftime. The Kings Richuan Holmes and Buddy Hield had double figures in the first half with 12 points each. The Kings looked to lock the game down in the second half.

In the third quarter, the Kings defense melted down. Part of that meltdown was in part because Gordon Hayward torched the Kings in the third. Hayward managed to score 12 points and was the biggest part of keeping the Hornets in the game. However, the Kings did still continue to light it up on offense adding scoring 33 albeit as the Hornets scored 36. The Kings would need to tighten up on the defensive end of the floor to come out with a victory. The Kings led heading into the final quarter 106-89.

In the final segment, the Kings managed to finish the Hornets off in victory. The Kings outscored the Hornets 34-21 as the Kings had all the momentum down the stretch in the 140-110 victory. At points throughout the fourth quarter, you could hear the Joy from Kings fans as they chanted in the blowout victory.

The chants were “Buddy Buckets” and “We want Bagley” among others. This was by far the best Kings team blowout in recent memory. The Kings were led in victory by Buddy Hield with 26 followed by Richuan Holmes with 23 points. The Hornets were led by LaMello Ball who scored 24 points.

Up Next: The Kings will stay home to take on the Indiana Pacers on the first night of a back-to-back on Sunday at 3 PM PST.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Barnes and Kings host Hornets tonight at Golden One

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The Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) drives to the hoop with the Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale (rear) trying to put up a block on Tue Nov 2, 2021 at Salt Lake City. Barnes led the Kings in scoring on Wed Nov 3, 2021 against the Charlotte Hornets in Sacramento.

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah, tell us about Tyrese Haliburton who went on a seven point run late in the fourth quarter to help the Sacramento Kings (4-4) pick up a 112-99 win over the visiting New Orleans Pelicans (1-8) at Golden One Center in Sacramento.

#2 The Pelicans had won only one game going into Wednesday night’s game and were an easy target for the Kings and an easier target for NBA Network’s Charles Barkley who said Zion Williamson has put on some weight which might be the team anchor.

#3 What made it even better for the Kings Williamson was not in the New Orleans line up but that said the Kings still needed all of the 20 points they scored in the fourth quarter.

#4 Jeremiah, tell us about Harrison Barnes whose been on the top of the leaderboard and Wednesday night was no exception scoring 23 points.

#5 The Kings host the Charlotte Hornets (5-4) tonight at Golden One. The Hornets are coming off a two game losing streak first losing to the Cleveland (4-4) at home on Monday 113-110 and to Golden State (6-1) in San Francisco 114-92 on Wednesday night. The Hornets have star shooters Miles Bridges, LeMelo Ball, and Gordon Hayward how do you see them matched up against the Kings tonight?

Jeremiah Salmonson does the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Kings pour it on the Pelicans 112-99 at Golden One

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Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton expresses himself to the officials as the Kings hosted the New Orleans Pelicans on Wed Nov 3, 2021 at Golden one Center in Sacramento (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Wednesday night in the second night of a back-to-back as they started a four-game homestand. The Kings were welcoming in the New Orleans Pelicans who were without young and often injured star Zion Williamson.

The two teams were off to very different starts to the season. The Kings had played good basketball to start the year and have been showing promise with a record of 3-4 on the year. The Kings Harrison Barnes led the way with 23 points in the 112-99 victory at Golden One Center in Sacramento on Wednesday night.

On the other hand, the Pelicans had started the year 1-6 reeling in the Western Conference and looking for anything to turn into momentum. The Kings and the Pelicans were set to play at 7 PM PST in Sacramento. However, before we dive into Wednesday’s action let’s look at how the Kings faired in their last game.

Flashback Tuesday: The Kings took on the Utah Jazz on Tuesday in the first game of a back-to-back. The Kings were wrapping up a road trip that saw them win and lose. It was a solid trip but the Kings were looking to return home. On Tuesday, the Kings put up a solid fight but ultimately came up short.

The Jazz managed to put the Kings away in a 119-113 win. It wasn’t a bad loss for the Kings but Luke Walton after the game stressed the importance of learning from mistakes and not letting it snowball.

