In a back-and-forth matchup, the Phoenix Suns secured a hard-fought 130-125 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Throughout the 1st quarter, no team could seemingly miss a shot, with De’Aaron Fox and Eric Gordon catching fire early. The Suns, despite scoring 38, entered the 2nd quarter trailing by 1.
Facing an 11-point deficit at one juncture before halftime, the Suns mounted a late surge, ending the quarter with a 7-0 run to narrow the gap to just three points. Eric Gordon spearheaded the charge with a 20-point contribution.
The intensity persisted in the 2nd half as both teams traded blows, neither able to establish a significant advantage. Although the Suns fell short in the rebounding department, their proficiency from beyond the arc compensated for this shortfall.
Off the bench, Gordon scored 23, including 4 made threes. Behind him was Kevin Durant with 28 and Devin Booker with 23.
The Suns faced adversity with the early departure of Bradley Beal due to a left hamstring injury in the 1st quarter. Additionally, Royce O’Neale, a recent addition to the team, proved invaluable with a timely three-pointer in the final minutes of the 4th quarter.
The game’s outcome was sealed when Devin Booker missed a crucial free throw with 11.4 seconds remaining. Capitalizing on Grayson Allen’s hustle to secure the rebound, the Suns were awarded two more free throws, ultimately clinching the victory.
For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox led the offensive charge with an impressive 40-point performance, closely followed by Domantas Sabonis with 35 points.
With this victory, the Suns have split the season series with the Kings and now find themselves tied with the Pelicans for 5th place in the Western Conference standings.
Next up is a matchup against the Detroit Pistons tomorrow at 7 PM.
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