Sacramento Kings Stop 3-Game Losing Streak At Home, Randolph Delivers 99-92 Win Over Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings center Zach Randolph, left, greets Phoenix Suns guard Mike James.at Golden 1 Center. The Kings won 99-92. Publicity Agents photo art by T. Ray Harvey. Dec. 12, 2017.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Sacramento, Calif. – All that chatter about Zach Randolph being old in terms of NBA years probably should cease now. The 36-year-old, 17-year veteran is turning back the clock. Youngster beware.
Randolph helped deliver a 99-92 victory over the Phoenix Suns for the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night at Golden 1 Center. He finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and one steal in 27 important minutes.
The Kings already had a five-point lead, but in the last 2:52 of the game, he scored seven of the team's last 10 points in grand ole fashion to secure the victory. Randolph scored 11 points total in the fourth quarter.
"Coach sticking me in at the end of the game and believed in me," said Randolph, who made 3 of 10 shots for six points in the first three quarters. "We were just battling and trying to get good shots in the paint. It's just about sticking with it."
George Hill led the Kings with 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals and Buddy Hield added 14 points, two rebounds. The Kings (9-18) stopped a three-game losing streak at G1C.
Publicity Agents OpticalVision. Footage by T. Ray Harvey
TJ Warren had 18 points, five rebounds, two assists, and one steal for Phoenix. Mike James came off the bench to contribute 17 points, five assists and one rebound. The Suns (9-20) left Sacramento losers of six of their last seven games, including a current four-game skid.
“They made some big buckets down the stretch and Randolph made a couple tough shots,” said Suns point guard Tyler Ulis, who had 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists. “But I felt like we got the shots we wanted. They just didn’t fall.”
The game was tied 25-25 in the second quarter until the James, Troy Daniels, Josh Jackson, and Dragan Bender each made a 3-pointer to give the Suns a 37-27 lead.
The Kings slowly fought back and tied the score 49-49 on a trey by Hield with 26.2 seconds left. Warren’s 18-foot fadeaway with 2.5 seconds remaining in the second half gave the Suns a 51-49 halftime lead.
Five ties were recorded in the third quarter, the final one resulting in 74-74 to end the frame. Behind 76-74, Bogdan Bogdanovic made a trey early in the fourth quarter to give the Kings a two-point gap.
The Suns came back on a 9-3 run to lead 85-80 on a 3-pointer by Bender with 7:04 left in to play. The Kings counter with a 13-0 run, capped off with a cutting lay up by Randolph at the 2:52 mark.
While the Suns were having issues finding the basket, Randolph and the Kings found ways to shut the door. Phoenix was held to 2 of 17 shooting from the field at .18 percent in the second half.
While the game was tied at 74-74, Kings head coach Dave Joerger instituted a small lineup that proved to be the difference. Standing at 6-foot-3, Hill was playing the power forward in Joerger’s little-man’s lineup.
“When you’re in trouble, you go small,” Joerger said. “When you’re really in trouble, you go really small. At the same time, you let the other guy make an adjustment. We kind of drafted them there and got up four or five (points) off of it.”
PUBLIC INFORMATION:
Sacramento Kings:
After dealing with a sore back, Willie Cauley-Stein returned to the Kings’ roster. Cauley-Stein had 13 points, six rebounds, and two assists in 29 minutes off the bench.
The Kings haven’t won a game at Golden 1 Center since beating the Los Angeles Lakers 113-102 on Nov. 22.
Phoenix Suns:
In his last three games against his hometown team, Marquese Chriss averaged 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, and 1.0 steals while shooting 47.8 percent from the floor. Chriss had seven points, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal in the loss to the Kings on Tuesday.
Rookie 6-foot-8 Josh Jackson averaged 9.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.o steals in six starts a shooting guard. Jackson made 3 of 14 shots from the field and finished with seven points and five rebounds.
On The Marquee
Sacramento Kings: On the road against Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 14.
Phoenix Suns: Host Toronto Raptors on Dec. 13.
By T. Ray Harvey | PA Public Information Officer and Photographic Artist
Twitter: Tony Ray Harvey @PublicityAgents
T. Ray (Antonio) Harvey is a Public Information Officer and Photographic Artist for Publicity Agents. Harvey is also the author of The HOMICIDAL HANDYMAN OF OAK PARK: MORRIS SOLOMON JR.
