Suns Strokes: Phoenix extends win streak behind big nights from backcourt and Plumlee
Dec 14, 2013, 5:48 AM | Updated: 5:48 am
Eric Bledsoe scored a career-high.
Goran Dragic flirted with a career-high.
But it was Miles Plumlee who stole the show, helping the Suns win their season-high fourth straight, beating the Sacramento Kings 116-107
in front of 14,128 at US Airways Center.
Plumlee sparked a 14-0 third quarter run, racing back on defense to block a DeMarcus Cousins’ fastbreak layup attempt off the backboard. Plumlee finished with 12 points — all off dunks, nine rebounds, a career-high four steals and three blocks.
The win improved the Suns to 13-9, giving them their best 22-game start since 2009.
THE GOOD
Dragic scored 21 of his 29 points, three shy of his career-high, in the first half, the most points by a Suns player in a half this season. Bledsoe, meanwhile, set a career-high with 28 points, his seventh 20-point effort of the season. Together, the Suns backcourt combined for 57 points on 21-of-30 shooting, including six-of-nine from three, 11 assists and nine rebounds.
THE BAD
The Suns jumped out to an early 11-point lead (13-2) but later surrendered a 19-4 run to trail by six at the end of the first quarter.
The Suns shot 32.1 percent (9-of-28) in the third quarter, missing nine straight shots at one point.
The Suns allowed an opponent season-high 61 first half points.
STAT(s) OF THE GAME
Dragic and Bledsoe become the first set of Suns teammates to score at least 28 points in the same game since Vince Carter and Hakim Warrick each scored 32 points vs. Houston on March 8, 2011.
The Suns shot a season-high 50 percent (12-of-24) from three, and have now made seven or more three-pointers in 14 straight games, just two short of the team’s longest such streak of 16 games (Nov. 3-Dec. 8, 2006).
HE SAID IT
“It was a great game for us,” Dragic said. “We were talking before the game, we have to get those guys back. They beat us twice.”
NOTED
There were more technical fouls (5, including Jeff Hornacek, Marcus Morris and PJ Tucker) than lead changes (4).
UP NEXT
The Suns continue this three-game homestand with a matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, December 15. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning 30 minutes earlier on Arizona Sports 620.
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