Wednesday recap: The Kings were set for tip-off in Sacramento at 7 PM PST.

In the first quarter, the game was fairly even. Neither team got off to a particularly hot start. The Kings managed to narrowly outscore the Pelicans 27-26 in the first quarter. Both teams seemed to not be able to get into a rhythm on either side of the ball.

In the second quarter, the Kings were able to improve their performance overall. The Kings were able to hold the Pelicans to the exact same total they amassed in the first quarter which was 26. On the offensive side of the ball, the Kings managed to score 29 points to increase their lead to 56-52 going into halftime.

Richaun Holmes led the Kings in the first half with 12 points. However, Holmes would be ejected in the game after receiving a technical foul for arguing. The Kings would look to build on the lead and close out a struggling Pelicans team in the second half.

In the third quarter, both defenses fell asleep. The Kings were still able to outscore the Pelicans in the third, but the defense was nowhere to be found. The Pelicans scored 35 points compared to the Kings 36. The teams were running in the open court and knocking down their shots in the fast-paced third quarter. The Kings took the 92-87 three-quarter lead into the final 12 minutes.

In the fourth quarter, the Kings finished off the Pelicans. The Kings dominated the flow of the game in the fourth. The Kings managed to outscore the Pelicans 20-12 as the Kings defense put the clamps on the Pelicans offense. It has the feeling of a blowout in the final minutes as the Kings dribbled out the clock to end the game.

It was a great win for the Kings on the second night of a back-to-back to even their record at 4-4. The Kings were led in victory by an impressive Harrison Barnes who scored 23 points. Tyrese Haliburton added 20 points behind Barnes in the win for the win. The Pelicans greatest contribution came from Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Devonte Graham who each scored 16 points. The Pelicans fell to 1-7 on the season.

Up Next: The Kings get a much-needed day off on Thursday before taking on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday at 7 PM PST in Sacramento.

Jazz Interpretation: Utah wins a close one at home, beats the Kings 119-113

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By Morris Phillips

If you’re the Sacramento Kings, now 15 seasons removed from a playoff appearance, a trip to Utah to face the Jazz, the reigning champions of the regular season, turned out to be a good place to start if postseason play is still the goal.

While the Kings fell short, and dropped to 3-4 on the season, they played well enough to disrupt a Jazz team that’s now won 58 of their previous 79 regular season games, easily the best mark in the NBA dating back to the beginning of the truncated ’19-’20 season.

The Kings came up empty in the game’s final five minutes, losing a back-and forth contest 119-113 in which neither team held a double-digit lead. The Kings effectively put the Jazz on their heels by limiting their trademark made threes, but ultimately couldn’t respond as the home team dominated the glass, and picked up their defensive intensity down the stretch.

Essentially, a 7-0 run by the Jazz decided it, after the Kings’ Richaun Holmes hit a short jumper to tie the game at 104. After a two-minute scoreless drought, the Kings trailed 111-104 with 2:27 remaining.

A key sequence in the deciding run was a foul on Utah’s Rudy Gobert that was challenged by the Jazz, and overturned upon video review. The ensuing jump ball saw Holmes whistled for a violation, which awarded the ball to the Jazz. Ten seconds later, Donovan Mitchell scored on a driving layup to put the home team up five. After a Holmes miss, Gobert capped the surge by the Jazz with a pair of made free throws.

Mitchell led the Jazz with 36 points, and Mike Conley contributed 30. The dynamic Utah backcourt combined for 25 made baskets including 11 threes. Bogdan Bogdanovich had 20 for Utah.

The Kings were led by Harrison Barnes with 23 points. Buddy Hield was next with 19 points off the bench, but he was hit with two technical fouls and ejected with less than a second remaining.

Davion Mitchell, the rookie, had 18 as seven of the eight Kings to see action scored in double figures. Still the initial NBA meeting of the D. Mitchells went to the veteran.

“He hit shots. He hit tough shots. You can’t really do anything about that,” said Davion Mitchell of Donovan Mitchell.

