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PHOENIX -- That dynamic double point guard backcourt of the Phoenix Suns might have had its best game yet. Kevin Minter Jersey . Goran Dragic scored 29 points, Eric Bledsoe had a career-high 28 and the Suns extended their season-high winning streak to four games by beating the Sacramento Kings 116-107 on Friday night. "Every game is better," Dragic said. "I know what hes going to do, he knows what Im going to do. Weve got a good feeling about each other and thats really tough for opponents." Suns coach Jeff Hornacek called it "a great tag team." "Both of those guys trust each other," Hornacek said. "If they dont really have a play and the other guy is in the view, he can get it to him and make a play." The Suns Miles Plumlee had two crucial blocks of DeMarcus Cousins shots and had four emphatic fourth-quarter dunks for 12 points. "I dont know if the guys in the league know if he can jump," Dragic said of Plumlee, "but we know." Isaiah Thomas scored 29 for Sacramento. Rudy Gay added 22 in his first game for the Kings since being acquired this week in a trade with Toronto. Cousins had 15 points and 15 rebounds but shot just 5 of 15 and wouldnt talk to reporters afterward. It was a testy night for the officials, who called five technical fouls. Gay was on a losing team in Phoenix for the second time in eight days. Toronto lost to the Suns a week earlier. "Thats the thing with trades in the middle of the season," he said. "You have to learn on the fly." Sacramento coach Michael Malone lamented his teams lack of defence. "That is two games in a row where we havent defended anybody," he said. "You look at Bledsoe and Dragic, what they did to us tonight, I am embarrassed by our defence right now. ... I cant go out there and guard. I wish I could." Phoenix took the lead for good with a 14-0 third-quarter run that started after Plumlee chased down Cousins from behind on a fast break and blocked the layup try hard off the glass. "I know Im really fast, I knew I could catch him," Plumlee said. "Its just a matter of timing it up, and it worked out." It was a play that drove the energy level in the building up a notch. "When a player makes a hustle play, it definitely gets the crowd into it, and everybody else gets motivated even more," said Bledsoe, who had eight assists. "Just for Miles to hustle back, it means a lot to the team." Bledsoe missed the first two games of the season against the Kings, and Sacramento won both. Dragics 3-pointer punctuated the 14-0 outburst and Phoenix led 77-65 with 6:13 to play in the third quarter. Dragic and Bledsoe scored five apiece in the run. But the Kings responded with a 12-4 spurt and, after Thomas driving layup with 2 seconds to play, trailed 85-82 entering the fourth quarter. Sacramento never got closer than that again. Gerald Green and Channing Frye sank 3s, then Plumlee blocked Cousins again, leading to Bledsoes layup that boosted it to 101-91 with 6:43 remaining. The Kings cut it to 105-101 on Thomas driving layup with 3:11 to go, but Bledsoe hit a 3-pointer, P.J. Tucker scored inside, then Plumlees final big dunk made it 112-103 with 1:29 to play. The Kings led by as many as 11 before a 14-3 Suns spurt put Phoenix ahead 49-47 on Dragics two free throws with 4:07 to go in the second quarter. Sacramento ran off nine consecutive points to go up 58-49 on Thomas third 3-pointer of the night 1:43 before the break. Fryes 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds to play cut Sacramentos lead to 61-58 at the half. Notes: Bledsoes previous career high was 27 last Feb. 6 for the Los Angeles Clippers at Orlando. ... Dragic just missed getting the first consecutive 30-point games of his career. He has three 30-point games this season after previously getting three in his entire career.... Technicals were called against Tucker, Hornacek and Marcus Morris of the Suns, and Jason Thompson and Cousins of the Kings. ... Gay has reached double figures in 18 of 19 games this season. Rob Housler Jersey . Ausmus says he realized his words were insensitive and in poor taste as soon as they left his mouth. The first-year manager was asked after Detroits 2-1 loss to Kansas City on Wednesday how his mood is when he heads home from the ballpark these days. Tony Jefferson . - The Washington Wizards are in a great position to make the playoffs for the first time in six years, and John Wall has a lot to do with it.CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland -- Jamie Donaldson edged ahead of Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy on Saturday to lead after three rounds of the European Masters. Donaldson, chasing a first career victory, shot a 6-under 65 to head the leaderboard at 14 under, one shot clear of Westwood with McIlroy a further stroke back in third. "Im the underdog in effect even though Im winning by one," Donaldson said of Sundays final group, which is scheduled to tee off at 9.45 a.m. local time to avoid the worst of forecast storms. "Its awesome. You are playing with two of the greatest players at the moment." Second-ranked Westwood had seven birdies, including at all four par-5s, and no dropped shots in a 64 that was the days best. "Its always nice to play a round with no 5s and no bogeys, especially on a course like this that can trip you up," Westwood said. McIlroy began the day in a four-way share of the lead at 8 under, but dropped shots at the 16th and 17th in his 67. "It wasnt the greatest way to finish but Im still in there," said the U.S. Open winner, who has targeted the world No. 3 slot with a victory here. Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, last weeks winner at Gleneagles, Scotland, had a 66 to be 11 under alongside Gary Boyd of England. Fifth-ranked Martin Kaymer of Germany is among six players on 10 under, trailing Donaldson by four shots. Playing in an unheralded final three-player group with Boyd and Simon Dyson, Donaldson shot seven birdies with a single blemish in his round -- a six at the 575-metre ninth. "I played really good all the way round," said the 35-year-old Donaldson, who has two runner-up finishes on the European Tour, most recently at Malmo, Sweden in July 2009. "I will go out (Sunday) with the exact same game plan. Chandler Catanzaro Jersey. " Westwoods round included four straight birdies between the sixth and ninth holes. "They are scoring holes," said Westwood, who fought a heavy cold despite another sun-baked day at altitude in the Swiss Alps. "I tried to hit in sensible places all day and try not to make mental errors." McIlroy birdied the first and sixth then sank a 40-feet putt for an eagle two at the scenic seventh hole. He got back-to-back birdie-4s after the turn, before his putting let him down at the par-3 16th. "Theres a 61 or 62 out there," said McIlroy, who lost a playoff here at age 19 when taking a four-shot lead into the final round. "I should have won here in 2008 and I feel I should be leading this tournament by a bit already," McIlroy said. Kaymer lamented another day of missed chances at holes five through seven, though the former top-ranked golfer remains in contention. "I am level par for the tournament at those three easy holes and Rory is six under for them," Kaymer said. "Im playing very well and need to be very, very patient." Alongside Kaymer on 10 under is Switzerlands Damian Ulrich, who shot a 67 in front of his home crowd and is poised to win his first prize money on tour at age 28. First-round leader Nick Dougherty is also heading for his first European Tour check of the season on Sunday at his 21st attempt. Dougherty, who shot a 63 Thursday, had a second straight round of 72 and is 6 under, tied for 25th place. Soon after the 16,000 spectators left the Severiano Ballesteros course, a torrential downpour soaked the venue with heavy rain forecast through the night and on Sunday afternoon. Tee times were brought forward to give the leaders the best of forecast conditions. ' ' ' |
