Kings outlast Suns to extend run to 4 (AP)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)—On a night when the biggest news for the franchise
was happening off the court, the youthful Sacramento Kings and their loyal fans
were focused only on the game.

Inspired by a fan base that has stuck by them in a trying season, Marcus
Thornton(notes) scored 24 points and tied a career high with 11 rebounds for the Kings,
who won their season-high fourth straight game by defeating the Phoenix Suns
116-113 on Tuesday night.

Despite the strong possibility of the team moving to Anaheim next season,
the Kings are enjoying their best stretch of the season, winning five of six
games.

“It was overwhelming. (The fans) have deep roots and deep love for this
team,” Kings coach Paul Westphal said. “Whatever happens, nobody knows. We’re
honored that they celebrated basketball and the Kings. We felt that.”

Early Tuesday night, the Anaheim City Council voted 5-0 to approve a $75
million financial package to lure the Kings from Sacramento. The council also
voted 5-0 to pay for the Kings’ relocation.

Orange County billionaire Henry Samueli, who manages the Honda Center where
the Kings would play, will finance the deal himself, while the city is issuing
the bond package. Officials at the Honda Center announced Tuesday that they will
be creating a waiting list for fans who have inquired about NBA tickets for next
season.

At a press conference, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA star in
Phoenix, said he’s resigned to the Kings moving to Anaheim but expects the
Maloof ownership group to pay its $77 million loan to the City of Sacramento.

Despite the off-court news, attendance was 13,744 and fans cheered the Kings
like it was just another regular-season game, ignoring the likelihood that the
team won’t return next season.

“After announcing that we might be moving, the real fans have come back and
supported us,” Donte Greene(notes) said. “They still love us. We’re the only thing
here besides the (Sacramento) River Cats (Triple-A baseball team). They want to
keep this team here. They keep coming to the games and showing that they want
the team to stay here.”

While the Kings celebrated only their 10th home win this season, the Suns
were lamenting yet another loss, their third straight and eighth in 11 games.
Phoenix has watched any hopes of the playoffs practically disappear over this
stretch. The Suns (36-37) are 10th in the conference and trail the eighth-place
Memphis Grizzlies by 4 1/2 games with nine games remaining in the regular season.

If the Suns miss the playoffs, it will only be the third time since the
1988-89 season. The last time they failed to make the playoffs was the 2008-09
season.

“You have to play your way into the playoffs,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry
said. “Right now, the way we’re playing we don’t deserve to be in the playoffs.
All the teams we are chasing are really good. And we are not. We are still alive
in the playoff race, but we are basically on life support.”

Beno Udrih(notes) had 19 points for the Kings, who were coming off a 4-1 road trip.

Greene scored 18 points and DeMarcus Cousins(notes) had 17 points and a season-best
eight assists, while Jason Thompson(notes) had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Tyreke Evans(notes)
added 11 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

“My foot feels better and I’m moving at a good speed,” said Evans, who had
seven points, three rebounds and two assists in the fourth quarter when the
Kings outscored the Suns 31-20.

Both Jared Dudley(notes) and Channing Frye(notes) scored 21 points for the Suns, who lost
to the Kings for the third straight time. Marcin Gortat(notes) had 17 points and 11
rebounds, and Steve Nash(notes) added 13 points and 14 assists.

Ahead by 10 early in the fourth quarter, a 14-4 run by the Kings tied it.
The remainder of the quarter was a back-and-forth game, until Sacramento scored
seven straight points to turn a one-point deficit into a 116-110 lead.

“They have been playing well and they have been a tough matchup for us,”
Nash said. “We got off to a good start, but couldn’t close out the game. That’s
pretty much how it’s been going, not only against them, but recently and
throughout the season.”

After Dudley put the Suns ahead 111-110 on a jumper, the Kings retook the
lead on Thornton’s 3-point for a two-point lead with just under a minute to
play. Evans added two free throws to put Sacramento ahead 114-110 with 18.7
seconds left.

Frye missed a 3-pointer that could have pulled the Suns within a point. The
Kings secured the rebound and the victory when Thornton made two free throws for
a 116-110 advantage.

“As we get healthy and are able to sort things out, I think we’re showing
that there is a lot of reason for optimism,” Westphal said. “I think this team
is excited about what the chances of success are going forward.”

Notes: Gary Bender, who has called Suns TV games for nearly two decades,
announced his retirement Monday. … Hill scored 13 points and Gortat had 12 in
the opening half when the Suns led 61-59. Udrih had 15 points for the Kings. …
Last year’s rookie of the year, Evans played in his third straight game after
missing the previous 19 with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.