Josh Okogie’s season-high 25-point performance wasn’t enough to lift the Phoenix Suns past the Sacramento Kings, who secured a 127-104 victory at Golden 1 Center.
The Suns were without several key players, including Kevin Durant (left calf strain), Bradley Beal (left calf contusion), and Greyson Allen (right hamstring soreness). In their absence, Okogie emerged as a vital offensive contributor, especially with Deandre Ayton and Tyus Jones in the starting lineup.
The former D’Tigers forward injected energy into both ends of the court. In addition to his 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting in 28 minutes, Okogie grabbed eight rebounds (six offensive), stole the ball twice, and dished out an assist.
Despite the lopsided loss, Okogie’s impressive performance didn’t go unnoticed. Head coach Mike Budenholzer praised the forward’s effort.
“Josh Okogie had a great night. He dealt with the injury early and was diligent with his work in the preseason, rehab, and playgroup. Every time we’ve put him in the game, he’s had a positive impact. Credit to Josh, he’s been good.”
Okogie attributed his strong performance to his aggressive mindset: “Just being aggressive, just trying to bring the energy off the bench. No excuses, we had enough guys to play. The guys were ready, the coach gave us the confidence to go out there and hoop. We were more than able to get the job done but we didn’t. We’ll have to go back to the drawing board and refocus.”
Devin Booker added 18 points for the Suns, while rookie Ryan Dunn and guard Tyus Jones chipped in 10 points each. For the Kings, De’Aaron Fox led the way with a double-double of 29 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds. Kevin Huerter contributed 22 points, and Keegan Murray added 17.
