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 Cousins also had 14 rebounds while playing only the first three quarters. Isaiah Thomas added 23 points and eight assists to help the Kings win for only the second time in their past 14 games in Phoenix.
Sacramento, which has won six of its last 10, shot 53 percent from the floor and converted 22 of 24 free throws. Thomas and Cousins combined to go 17 of 17 from the line.
Luis Scola led the Suns with 25 points, P.J. Tucker had a career-high 18, and Michael Beasley added 14 points and eight rebounds. Phoenix, resting point guard Goran Dragic for the second straight game, has lost five straight, nine of 10 and 11 of its past 13.
Cousins scored his first points on four free throws and a dunk, then started extending his range. He hit a 19-footer, scored on a dunk, hit another 19-footer, a long 3-pointer and finally a 21-foot jumper as Sacramento took a 38-32 lead after the first.
Phoenix's Jared Dudley sank a 3-pointer with 5:08 left in the second quarter to it at 46. But Toney Douglas scored five points, and Cousins added four and John Salmons added four as the Kings ran out to a 64-50 halftime lead.
The game turned into a contest of runs in the second half. Cousins made a pair of free throws to give Sacramento its largest lead, 75-56, with 7:53 left in the third quarter.
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The Suns, with Scola scoring six points, went on a 15-2 run to pull to 75-69 with 4:50 to go in the period, but the Kings quickly extended the lead back to double digits with a 9-2 run of their own spurred by five straight points from Cousins.
Another Phoenix run, this time a 9-0 streak capped by a 3-pointer by Dudley, cut the Kings' lead to 94-87 with 7:59 to go.
Again Sacramento answered, with Jimmer Fredette scoring five points and Patrick Patterson adding four to lead a 15-4 surge and put the Kings back in front 109-91 with 4:19 left.
NOTES: Cousins has six career 30-point games. He had 30-plus points and 10-plus rebounds for the fourth time in his career -- the second time against Phoenix. ... Kings F James Johnson missed his seventh straight game for personal reasons. ... Phoenix has won 17 of the past 23 games between the teams. ... Dragic had season highs in points (31), field goals (10) and rebounds (nine) against Brooklyn before being given the two-game break. ... Phoenix's Markieff Morris was whistled for three fouls in the first 5 minutes while trying to guard Cousins. ... The Kings improved their road record against the Western Conference to 3-20, including a 2-6 mark against the Pacific Division. ... Tucker scored in double figures for the fourth time in five games.
[Associated
Press; By JONATHAN DALTON]
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