The Jazz enjoyed a 58-39 advantage on the glass. That disparity helped off set an unusually poor shooting night from distance for Utah, in which they missed 34 3-point attempts.

“I love the fight of our team,” Kings coach Bill Walton said. “It’s really fun coaching these guys. We’re learning these hard lessons. I hope we figure it out soon, but the details of the game is what’s costing us right now. Tonight, it was defensive rebounding.”

The Kings return home on Wednesday to face the New Orleans Pelicans, the start of a four-game home stand.

Kings hit .500 mark lose to Mavs 105-99; Third loss of the season

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The Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes bottom center can only watch as the Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic takes it to the hoop while the Mavericks Dwight Powell watches from behind Holmes on Sun Oct 31, 2021 at Dallas (AP News photo)

The Sacramento Kings were back in action on Sunday afternoon in Dallas Texas. The Kings last played on Friday night against the Pelicans. Tip off for Sunday was set at 12:30 PM PST in Dallas against the Mavericks. However, before we dive into Sunday’s game let’s take a look back at Friday’s matchup.

Flashback Friday:

On Friday the Kings took on the the New Orleans Pelicans on the road. The Kings came into the game 2-2 and were looking to beat a team that was lacking the services of Zion Williamson. The Kings played a good overall game coming out on top 113-109. The Kings defense was inconsistent throughout the game but they managed to win the game.

Sunday Recap:

In the first half of Sundays game the first quarter specifically, it was rough for the Kings. The start of the game in the first quarter was a disaster for the Kings. The Kings got into an early 15 point deficit with 7:40 to play in the first. The Kings didn’t seem to come out with the intensity they needed to in the first quarter. The Mavericks outscored the Kings 31-22 in the first quarter,

In the second quarter, the Kings played much better. The Kings defense upped the pressure holding the Mavericks to only 22 points as the Kings offense put up 25 points. The Kings would still have to make up some ground in the second half down 53-47 at halftime.

In the third, the Kings played a solid quarter for the majority of the time. However, the last two minutes of the quarter the Kings completely melted down. The Kings had cut the Mavericks lead to three points until the Mavericks were able to go in a run to go up 10 points going into the final quarter. The Kings would be down 82-72 heading into the the fourth.

In the fourth quarter, it wasn’t the Kings day for a comeback. The Kings poor shooting continued and De’Aaron Fox wasn’t able to take over on offense as the Kings struggled to mount a comeback. The Kings did outscore and he Mavericks 27-23 in the fourth quarter but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit as the Kings lost 105-99.

The Kings didn’t have it on the offensive end of the floor on Sunday but did play well on defense overall. Leading the way for the victorious Mavericks was Luka Doncic who scored 23 points. The Kings were led in defeat by Richaun Holmes who had 22 points.

Up Next: The Kings will take on the Utah Jazz in Utah on Tuesday at 6PM PST.

Kings Edge New Orleans 113-109

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New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) and Sacramento Kings guard DeAaron Fox (5) battle for a rebound during first half action in New Orleans on Fri Oct 29, 2021 (AP News photo)

Kings Edge New Orleans 113-109

By Barbara Mason

De’Aaron Fox led the Kings to a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night winning 113-109. He had 23 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in a very close thriller.

The Sacramento Kings (3-2) took on the New Orleans Pelicans (1-5) at Smoothie King Center. The Kings were slightly favored in this match-up.

The Pelicans are still without Zion Williamson and are rapidly sinking without him. They have already lost four games this season and are ranked 27th in points per game (100.8).

While Sacramento is not a playoff team, they are not dealing with any injuries as well as coming off a great win against the Suns last Wednesday. They come into this game with momentum and confidence.

At the end of the first quarter the Kings were leading the Pelicans by the score of 33-26. De’Aaron Fox had 9 points in the quarter followed by Harrison Barnes with 7.

Although the Pelicans took a slim lead in the second quarter, they could not sustain it and at the half, the Kings had extended their lead 59-48. The big three for the Kings Fox, Barnes and Richaun Holmes all had double digits. The high in the first half for the Pelicans was Jonas Valanciunas with 11 points.

