Suns 106, Kings 96
Michael Beasley scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and Luis Scola added 21 as visiting Phoenix won its first game under new coach Lindsey Hunter.
Shannon Brown and Marcin Gortat scored 12 points apiece and Goran Dragic collected 12 and 11 assists for the Suns, who let go of coach Alvin Gentry over the weekend and replaced him with Hunter. The longtime NBA guard had never coached before taking over the job.
DeMarcus Cousins recorded 15 points and 15 rebounds and Tyreke Evans scored 16 as Sacramento played in front of its home fans for the first time since word broke that the Maloof family had found a Seattle-based buyer for the franchise.
The Kings came out strong in front of their home fans and built up a 57-49 lead at the break. Phoenix used a 13-6 burst early in the third quarter to chop the lead down to one possession and entered the fourth trailing 77-74.
Beasley hit a short jumper to cut it to 84-83 with 8:56 left and recorded the assist on the next possession as Scola’s jumper put the Suns on top. Beasley scored seven points during a 14-0 spurt that stretched it out to 96-85 with 4:28 left and Phoenix closed it out.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Hunter had been serving as the team’s director of player development and got the job over a pair of Gentry’s former assistants. … The NBA Board of Governors still needs to approve the Kings’ sale to the Seattle group, and Sacramento mayor (and former Phoenix point guard) Kevin Johnson is trying to put together a competing group to keep the team in California’s capital city. … Cousins has recorded six straight double-doubles.