Booker's buzzer-beater lifts Suns over Kings
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Devin Booker scored 33 points and canned a fading bank shot from the left wing at the buzzer to lift the Phoenix Suns to a 105-103 victory over the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center on Friday.
Booker topped 30 points for the eighth time this season and ran his string of consecutive games with at least 20 to 15 straight, and the Suns (16-34) snapped a five-game losing streak. He made 11 of 24 shots and earlier tied the game 98-98 by making two free throws with 2:54 to go.
Sacramento guard Darren Collison tied the game on a baseline jumper with 8.2 seconds left, setting the stage for Booker. The Kings (19-31) opened a six-game homestand by losing for the seventh time in their past eight games at home.
Forward DeMarcus Cousins recorded his second triple-double of the season with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. His final assist came when he found Collison out of a double-team for the game-tying shot.
Cousins also made three 3-pointers, his final breaking a 98-98 tie with 2:25 to go after the Suns erased a 98-91 deficit with a 7-0 run.
Collison's jumper evened the game after P.J. Tucker canned a 3-pointer from the left corner with 21.6 seconds left to put the Suns ahead 103-101.
TJ Warren scored 21 points and Eric Bledsoe added 20 for the Suns.
Collison finished with 19 points, and Ty Lawson scored 18 for a Kings backcourt that was depleted by injuries. Already without forwards Rudy Gay and guard Omri Casspi, the Kings played without guards Garrett Temple (partially torn hamstring) and small forward Arron Affalo (stomach illness).
Ben McLemore scored a season-high 18 points for Sacramento. McLemore scored 10 of Sacramento's first 15 points and kept the Kings from falling behind by a big margin during a cold-shooting first quarter that saw them make only three of their first 12 shots.
Matt Barnes added six points and 10 rebounds for Sacramento. Brandon Knight scored 12 points off the bench for Phoenix.
NOTES: The Suns faced Sacramento two days after media outlets in Phoenix reported the two teams engaged in trade discussions about Kings F DeMarcus Cousins. CSN Sports Bay Area reported last month that the Kings intend to sign Cousins to a long-term contract this summer. ... Phoenix coach Earl Watson completed the equivalent of his first full season with a 28-54 record. Only Red Kerr, with a 16-66 mark in Phoenix's inaugural 1968-69 season, posted a worse mark in his first 82 games. John Wetzel also was 28-54 in 1987-88, his only season as coach. ... Sacramento G Garrett Temple (partially torn right hamstring) missed his first game of the season and won't return until after the All-Star break. C Kosta Koufos is the only Kings player to have participated in every contest. ... F Derrick Jones Jr. will become the seventh Phoenix player to compete in the Slam Dunk contest and the first since F Amar'e Stoudemire in 2005.