Field Level Media
Feb 10, 2019
Rookie Marvin Bagley III scored a career-high 32 points as the host Sacramento Kings coasted to a 117-104 victory over the reeling Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Bagley shot 10 of 15 from the field and 11 of 13 from the free-throw line to eclipse his previous high of 24 points, which he recorded Monday in Sacramento's win over San Antonio.
Buddy Hield chipped in 18 points while Bogdan Bogdanovic added 14 for the Kings, who posted a 5-1 mark their six-game homestand and avenged a 26-turnover performance in a 115-111 setback to Phoenix on Jan. 8.
Devin Booker collected 27 points and eight rebounds in his return from a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury for the Suns, who have lost 14 in a row. Booker briefly exited the contest after knocking knees with Bogdanovic with 1:32 remaining in the third quarter.
Booker returned to start the fourth quarter and drilled a 3-pointer to trim what was once a 25-point deficit for Phoenix to 12 at 87-75. Booker picked up his fifth foul on the ensuing possession, however, and Bagley made two jumpers and five free throws in an 85-second span to stretch Sacramento's lead to 96-77.
Sacramento exploited its size advantage by working the interior, shooting 51.1 percent from the field to build a 63-44 lead at intermission. The Kings collected 18 assists against just two turnovers in the first half while taking advantage of a Suns' club that misfired on 12 of 14 3-point attempts.
Hield and Harrison Barnes each drilled a 3-pointer to begin the third and Nemanja Bjelica converted an alley-oop from De'Aaron Fox to send Sacramento to a 71-49 advantage just 2:45 into the quarter.
Hield made an unconventional four-point play late in the second quarter. Hield sank his first free-throw attempt before missing his second, but Bagley alertly tipped the ball in his direction and Hield calmly sank a 3-pointer to give the Kings a 61-40 lead with 1:10 remaining in the session.
Bogdanovic made two jumpers and a pair of free throws before Willie Cauley-Stein drilled a 3-pointer to push Sacramento's lead to 46-29 with 6:20 remaining in the second quarter.
--Field Level Media