In the third quarter the Pelicans erased the Kings lead actually taking a three point lead with under three minutes left in the quarter. That lead was short-lived and after three quarter the Kings had a 77-72 in this hotly contested game.

The Kings were able to hold a significant lead through most of the fourth quarter. Although very close at times the Kings always answered when it was needed most. This game got uncomfortably close in the closing seconds for Sacramento but they kept their foot on the pedal for the win 113-109.

Richaun Holmes finished with 21 points, Harrison Barnes with 18 and Tyrese Haliburton with 17. Off the bench Buddy Hield had another great game scoring 20 points.

Sacramento Kings podcast with Jeremiah Salmonson: Kings coming off big win against Suns; Sac in New Orleans tonight

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The Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) drives on the Phoenix Suns guard Devon Booker (1) in the first half at the Footprint Center in Phoenix on Wed Oct 27, 2021 (AP News photo)

On the Kings podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 Jeremiah it was a big night for the Sacramento Kings (2-2) getting a victory over the Phoenix Suns (1-3) on Wednesday night 110-107 the Suns are no easy customer and winning in Phoenix is no easy task either.

#2 The Kings got a buzzer beater from Harrison Barnes who hit a three pointer for the three point victory for Barnes whose been in the league for sometime it had to be something special to get a win like that for Sacramento.

#3 Barnes also had a great night finishing second in scoring with 22 points with Buddy Hield finishing first with 26 points the Kings have been getting some great offense and have been involved in some close games.

#4 The Kings couldn’t stop the Suns Devon Booker who topped all scorers on Wednesday night with 31 points but the Kings were able to weather the Suns and were able to stay close and pull it off in the end.

#5 The Kings are in New Orleans tonight against the Pelicans (1-4). The Pelicans fell on hard luck in their last game against a very physical and great offensive Atlanta Hawks (3-1) team losing 102-99 in New Orleans. Jeremiah set the stage for this one as the Kings open a three game road trip starting tonight in New Orleans.

Join Jeremiah for the Kings podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Barnes hits clutch 3-pointer as Kings edge Suns 110-107

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Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (0) jumps for joy and on the back of teammate guard Tyrese Haliburton (40) as D’Aaron Fox (5) smiles in the background after Barnes converts a three point game winning shot in the fourth quarter to defeat the Phoenix Suns on Wed Oct 27, 2021 in Phoenix (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Harrison Barnes canned a 3-pointer as time expired in the fourth quarter, thwarting a Phoenix comeback and giving the Sacramento Kings a 110-107 victory over the Suns Wednesday at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix.

Buddy Hield led the Kings (2-2) with 26 points in 27 minutes off the bench, while Barnes finished with 22 points, four assists and nine rebounds. Hield 7 of 11 on 3-pointers.

De’Aaron Fox had 18 points and nine assists, Richaun Holmes was Sacramento’s top rebounder with 12 boards to go with 12 points, Tyrese Haliburton had 15 points and Alex Len – who played his first five NBA seasons with Phoenix – added 10 points for the Kings.

Devin Booker was the Suns’ top scorer with a season-high 31 points; he also had eight assists and six rebounds. Deandre Ayton finished with 21 points and 21 rebounds, Mikal Bridges had 15 points and Elfrid Payton and Jae Crowder each added 10 points for Phoenix.

After the Suns (1-3) led 61-53 at halftime, they went cold in the third quarter, while Sacramento heated up and took an 82-76 lead after three periods. The Kings used a 17-6 run to surge ahead.

Phoenix went on a 12-2 run late in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 107-107 on a Bridges dunk with 34 seconds to play, completing a rally to erase a 13-point Sacramento lead

The Suns came up with a defensive stop on the next possession, but Booker missed an 18-foot jumper with 1.4 seconds left. Fox then threw an inbounds pass to Barnes, who spotted up two feet behind the arc with Booker guarding him tightly. Barnes hit nothing but net as the horn sounded.

Phoenix, the defending Western Conference champions, finished the game 6 of 22 from 3-point range (27 percent).
The Kings’ road trip continues on Friday in New Orleans.