Daron Fox left early due to injury, but Kevin Hertel, who returned from injury, was on fire, leading a wave of 24-3 offensive in the third quarter to overtake the score and eventually help the Kings defeat the Suns 135-127, sending them a three-game losing streak and continuing to pressure the second Grizzlies in the West.
Statistics
Paul had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 13 assists, Booker 32 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, Rose 30 points, Randale 17 and Warren 15.
For the Kings, Sabonis had 27 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists, Fox 19 points, Hertl 29 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, Barnes 23 points and Murray 13 points.
Wonderful moments
Match Review
Durant Ayton continued to be suspended, with Craig and Biyombo replacing the starters. For the Kings, Hertl returned from injury and returned to the starting lineup. The two sides tentatively started, the king patiently organized the attack around Sabonis, the sun bloomed more, and even Biyombo hit consecutive throws. With just over 1 minute into the first quarter, the Kings trailed by just two points at 24-26, and then Booker added a basket and assisted Langdale's jumper to give the Suns a 30-24 lead to end the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Booker took a break, Paul led the team alone, combed the Suns' offense in an orderly manner, and handed out 9 assists in just half a quarter! At his instigation, Randale and Terence-Rose continued to score points, and the Suns led by as many as 14 points. With 1:06 minutes left in the half, Hertel hit a three-pointer, and Randel hit a layup, and Hertel hit another two points to make it 67-56 at halftime.
In the second half, the Kings woke up like a dream, Hertl and Fox teamed up to close the gap, while the Suns lost some cool because of the two cores and the referee. At 6:30 into the third quarter, Sabonis scored a strong basket to tie the score at 76, and then Hertl blocked Shamet at the back, converted a three-point shot, and continued the momentum. In the face of the opponent's crazy counterattack, the Suns were in chaos, Booker could also miss free throws, Hertel and Murray hit consecutive shots from outside the three-point line, and the Kings completed a wave of 24-3 offense, leading by 10 points at 87-77!
After the timeout, Warren hit a mid-range shot to stop the bleeding for the Suns, and then Okogie blocked Sa Jr. in succession, but the Suns were unable to close the score, and after the third quarter, they were still 93-101 behind. However, there were also concerns on the Kings' side, and Fox returned to the locker room early due to a hamstring injury, and the team immediately announced that he would not return this game.
In the fourth quarter, the substitutes of both sides came back and forth on the field, giving the starters a respite. With 8 minutes and 25 seconds left in the end, Paul Booker returned at the same time for the final showdown. With 4:44 left in the game, Rose hit his fifth three-pointer of the game to tie the score to 115-121, Hertel continued to fire for the Kings, but the Suns also showed the momentum of the Jedi counterattack, and Booker made it 2+1 in the final 1:56 to chase 123-127.
At the crucial moment, the veteran Barnes was sent to the free throw line and missed two free throws, but Booker also missed the best time when he turned back to make a three-point shot. Sabonis scored a foul in 1 minute and 12 seconds and hit both free throws to stretch the gap back to six points. Booker made a 59.1-second free throw to tie the score to 125-129, after which Mitchell missed a three-pointer, Murray grabbed an offensive rebound, and Barnes hit a basket to give the Kings a six-point lead in the final 24.4 seconds to seal the victory.
Both sides start
Suns: Paul, Booker, Okogie, Craig, Biyombo
Kings: Fox, Hertel, Barnes, Murray, Sabonis