Game Preview: Kings At Suns

(AP) -- The Phoenix Suns are three games out of the final Western Conference playoff spot with 11 to play. Nine of those 11 will be played against winning teams. Six of those nine will be played on the road. Three of those six will be visits to the defending NBA champion and the likely top seed in each conference.

Squeaking into the playoffs would be a considerable accomplishment, and given those circumstances, a home win Wednesday night over the Sacramento Kings is a near must.

The Suns (38-33), going for a fifth consecutive win and fourth straight at home, won 98-92 Sunday over Dallas to begin a four-game homestand.

"Defensively we've played really well the past four games," Marcus Morris said. "We have to keep that going."

Eric Bledsoe had 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds but again struggled taking care of the ball with seven turnovers. In 17 games since the Suns dealt point guard Goran Dragic, Bledsoe has averaged 4.71 turnovers with a 1.38 assist-to-turnover ratio. Prior to that, Bledsoe averaged 3.08 with a 1.92 ratio.

He could have some ball-handling help returning soon. Brandon Knight has missed six games with a sprained ankle, but he practiced Tuesday and is questionable. The Suns are 5-1 without him, and Knight could return as the team's sixth man.

The Suns committed 21 turnovers against the Mavericks, but they've made up for any sloppy play offensively on the other end. They've limited opponents to an NBA-low 90.7 points per 100 possessions in the last four games, which is quite the defensive rating for a team that in recent seasons has been known for an offensive focus and still ranks in the bottom half of the league for the season defensively (103.0).

Bledsoe's rating of 83.4 is among the best individual marks in that time, while Gerald Green (86.9), P.J. Tucker (88.3), Markieff Morris (88.7) and Alex Len (89.4) add a nice complement.

Since All-Star break, Phoenix's 99.7 rating is tied for sixth, and its coach attributes it to the drastic shift the roster has undergone.

"We're bigger," said coach Jeff Hornacek of his recent starting five. "... That's more of a defensive team out there than the offensive squad we had."

The home stretch continues in difficult fashion Friday against Portland and concludes with Sunday's crucial meeting with Oklahoma City, which leads Phoenix for the No. 8 spot. The winning streak has pushed the Suns past New Orleans, but the Thunder have also won four straight, so no ground has been gained.

The Kings (25-45) have won two of three in the season series and three of four in Phoenix, and the Suns also aren't catching Sacramento at a particularly good time.

After Tuesday's 107-106 home win over Philadelphia, the Kings have won three straight after going the preceding 13-40 stretch without ever stringing together two. In their previous two wins, the Kings had shot well (49.0 percent) and turned the ball over a lot (19.5). Against the 76ers, they shot 36.1 percent and turned it over 10 times.

Sacramento overcame a horrible defensive first half after trailing 70-63 at the break.

"I told them at halftime they stunk (defensively)," coach George Karl said. "(DeMarcus Cousins) had some incredible defensive plays down the stretch. He had a big game defensively."

Cousins had 33 points and 17 rebounds, 10 of which came on the offensive glass. He's averaged 25.6 points and 13.8 rebounds in his last nine games, and his six with at least 30 points and 15 rebounds are twice that of anyone else in the league.

Cousins also has eight straight double-doubles against Phoenix while averaging 23.1 points and 14.1 boards, including both wins this season while missing the loss.

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