Bagley's 32 points help Kings extend Suns' skid to 14
SACRAMENTO, Calif. --Marvin Bagley III had another strong game off the bench with a career-high 32 points and six rebounds, and the Sacramento Kings beat Phoenix 117-104 on Sunday to hand the Suns their 14th straight loss.
Buddy Hield scored 18 points, De'Aaron Fox had 17 points and nine assists, and Nemanja Bjelica added 10 points and eight rebounds to help Sacramento to its fifth win in six games.
The Kings inched closer to ending the longest current playoff drought in the NBA. Sacramento, which last made the postseason in 2005-06, pulled within a half-game of the idle Los Angeles Clippers for the final playoff spot in the West.
Devin Booker had 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his return from injury for Phoenix. Deandre Ayton added 16 points and nine rebounds.
The Suns' losing streak is one shy of its franchise record of 15 set last season. They'll try to avoid matching that dubious mark Wednesday against the Clippers.
Bagley had his best game as a pro while dominating in the paint. The second overall pick in the draft, Bagley shot 10 of 15 and went 11 for 13 from the free-throw line. He also scored Sacramento's first 12 points in the fourth quarter, including a driving 360-degree spinning layup.
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Phoenix trailed by 25 before closing to 112-99 on a free throw from Mikal Bridges with 2 minutes remaining.
Willie Cauley-Stein made 1 of 4 free throws for Sacramento, and Fox drove in for a two-handed dunk to help the Kings pull away.
TIP-INS
Jackson scored six straight points in the third on a free throw, dunk and 3-pointer. He was also called for a technical foul in the same period. ... Booker returned to the lineup after missing the previous two games because of right hamstring tightness. He had a scare in the third quarter when he banged knees with Bogdan Bogdanovic and limped off the court, but he came back to start the fourth and promptly made a 3-pointer.
UP NEXT
Suns play in Los Angeles against the Clippers on Wednesday in their last game before the All-Star break.
