SACRAMENTO – The Suns took a step toward the standings ladder Tuesday night to be in position to move up a rung Wednesday night.

The Suns survived Sacramento power forward DeMarcus Cousins’ career-high 41 points with a full-strength Steve Nash to get a 109-100 victory Tuesday night at Sacramento. The Suns can move past Utah for ninth place in the Western Conference if they can beat the Jazz Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.

More important, the Suns pulled back within 11/2 games of eighth-place Houston by getting 18 points and 12 assists from Nash, who committed just one turnover. A New York Post report Tuesday claimed Nash’s back was “as bad as it’s ever been,” but all Nash did was deliver backbreaking shots and playmaking to help the Suns pull away in the fourth quarter.

Sacramento briefly took the lead early in the fourth quarter and trailed only 89-88 with 7:21 remaining before the Suns went on a 12-2 run that broke open the game for good. During the burst, Nash hit a 3-pointer and an off-foot runner consecutively but made even more dazzling plays to set up teammates, such as a baseline drive that finished with a behind-the-back pass for a Marcin Gortat layup.

The Suns had to withstand Cousins’ 41 points — the most scored against the Suns since Kobe Bryant’s 48-point game Jan. 10 — and their own poor shooting. Phoenix scored 109 but had to thrive inside the arc as the team’s 3-point slump continued. The Suns made 5 of 22 3-pointers Tuesday night, making them 13 for 63 in the past three games from 3-point range.

The Suns put six scorers in double figures, with Gortat leading the Suns in points (20) and rebounds (10) before fouling out.

The Kings, playing their fourth game in five nights, looked like the schedule and the Suns might undo them early. The Suns closed the first quarter with a 13-2 when Sacramento went one for 10 with turnovers against a Suns defense that was keeping the Kings to the perimeter and helping well when they failed to do so.

The Suns bench maintained the defensive effort against a Sacramento team that had averaged 110 points in its previous 10 games. The Suns led 43-26 five minutes into the second quarter, setting up what would be an ideal blowout with another game to play tonight.

Instead, the bench slipped and the team cracked. For the final seven minutes of the first half, the Suns came up with four stops, but one of those only came because Isaiah Thomas missed two free throws.

Gortat helped the Suns finish the half strong offensively to hold onto a 59-51 lead but Sacramento kept creeping back in the third quarter, when Cousins kept proving unstoppable to Phoenix with a 13-point, eight-rebound, quarter.

With the Suns bench struggling to score if Michael Redd was not doing it, Sacramento closed the third quarter with a 10-2 run and had the Suns lead down to 79-78 — a one-point deficit. It was the same margin entering the fourth quarter as when the Suns had last played and beaten Sacramento in Phoenix.

The Kings took a lead for the first time since 10-9 at the start of the quarter, but Redd scored six of his 16 points, his best-scoring games since March 18.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcin Gortat had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Steve Nash added 18 points and 12 assists and the Phoenix Suns defeated the Sacramento Kings 109-100 on Tuesday night.

The Suns won their second straight and third in four games to move over the .500 mark (27-26) for only the third time this season.

The Suns moved within 1 1/2 games of Houston for the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff berth.

DeMarcus Cousins scored a career-high 41 points and had 12 rebounds for the Kings, who have lost three of four.

Isaiah Thomas had 25 points and seven assists, and Terrence Williams had another big game off the bench with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Michael Redd had 16 points and both Channing Frye and Jared Dudley had 15 for Phoenix. Shannon Brown had 12 points for the Suns.

Nash led a 12-2 run in the fourth that put Phoenix ahead 101-90. He made a 3-pointer and followed with an off-balance shot in the lane. A basket by Frye gave the Suns an 11-point lead with 4:05 remaining.

Redd scored three quick baskets to begin the fourth quarter, stretching the Suns’ lead to 87-82 with just under 10 minutes left. But three straight baskets by Cousins pulled Sacramento within 89-88.

The Suns maintained the lead in the third quarter despite having no answer for Cousins. The Kings’ centre had 13 points and eight rebounds, yet Sacramento still trailed 79-78 heading the fourth.

Nash began looking for his shot more in the third quarter when he scored seven points and three assists for Phoenix, which was outscored 27-20.

Gortat had 13 points and eight rebounds in a first-half matchup with Cousins. The Suns led by as many as 17 points in the second quarter and took a 59-51 advantage into halftime.

Cousins had 16 points and Williams had 12 for the Kings.

Notes: Despite shooting 39 per cent in the opening quarter, the Suns still led 29-18. … The Kings played without starting guard Marcus Thornton (bruised left calf) and key reserve John Salmons (sore right hip). … Earning a rare start, Kings forward Donte Greene went scoreless and had three personal fouls in the first half. … Redd scored 10 second-quarter points. … The Kings made 4 of 11 free throws in the first half.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Marcin Gortat had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Steve Nash added 18 points and 12 assists and the Phoenix Suns defeated the Sacramento Kings 109-100 on Tuesday night.

The Suns won their second straight and third in four games to move over the .500 mark (27-26) for only the third time this season.

The Suns moved within 1 1/2 games of Houston for the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff berth.

DeMarcus Cousins scored a career-high 41 points and had 12 rebounds for the Kings, who have lost three of four.

Isaiah Thomas had 25 points and seven assists, and Terrence Williams had another big game off the bench with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Michael Redd had 16 points and both Channing Frye and Jared Dudley had 15 for Phoenix. Shannon Brown had 12 points for the Suns.

Nash led a 12-2 run in the fourth that put Phoenix ahead 101-90. He made a 3-pointer and followed with an off-balance shot in the lane. A basket by Frye gave the Suns an 11-point lead with 4:05 remaining.

Redd scored three quick baskets to begin the fourth quarter, stretching the Suns’ lead to 87-82 with just under 10 minutes left. But three straight baskets by Cousins pulled Sacramento within 89-88.

The Suns maintained the lead in the third quarter despite having no answer for Cousins. The Kings‘ center had 13 points and eight rebounds, yet Sacramento still trailed 79-78 heading the fourth.

Nash began looking for his shot more in the third quarter when he scored seven points and three assists for Phoenix, which was outscored 27-20.

Gortat had 13 points and eight rebounds in a first-half matchup with Cousins. The Suns led by as many as 17 points in the second quarter and took a 59-51 advantage into halftime.

Cousins had 16 points and Williams had 12 for the Kings.

Notes: Despite shooting 39 percent in the opening quarter, the Suns still led 29-18. … The Kings played without starting guard Marcus Thornton (bruised left calf) and key reserve John Salmons (sore right hip). … Earning a rare start, Kings forward Donte Greene went scoreless and had three personal fouls in the first half. … Redd scored 10 second-quarter points. … The Kings made 4 of 11 free throws in the first half.