Labissiere pours in 32 as Kings stop Suns
PHOENIX -- Rookie Skal Labissiere scored a career-high 32 points, including Sacramento's first 16 points of the fourth quarter, and the Kings beat the Phoenix Suns 107-101 on Wednesday.
Labissiere, whose career high had been 15 points, contributed 19 of Sacramento's first 24 points in the fourth quarter and 21 in all. He added 11 rebounds for his first NBA double-double.
Willie Cauley-Stein had 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals and four blocks for the Kings, who have won two straight games on the heels of an eight-game losing streak. Sacramento (27-41) won back-to-back games for the first time since winning four straight from Feb. 8-14.
TJ Warren had 24 points and nine rebounds, and Devin Booker added 19 points for the Suns, who played without guard Eric Bledsoe (rest). Phoenix (22-46) also lost forward Derrick Jones Jr. to a right hip contusion (x-rays negative) early in the second quarter and guard Leandro Barbosa to illness at halftime.
Phoenix forward Marquese Chriss scored 17 points. Tyler Ulis, like Labissiere a rookie from Kentucky, had 13 points and 13 assists in his first NBA start in place of Bledsoe. Alan Williams added 14 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix.
Labissiere scored in double figures in four of the previous six games, but this was his breakout night, and the fourth was his quarter.
He started with a three-point play at 11:23 to tie the game at 77 and capped the run of 16 points with a 3-pointer with 6:21 left to make it 90-85 Kings.
The Suns tied the game at 93 on a Ulis floating jumper with 3:33 left, but Cauley-Stein put the Kings ahead for good with a put-back with 3:03 left, and Sacramento took over from there.
Phoenix used 10 early points by Booker and four assists from Ulis to build a quick 20-10 lead. The Suns led 29-22 after one quarter and were up 39-29 after a hook shot by Williams.
The Kings ended the first half on a 12-2 run and took their first lead since the opening minute on a Kosta Koufos back shot with 28.4 seconds left for a 48-47 halftime edge.
Aaron Afflalo had eight points in the third quarter for the Kings, but Booker and Ulis had seven each, and the Suns took a 75-74 lead to the fourth.
NOTES: Sacramento coach Dave Joerger on the play of Phoenix F Marquese Chriss, whom the Suns obtained during the 2016 draft through a deal with the Kings: "It was a position where they had a need so he could step right in and play a lot. I'm a big fan of his. I think he's going to be a good player to be honest with you. Hate it!" ... G Leandro Barbosa, who scored four points before leaving the game Wednesday, has 6,408 points as a Sun. He needs 13 points to pass Jeff Hornacek for 13th on Phoenix's all-time list. ... Phoenix's starting lineup of Tyler Ulis, Devin Booker, T.J. Warren, Chriss and Alex Len was the youngest in franchise history, with an average of 22 years, 210 days.