The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

CHAVANO “Buddy” Hield enjoyed his best shooting stretch of the season the last three games in the state of Florida while Deandre Ayton restarted his streak of double doubles over the weekend.

Hield’s Sacramento Kings began their road trip with a win last Wednesday against the Orlando Magic, followed with a win over the relocated Toronto Raptors in Tampa on Friday and concluded with a loss to the Miami Heat Saturday night.

Over the three games in Florida, Hield averaged 23 points per game on 52 percent shooting from the field and 55 percent from three-point range. He also averaged 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

In Saturday’s 105-104 loss to the Miami Heat, Hield finished with 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. He shot 6-15 on three pointers. With the Kings trailing 103-101 late in the fourth quarter, Hield came up with a steal from Miami’s Bam Adebayo. He finished that possession with a go-ahead three pointer with 1:44 left in regulation to put the Kings ahead 104-103.

Hield extended the NBA’s longest active streak of games with a 3-pointer to 85, four shy of matching Dana Barros for the fourth-longest in league history. The record belongs to Golden State’s Stephen Curry, who had one in 157 consecutive games.

The Kings (8-11) will continue their road trip on Tuesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ayton shrugged off last Wednesday’s five-point effort in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and posted a pair of double doubles in wins for the Suns.

He finished with 18 points and 17 rebounds as the Suns scored a 111-105 win over the Dallas Mavericks Saturday night to improve to 10-8 on the season.

Ayton was sidelined for part of the first half with a left shoulder injury but returned in the second half to make several key plays down the stretch to seal the win. He finished an alley-oop from Chris Paul to give the Suns a six-point lead (102-96) with 1:44 left to play.

The teams are scheduled to meet again in Dallas tonight.

In Thursday’s 114-93 win over the Golden State Warriors, Ayton finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds. He was just 5-7 from the field and added four assists.

Ayton ranks ninth in the league with 11 double doubles.