The Sacramento Kings beat the Phoenix Suns 128-119 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, securing their third straight win and rising to second in the Western Conference.

The Kings wouldn't have achieved this victory without the incredible performances of their bench unit. The team had seven players score double-digit points, among whom four came off the bench to do so. Malik Monk, Trey Lyles, Davion Mitchell, Kessler Edwards and Chimezie Metu outscored their Suns counterparts 65-34.

However, bench depth is not the only reason behind the Kings' win on Saturday night. Compared with the Suns that mainly count on the screen plays between Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton as well as the isolations of Devin Booker for offensive production, the Kings have more decentralized firepower sources.

For example, De'Aaron Fox, Mitchell and Monk are all fast slashers to charge the paint by exploiting the Suns' miscommunication on defense in early offense. Fox excelled at finding open shooters outside when he broke in and drew the opponents' defensive attention. Mitchell finished efficiently by using his strong body. Monk made two key triples to score 10 points in the third quarter to keep his team leading despite the opponents' sharp counterstrike.

Domantas Sabonis poses multiple threats when he works in the high post as he can set up open 3-pointers for teammates via handoff plays and dribble to drive toward the rim. When Sabonis drew Ayton out of the Suns' paint, Harrison Barnes could give better play to his posting skills in the low block, especially when he faces smaller defenders in mismatch. He shot 5-for-6 in the paint to score team-high 19 points for the Kings.

The Kings also did an excellent job in altering their defense in response to the Suns' offense. For example, after Booker scored nine points in three minutes early in the first quarter, the Kings immediately began to double-team him when he had the ball. After Paul delivered 14 assists in the first three quarters, the Kings switched more firmly to guarding his screen plays, even if it meant exposing their own big men to Paul in mismatch.

These were all the positive changes brought by coach Mike Brown to the Kings. The team paid more attention to details on both ends of the game and didn't panic when things were not in their favor. For example, they trailed by double digits twice in Saturday's game, but managed to come back and won in the end.

The Suns remain fourth in the West despite Saturday's loss. They are three and a half games below the third-ranking Memphis Grizzlies and two games above the fifth-ranking Los Angeles Clippers. With 15 games to go in the regular season, the Suns are likely to begin the postseason as the fourth seed of the conference. At least that will give them the home court advantage in the first round.

Other games on Saturday (away teams come first):

New York Knicks 95-106 Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers picketed their third consecutive win after ending their five-game losing streak. Kawhi Leonard made 14 of his 22 field goals (FGs) to drop court-high 38 points for the team at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday. He was unstoppable in the third quarter to score 19 of the Clippers' 29 points.

Russell Westbrook continued to start for the Clippers in Saturday's game and contributed seven points, five rebounds and three assists. He was benched in the fourth period, like he was in their previous competition against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. But what mattered the most is that the team won.

Boston Celtics 134-125 Atlanta Hawks

The Celtics secured their second win in a row with smooth ball-movement that generated 35 assists and 20 triples at a 3-point rate of 47.6 percent at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday. Jayson Tatum contributed five of those triples as well as team-high 34 points and 15 rebounds. His 11 points in the fourth quarter shut down the final rally of the Hawks.

Trae Young matched Tatum in individual stats as he had a double-double of 35 points and 13 assists. He scuffled Marcus Smart in the fourth period. Young kicked Smart in the sensitive area when he made a layup. Smart confronted him and Young didn't back down. The two hit the floor during the clash before Smart was ejected. Young avoided that, but his team didn't avoid the loss.

Milwaukee Bucks 116-125 Golden State Warriors

The Warriors returned to their magic home court at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on Saturday, and ended their three-game losing streak on the road. Stephen Curry, in his fourth game since return, scored 36 points for the Warriors, including getting 22 in the fourth quarter and overtime (OT). It should be noticed that Jordan Poole didn't play during OT.

The Bucks rested Giannis Antetokounmpo on Saturday night. They played like a solid team with seven players scoring double digits during the regular time. Nonetheless, when they needed a star to stand out to save the day in OT, no one managed to do the job.

Utah Jazz 119-111 Charlotte Hornets

Indiana Pacers 121-115 Detroit Pistons

Miami Heat 114-126 Orlando Magic

Chicago Bulls 119-111 Houston Rockets

Dallas Mavericks 108-112 Memphis Grizzlies

Oklahoma City Thunder 110-96 New Orleans Pelicans