Kings at Suns
The Sacramento Kings look to improve on their best start in 13 years when they visit the Phoenix Suns on Friday. The Kings are 4-1 for the first time since 2001-02 and are displaying that their success may be more than simply a fast start. “We’ve been fighting and we’ve been playing with the confidence that we can beat anybody,” forward Rudy Gay told reporters after the team’s fourth straight win, a 131-109 trouncing of Denver.
Phoenix lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday to open a four-game homestand while Sacramento is looking to open 3-0 on the road for the first time since the 1995-96 campaign. The Suns are trying to find enough minutes for their three point guards – Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas, formerly of Sacramento – and coach Jeff Hornacek is opting to go with the hot hand. That proved to be Bledsoe against the Grizzlies as he had a season-best 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting but did commit nine turnovers.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), FSN Arizona Plus (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE KINGS (4-1): Sacramento has won just three of its last 16 visits to Phoenix and will be hoping Gay and center DeMarcus Cousins can carry the way. Gay is averaging 24.4 points while Cousins adds 24 points and 10.6 rebounds, and the two combined for 59 points (Cousins 30, Gay 29) in Wednesday’s win. Cousins had 26 points in the first half against Denver but felt the squad’s defense was the more-crucial element. “Playing defense, I believe, helps build chemistry,” Cousins told reporters. “We trust in one another and it’s going over to the other side of the floor.”
ABOUT THE SUNS (3-2): Phoenix committed 21 turnovers in the loss to Memphis and a stretch after halftime greatly disturbed Hornacek. “We got careless with the ball, had a lot of turnovers and they start the third quarter with a bunch of layups and we didn’t contest layups,” Hornacek told reporters. “Games aren’t always won or lost at the end of the game. I felt that one was lost in the third quarter.” Thomas is averaging 18.6 points through his first five games with the Suns.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams split four meetings last season.
2. Phoenix PF Markieff Morris has three 20-point outings and is averaging 17.6 points.
3. Sacramento last went 5-1 in 1999-2000.