Game Recap: Suns score big with young guns in dominant 122-106 win over Kings

The Suns’ youth movement powers past Kings for key win in the playoff chase.

The Phoenix Suns returned home on Friday night and, fueled by an infusion of youth and an injection of three-point shooting, easily dispatched the Sacramento Kings, securing a 122-106 win.

Phoenix’s offense was on fire, with three players scoring 20+ points and six reaching double figures. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant each dropped 22, but it was Tyus Jones’ surprise 20-point performance, hitting 6-of-6 from deep, that we did not expect off of the bench.

Then there were the rookies.

Ryan Dunn got the start and brought the energy, finishing with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals despite struggling from deep (2-of-9). Oso Ighodaro also made his mark, contributing 11 points, 6 rebounds, and a team-high +23. The duo brought a spark that Phoenix has been lacking.

The Suns set a season-high with 24 three-pointers, and turned 19 Sacramento turnovers into 38 points. Phoenix dominated the edges, outscoring the Kings 45-18 in bench points, 17-12 in second chance points, and 38-16 in points off turnovers. It was a total team effort, and the Suns capitalized on every opportunity.

With Dallas losing to the Rockets, the Suns are now just 1.5 games out of the 10th seed in the playoff hunt.

Game Flow

First Half

Well, well. The Phoenix Suns did something they haven’t done since February 8. They started Ryan Dunn.

What happens when Dunn starts? Hustle. Defense. And missed shots. He took three of the Suns’ first seven attempts, bricking them all, including a pair of threes. But he found his rhythm, drilling a corner three to put Phoenix up early, then crashing the glass for an offensive rebound and a smooth 9-foot runner.

Not long after, Oso Ighodaro checked in and wasted no time making an impact, throwing down a thunderous slam.

Phoenix stormed out to a 16-point lead in a way no one saw coming—by dominating second-chance points against a Kings team stacked with interior size. They owned the glass early, outscoring Sacramento 10-0 in second-chance points while also capitalizing on turnovers for another 10 points. With 15 bench points fueling the surge, the Suns were rolling.

Seven different Suns scored in the first, led by Kevin Durant’s nine, while five players knocked down threes as Phoenix shot 6-of-13 from deep. Extra possessions made the difference, with four offensive boards and a +2 turnover margin giving them five more shot attempts than the Kings.

After one quarter, the Suns had a 14-point lead, 36-22.

Tyus Jones came in firing, drilling his first three off the bench, while the rookies kept the energy infectious on both ends. Dunn found Oso with sharp passes in the lane. Dunn knocked down a three of his own. And when Booker shared the floor with them, he had a noticeable pep in his step. This season may be a lost cause, but watching those three together hints at something worth keeping an eye on for the 2025-26 Suns.

What was once an 18-point lead shrank to just five by halftime as the Suns’ defense softened. Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro were both +3 in the quarter, but the team as a whole was -9. Meaning when the rookies sat, the Kings pounced.

Malik Monk dropped 12 in the quarter, and despite Phoenix hitting 6-of-9 from deep, they let Sacramento claw back. The Kings shot 56.5% from the field (just 1-of-7 from three) and were +6 at the line.

At the break, the Suns clung to a 62-57 lead.

Second Half

Mason Plumlee, fresh off an ejection against Houston, barely made it through the third quarter before earning another early exit. This time, a flagrant two for contact above the shoulders on Domantas Sabonis sent him packing.

Plumlee finished with 2 points (1-of-3 shooting), 5 boards, and a -7. Maybe he wants Oso to get minutes as much as we do. At the time of his ejection, the Suns led 78-71. They responded with a 19-11 run to close the quarter, pushing their lead heading into the fourth.

Phoenix took control in the third, outscoring Sacramento 35-25 behind nine-point bursts from both Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. The Kings coughed it up six times, and the Suns feasted, turning those miscues into 15 easy points. With Plumlee ejected, the energy sharpened. Phoenix capitalized on Sacramento’s sloppiness, stretching their lead and setting the stage for the final quarter.

After three, Suns up 97-82

A quick 5-0 burst to open the fourth gave the Suns their biggest lead of the night, putting them up by 20.

The energy never dipped as the rookies stayed on the court, and while this was the kind of game the Suns would’ve lost countless times this season, it was their relentless effort and attitude that kept Phoenix comfortably ahead.

Up Next

It’s the Los Angeles Lakers in the City of Angels on Sunday afternoon. The team will be without LeBron, sure, but this will be our first time seeing them play against the LukA Lakers. We’ll see you then, Bright Side.

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