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Suns, Kings square off in Pacific Division clash

Jan 2, 2011 - 3:40 PM (Sports Network) - Pacific Division rivals clash in California's capital tonight as the Phoenix Suns visit the hapless Sacramento Kings.

The Suns snapped a four-game skid on Friday when Vince Carter and Jared Dudley both finished with 19 points as Phoenix topped the Detroit Pistons, 92-75, at US Airways Center.

Grant Hill scored 12 and Mickael Pietrus added 11 points for Phoenix. Both Goran Dragic and Channing Frye finished with eight points in the win.

"It was a much needed win for us," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "I thought we were aggressive from the start."

The lowly Kings, meanwhile, lost for the ninth time in 10 games on Saturday in Denver when Carmelo Anthony returned to the lineup with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Nuggets won their third straight game with a 104-86 victory over Sacramento. Anthony had missed five games in the wake of his sister's death.

Jason Thompson had 17 points and rookie DeMarcus Cousins scored 16 to lead the Kings, who returned to the loss column three days after Tyreke Evans' dramatic buzzer-beater from beyond midcourt beat Memphis, 100-98, to snap an eight-game slide.

"We could have gotten a lead and made that game very interesting. But instead we took bad shots and were careless with our execution and let them get the lead," said Kings head coach Paul Westphal. "We played catch up the rest of the way."

Phoenix has dominated Sacramento in recent years winning seven of nine at ARCO Arena and six straight as well as 12 of 13 overall in the series.