Suns 96, Kings 88
SUNS 96, KINGS 88: Steve Nash scored 19 points and Marcin Gortat had 14 points and 17 rebounds as host Phoenix won for the fifth time in six games.
Jared Dudley scored 14 points, Shannon Brown added 13 and Channing Frye had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns, who have won three consecutive games.
Marcus Thornton scored 21 points, Tyreke Evans added 17 points and DeMarcus Cousins had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Sacramento, which has lost three straight and nine of 11 overall.
The Suns trailed 71-70 entering the final quarter before erupting for a 15-3 run over the first four-plus minutes. Brown hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Phoenix a nine-point lead and Dudley’s 3-pointer gave the Suns an 85-74 lead with 7:45 to play.
The Kings pulled within 92-88 on a basket by Isaiah Thomas with 1:49 left before Grant Hill and Dudley hit baskets to push Phoenix’s lead to eight with 51.4 seconds left.
Sacramento led by as many as 10 points in the second quarter en route to a 52-47 halftime lead. Thornton had 14 first-half points.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Phoenix blocked nine shots. … Cousins has 24 double-doubles this season. … Gortat has grabbed 12 or more rebounds in seven of the last 10 contests. … Sacramento was just 2 of 13 from 3-point range.