Game Recap: Undermanned Suns blow out Kings 127-104

The Phoenix Suns, missing key players (Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen), couldn’t withstand the firepower of the Sacramento Kings in a lopsided 127-104 defeat. Despite glimmers of hope — like a strong start from rookie Ryan Dunn and a brief surge in the third quarter — the Suns fell apart as De’Aaron Fox and Kevin Huerter led the charge.

Fox was unstoppable, orchestrating a relentless Kings offense that outscored the Suns 32-24 in the third quarter and extended their lead to 16 points midway through the fourth. While the Suns fought hard early, they faltered late, shooting just 4-for-11 to start the final quarter and missing 14 of 17 shots during a crucial stretch in the third quarter.

The game ended on a disappointing note, with the Suns showing little resistance as the Kings coasted to a commanding victory. .

Game Flow

First half

Down 15-4 at one point, the Suns found themselves in a hole to start the game, but made an effort to keep the game close in the first quarter.

Rookie Ryan Dunn sparked the Suns early with eight points, including two made threes, to keep the team within single digits of the Kings at the end of the first quarter. Although Booker didn’t contribute much in the scoring, he made up for it with good defense, highlighted by a steal and an easy deuce, which helped the Suns close the gap on the Kings.

Coming off the bench, Josh Okogie played a crucial role in the chase for the Kings. He showed off his skills by stealing the ball and knocking down a three-pointer. Okogie finished the first quarter with nine points and two steals, helping the Suns stay competitive and trailing the Kings by just 35-29 at the end of the first quarter.

The six turnovers killed the Suns early, but they were able to come back and entered the second quarter with a little bit of confidence.

Without Bradley Beal, Monte Morris stepped up at the start of the second quarter and continued the scoring momentum Beal established in the previous game. Morris scored seven points in his first four minutes on the floor. But on the defensive end, De’Aaron Fox was unstoppable, extending the Kings’ lead to 11 points with 8:44 left in the first half. He started the game 6-7 from the field.

The Suns didn’t struggle to create quality possessions in the second quarter – they looked good. The problem was their inability to capitalize on free throws and get defensive stops. Meanwhile, the Kings remained scorching hot from the field. The Suns missed three free throws in the quarter and allowed the Kings to shoot an impressive 60% from the field, which kept the pressure going into halftime.

The game was closer with a 10-0 run by the Suns to cut the game to 61-56 and a big reason for the surge was behind Okogie’s 16 points. Works well in attack and remains really active with and without the ball.

Second half

Just like that, the Suns were within two points with nine minutes left in the third quarter, thanks to a reverse layup by Dunn and a three-pointer by Royce O’Neal. A game that seemed out of reach in the second quarter had quickly shifted back into the Suns’ hands.

The Kings entered the second half shorthanded, as did the Suns, as DeMar DeRozan was unable to return to the lineup. It was now up to De’Aaron Fox to go head-to-head with Devin Booker and lead his team to victory without a key part of their offense.

The Kings’ lead began to grow – and grow – and grow. They outscored the Suns 32-24 in the third quarter, fueled by De’Aaron Fox and Kevin Huerter, who combined for 21 points. The Suns struggled offensively, missing 14 of their next 17 shots, and what had been a manageable game turned into a daunting 93-80 deficit heading into the fourth quarter.

Seven minutes into the fourth quarter, the Kings extended their lead to 106-90, again led by De’Aaron Fox, who contributed a quick five points and two assists to keep the offense flowing. Despite their best efforts, the Suns struggled to keep up, shooting just 4-for-11 from the field to start the quarter.

The rest of the game felt like a mere formality as the Suns seemed eager for the final whistle. With little effort or urgency to make a comeback, the game slipped away without a serious attempt to make it competitive.

The only big takeaway from the second half was a look at the Sun’s TyTy Washington getting some minutes on the court.

The Suns cleared the bench five minutes into the fourth and called it a game.

Final score: Kings 127, Suns 104

Next, the Suns play their second game in the NBA Cup against the Thunder in Oklahoma City.