Fox, Huerter pace red-hot offense as Kings beat Suns

Nov 13, 2024, 9:33 PM | Updated: 9:55 pm

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 13: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings goes up for a shot on...

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

The Sacramento Kings had been waiting for a game like this.

Early-season struggles from the perimeter looked like a thing of the past on Wednesday night as the Kings opened up a four-game homestand with a 127-104 win over the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center.

A Kings offense that entered play in possession of the NBA’s worst three-point field goal percentage appeared unaffected by its shortcomings over the first 11 games of the year, as four players converted multiple attempts from beyond the arc en route to a 15-of-28 (53%) showing from deep–a new season-high.

De’Aaron Fox and Kevin Huerter combined for 51 points, Domantas Sabonis posted another double-double, and Sacramento (7-5) bounced back from a disappointing loss in San Antonio with its second win over Phoenix since Sunday night.

This sequence on both ends 🤯

Stream Kings-Suns: https://t.co/vWf8TkJtgb

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Apple: https://t.co/3vWCoybDbe
Android: https://t.co/75O2FnuPM4 pic.twitter.com/fCGbRaV2qK

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 14, 2024

Kings vs. Suns recap & takeaways

It didn’t take long for the Sacramento offense to settle in, as the Kings jumped out to a 15-4 lead over the first three minutes of action.

After scoring just five points on two-of-seven shooting during Monday’s ugly loss in San Antonio, Keegan Murray scored ten points (four-of-four from the field) to help lead a Kings offense that shot a red-hot 68 percent from the floor–including five-of-nine from beyond the arc–during the first quarter.

While Murray helped set the tone in the first, De’Aaron Fox’s impressive start helped Sacramento maintain its distance from the Suns.

Fox scored 14 points on six-of-nine shooting during the first half to lead a Kings offense that shot 63 percent from the field and nine-of-17 (53%) from three-point land. ‘Swipa’ got help from Trey Lyles, who established a season-high of nine points over just ten first-half minutes.

Sacramento stretched its lead to 15 points in the second quarter, but Phoenix wouldn’t go away. Josh Okogie racked up 16 first-half points and seven boards off the bench, while Devin Booker poured in nine points during the second quarter to trim the Kings lead to 61-56 heading into the third.

Trey with the trey 💦 pic.twitter.com/IXl1S2ClJc

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 14, 2024

Some eyebrows were raised during the first half as DeMar DeRozan attempted just two field goals over 17 minutes of playing time, and when the Kings took the floor for the third quarter, the six-time All-Star was nowhere to be seen.

DeRozan was ruled out for the remainder of the game due to lower back tightness–which, all things considered, is good news for a Sacramento roster that is already without Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Malik Monk for at least two weeks.

With DeRozan and Monk’s offensive firepower on the sideline, the Kings would need a collective effort to regain momentum against a motivated Suns team.

As he did during the first half, Fox was the heart of the Sacramento offense in the third. The star guard pushed the pace and scored ten points in the period, while Kevin Huerter (11 points in the quarter) benefited from Fox’s ball movement to put the Kings back in front by 13 points heading into the fourth.

Sacramento’s 25-12 run to end the third quarter all beat sealed the deal for the Kings, as they carried that hot-streak into the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to 26 points en route to their largest margin of victory this season.

Huerter puts G1C on their FEET 🙌 pic.twitter.com/DW41TpnCev

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 14, 2024

Fox was the catalyst for Sacramento, finishing the night with 29 points (11-of-17 shooting), six rebounds, and ten assists for his fourth double-double of the young season (he had six in 2023-24).

The star guard returned to his roots, causing most of his damage in and around the paint as Fox went eight-of-12 from within five feet of the basket.

Huerter turned in a strong performance on both sides of the ball, scoring a season-high 22 points (nine-of-16 from the field) to go along with six rebounds and five steals.

More importantly, Huerter continued to prove that he has improved on the defensive end. For the first time in his NBA career, Huerter has swiped three steals in three consecutive games, an aspect of his game that has largely improved from one season ago.

A close game at the break quickly turned into a nightmare for Phoenix as Sacramento made in-game adjustments in areas that the Suns excelled during the first half. After being outrebounded 28-19 during the first half, the Kings flipped the script in the second half (32-23).

Sacramento also ended the night ahead of Phoenix in the paint by a wide margin (62-42), fast break points (22-13), and, the story of the night, three-point shooting.

Swipa with the DIME to Trey 🎯 pic.twitter.com/IBLY1aXbb2

— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 14, 2024

The Kings’ previous season-high for three-point field goal percentage was 40 percent (vs. Portland on 10/30), and they blew that out of the water on Wednesday night.

Huerter and Trey Lyles have been integral to this team’s success over the years, and seeing the duo combine to go five-for-11 from beyond the arc provided the offense with the boost it had been waiting for.

Domantas Sabonis posted his league-leading 11th double-double of the season, but he also made an impact from deep (three-for-three), marking his second game of the year with three made triples. Last season, Sabonis hasn’t logged multiple games with three made triples in a single season since the 2021-22 campaign when he was playing for the Indiana Pacers.

DeRozan and Monk may have been out of action, but the Sacramento offense flexed its muscle against the Suns and peeled back the curtain of what this team could look like when firing on all cylinders.

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento will begin the group play portion of the NBA Cup (In-Season Tournament) on Friday night at Golden 1 Center against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Kings will play four group play games before the tournament enters the knockout stage on December 10th.

Be sure to catch all of the Kings vs. T-Wolves action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 2:00 PM PT on The Drive Guys before action tips off at 7:00 PM PT from downtown Sacramento.