The Phoenix Suns have exceeded expectations over the first three-quarters of the season.
Now it’s about continuing to excel down the stretch of the season.
The Suns return to action after four days without a game when they visit the hapless Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.
“We’re into March now,” Phoenix coach Jordan Ott said Monday. “These games mean more and more. This is a big week for us.”
After the trip to Sacramento, the Suns return home for games against the Chicago Bulls (Thursday), New Orleans Pelicans (Friday) and Charlotte Hornets (Sunday).
Phoenix is a solid eight games over .500 entering the stretch and stands seventh in the Western Conference with 22 games remaining.
The Suns have that status despite a recent slump in which they lost six of eight games. They had back-to-back scoring outputs of 77 and 81 points while playing without their top two players in Devin Booker (right hip) and Dillon Brooks (fractured left hand).
But they turned things around last Thursday when Royce O’Neale buried a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left to give Phoenix a 113-110 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Grayson Allen (28 points) and Collin Gillespie (21) each made six 3-pointers for the Suns.
Booker has missed four straight games but is moving closer to a return.
“No setbacks, continual progress,” Ott said. “He seems to be in a good spot.”
Ott said Booker’s leadership has been a big part of Phoenix’s success this season.
“I will say our resilience and our overall toughness,” Ott said. “That’s led by our leader, his ability to lead every second he’s in the building. Every second Book’s here, we feel his presence.”
The Suns also will be looking to finish off a four-game season sweep of the Kings. Phoenix won 112-100 at Sacramento on Nov. 26 and also notched home wins of four and 27 points.
The Kings are 2-2 since enduring a franchise-worst 16-game losing streak.
Sacramento was pounded 128-104 by the Lakers on Sunday to end a 2-3 road trip.
First-round selection Nique Clifford scored 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting for his second-highest scoring output of the season. He had 30 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 7.
“I’m just proud to see him continue to grow as a young player,” Kings coach Doug Christie said afterward. “When you look at the things he’s able to do out there, he got downhill. He shoots the 3. He handles the basketball. He makes plays. He rebounds the basketball. I love that.”
Clifford has scored in double digits in four consecutive games — starting the past two — and figures to see his minutes increase the rest of the way with the Kings owning the worst record in the NBA.
Another factor is that starting small forward Keegan Murray reinjured the same ankle that caused him to miss 20 games. He re-hurt it in his fourth game back and it’s unclear how long he’ll be sidelined this time. Murray will miss his third straight game on Tuesday.
Clifford, meanwhile, has started 12 of 58 games played and has averages of 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds. He’s shooting just 40.7% from the field.
Clifford was pinching himself right before tip-off Sunday when it sank in he was about to start a game with Lakers legend LeBron James standing just feet away.
“It’s crazy,” Clifford said. “You grow up watching them. LeBron was in the league before I was born probably, so it’s crazy to play against him now, and to still be doing what he’s doing at that age is super impressive. To be on the same floor, I feel like I belong, but it’s pretty dope to be out there with guys in that category.”
