SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ Buddy Hield broke a franchise record for 3-point shooting and helped the Sacramento Kings overcome a slow start in a 112-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night at Golden 1 Center.
Hield made seven 3-pointers and finished with 25 points for the Kings (36-36). Harrison Barnes also scored 25 points, Marvin Bagley III posted 16 points and 11 rebounds and Nemanja Bjelica had 13 points and 17 rebounds.
Devin Booker scored 32 points for the Suns (17-57). Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in last summer's NBA Draft, had 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Hield needed three 3-pointers to break the single-season team record of 240, set by assistant general manager Peja Stojakovic in 2003-04. Hield received a standing ovation after sinking his third 3-pointer midway through the second quarter.
The Kings fell behind by 14 in the opening minutes and trailed 32-19 after shooting 32.4 percent in the first period. They committed seven turnovers and made just 3 of 11 from 3-point range over the first 12 minutes.
The Kings eventually closed the gap in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to six on a 3-pointer by Bogdan Bogdanovic with 7:41 remaining. The Suns pushed their lead back to 14 on a basket by Dragan Bender with just under four minutes to play, but the Kings closed the half with a 14-5 run to get within six.
Sacramento tied the game on a 3-pointer by Bjelica early in the second half. The Kings finally claimed the lead on a 3-pointer by Hield midway through the third quarter.
The teams continued to trade leads until early in the fourth period when Bogdanovic, Bjelica and Barnes made 3-pointers to fuel a 9-2 run that put the Kings up 89-83. The Suns got within one on a three-point play by Booker with 4:16 to play, but the Kings pulled away in the final minutes.
Two days after signing a two-year contract with the Suns, former Kings guard Jimmer Fredette made his return to the NBA in the city where his career began. Fredette received a warm ovation when he entered the game for the first time at the start of the second quarter. He grabbed two rebounds but missed the only shot he took in four minutes of action.
