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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) – Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox talks about Friday night’s 108-107 loss to the Phoenix Suns, dropping five of their last six games, the final possession of the game where he believes he was fouled but was not whistled, the poor way they’ve closed out recent games and the magnitude of Sunday’s contest against the Portland Trail Blazers.
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Sean Cunningham
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Kevin Durant started the game 1-for-5 before catching fire in the second quarter and scored 14 straight points in a stretch that included three made three-pointers. Then, Devin Booker started the third quarter with nine points in four minutes to pace his team to a double-digit lead.
It looked like the Suns would win their second straight matchup against the Knicks this season. But Jalen Brunson had other plans. The Knicks star erupted for 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field in the third period. His perfect quarter included five made treys.
Brunson’s second half performance contributed to a career-high 50 points and nine assists en route to an easy 139-122 road victory for the Suns. Brunson shot 17-for-23 from the field and also grabbed six boards.
Friday night’s performance was Brunson’s latest case to make his first All-Star game appearance. He’s now the only player to score 50 points while shooting 100% on nine attempts from downtown. Brunson’s efforts also lifted the Knicks to the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
He became the first Knick to record 40 points, five assists and five steals since Walt “Clyde” Frazier did it in 1973. One of the steals came when the star picked Jusuf Nurkic’s pocket in the fourth with the Suns attempting a final comeback. The steal led to an easy assist to Julius Randle, who finished with 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
The contest was virtually over with 3:14 remaining in the fourth after back-to-back made treys by Brunson. He finally exited the game after he reached his career-high with just under two points remaining. He didn’t miss a shot in the second half.
It was an awful night defensively for the Suns, who allowed at least 31 points in each quarter and a whopping 42 in the fourth. The Knicks shot 60% from the field and 59% from downtown. Booker (28), Durant (29) and Nurkic (21) all eclipsed the 20-point mark. Nurkic contributed 12 boards. Booker and Durant dished nine and six assists, respectively.
To make matters worse, the team witnessed Bradley Beal go down with an ankle injury after the former Wizard landed on Donte DiVincenzo’s foot on a made three-point attempt in the first quarter. The guard grimaced on the floor while in pain before shooting the free throw. Beal hobbled to the locker room afterwards. He didn’t return to the contest.
It was Beal’s sixth game of the season and second playing alongside Durant and Booker. Beal had recently returned from a back injury and more time on the bench means less time for the new Big 3 to mesh together, an issue Durant is very familiar with.
Phoenix’s Big 3 have just 24 minutes on the floor with each other.
While the Suns players walked off the floor in disappointment, the road team celebrated Brunson’s historic performance. Randle made sure to acquire the game ball, leaving no room for controversy that the NBA world saw between the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks after Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 64-point performance a few nights ago.
Immanuel Quickley was the only other Knick to score in double-digits (10). DiVincenzo and Jericho Sims scored five points apiece. Taj Gibson, the Knicks’ newest addition, recorded one minute of garbage time in his 2023-24 debut.
Beal scored six points before he was ruled out. Grayson Allen recorded 13 points and two steals.
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Fiifi Frimpong
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MILWAUKEE — Rui Hachimura had 26 points, Kristaps Porzingis scored 22 and the Washington Wizards defeated the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks 118-95 on Sunday night for their season-best fifth consecutive victory.
The scuffling Bucks played without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sat out due to left knee soreness. Antetokounmpo is averaging 38 points and 14.6 rebounds over his last six games, which included a 43-point, 20-rebound performance in Friday night’s win over Minnesota that snapped Milwaukee’s four-game losing streak.
Jrue Holiday also missed the game with an illness, and Khris Middleton sat out for the eighth consecutive game due to right knee soreness.
“Your objective is to dominate whoever is in front of you,” Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma said. “If guys aren’t playing, you’re supposed to beat those teams.”
Daniel Gafford had 17 points for the Wizards (17-21), who weren’t at full strength, either. They played without leading scorer Bradley Beal, who is dealing with left hamstring soreness.
Bobby Portis led Milwaukee with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Jevon Carter had 14 points and Grayson Allen added 13 points and eight assists.
Washington led 34-17 after the first quarter, paced by Gafford’s 13 points, as the Wizards exploited a two-center lineup with Bucks big man Brook Lopez on the bench early with foul trouble.
“I was sticking with the flow of the game, having confidence and going up with the shots that I was taking,” Gafford said. “I felt comfortable taking those shots.”
Milwaukee shot 26% overall and just 3 of 14 from long range in the period, while the Wizards connected on half their shots.
“We took advantage whenever we had the chance,” Gafford said of the size advantage. “Whoever went to the basket, we got a bucket. They didn’t have too many shot blockers out there so we just attacked the basket.”
Washington had 72 points in the paint.
“That’s a little bit unusual, not the norm,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We usually protect the rim and protect the paint well.”
Two quick first-quarter fouls on Lopez caused problems for the Bucks.
“I think his early foul trouble threw us off a little bit,” Budenholzer said.
Washington coach Wes Unseld Jr. said his team’s effort on defense set the tone.
“We got the defense into the game early and that helped us get out to that lead,” he said.
The Wizards led by 26 in the second quarter and held a 68-50 advantage at halftime. Washington shot 57.4% in the first half, while Milwaukee connected on just 34.6% of its shots.
Washington remained easily in control throughout the second half as the cold-shooting Bucks failed to mount any sustained runs.
TIP-INS
Wizards: F Taj Gibson sat out a second consecutive game with left groin soreness. “We don’t want to push it to the point where this could be something that would last much longer than it should,” Unseld said. … Gafford, who came in averaging 7.1 points per game, scored Washington’s first eight points.
Bucks: G George Hill also missed the game due to illness. … Joe Ingles was assessed a first-quarter technical foul after exchanging words with Porzingis, who also received a technical. … Milwaukee lost for just the fourth time in 19 home games this season.
DISTANT MEMORY
With five consecutive wins, the Wizards have been able to get past a 10-game losing streak that started in November and stretched to mid-December. “By not overreacting, now we’re back and we’re putting some wins together,” Porzingis said. “We have some pretty good rhythm.”
UP NEXT
The teams face each other again Tuesday night in Milwaukee.
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