Suns at Kings
The Phoenix Suns are in last place in the Western Conference due in large part to their 3-17 record on the road. The Sacramento Kings, who host the Suns on Wednesday, have managed to avoid the basement by playing above .500 at home. The Kings aren’t sure how much longer they’ll be playing in Sacramento but they sure have appeared comfortable in their own building, winning the last two. The Suns will be breaking in a new coach on Wednesday.
Phoenix and coach Alvin Gentry decided to part ways late last week and former player Lindsey Hunter, who had been serving as the team’s player development director, will take over his spot for the rest of the season. Hunter has had three straight days of practice to get his team working on a tighter defensive philosophy. The first test for that defense will be stopping Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins, who has recorded five straight double-doubles.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Arizona (Phoenix), Comcast SportsNet California (Sacramento)
ABOUT THE SUNS (13-28): Phoenix has been off since Thursday, when a 98-94 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks turned out to be the last game of Gentry’s season. After interviewing internal candidates, the Suns settled on Hunter on Sunday. Hunter played 17 years in the NBA before retiring in 2010 and has never coached. His hiring led to assistant Dan Majerle, who was passed over for the post, leaving the organization and will bring about more changes to the rotation and playing time. Hunter has lengthened practice with a focus on defense and will also need to find a way to coax some offense out of a team that has averaged 90.3 points in dropping 13 of its last 15 games.
ABOUT THE KINGS (16-26): Sacramento majority owners -- the Maloof family -- have reportedly agreed to sell their entire 65-percent stake in the team to a group from Seattle, which would relocate the franchise. Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, a longtime point guard for the Suns, is trying to keep the team in town and has reportedly lined up a group from the city to buy the franchise. The league has yet to approve the sale. On the court, the Kings are coming off a 1-2 road trip that ended with a 114-105 loss at New Orleans on Monday. Cousins went for 29 points and 13 rebounds in the setback. The big man had one of his worst games in a 101-90 loss at Phoenix on Dec. 17, when he was held to nine points on 1-of-10 shooting.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Phoenix has taken four straight in the series, including the last two at Sacramento.
2. Suns backup C Jermaine O’Neal reportedly engaged in a verbal confrontation with general manager Lance Blanks on Monday. O’Neal denied the report.
3. The Kings went 10-for-43 from 3-point range on their road trip.