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Webber outshines Suns
Kings 113, Suns 111
Published 8:59 pm PST Saturday, November 13, 2004
PHOENIX - The Sacramento Kings' up-and-down season started another upswing.
Chris Webber had a season-high 28 points and 10 rebounds, and Sacramento shook off its worst loss of the early season and beat the Suns 113-111 Saturday night.
The Kings lost by 30 points at Seattle on Wednesday night, staggering to a 1-4 start.
But they looked more like last season's 55-win playoff team this game, taking charge late in the third quarter and holding off Phoenix's desperate rally in the fourth. Webber, who had 11 points against Seattle, felt like the old order was close to being restored.
"The way we were in a groove, we just saw it coming," he said. "We have been wanting to get this type of energy and communication on the court."
Peja Stojakovic matched his season high with 23 points, Mike Bibby scored 20 and Brad Miller had six of his 14 points in the final quarter, which Sacramento entered with an 88-82 lead.
"They are a really, really tough team to guard, but we played so much better tonight offensively than we have been," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "I was really pleased to get this one on the road."
The Kings return to Sacramento, where they had their only other victory, for their next five games, and Webber believes that will take care of questions about the shaky beginning.
"I think we have an unfair record," he said.
Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash had 29 points apiece for the Suns, who dropped their second straight after a 4-0 start.
Shawn Marion had 14 points and 15 rebounds, Joe Johnson had 15 points and Casey Jacobsen 14.
The Kings used a 16-5 run that began late in the third quarter to go ahead 100-87 on a layup by Stojakovic with 8:03 left in the game.
But Nash, who beat his previous season best by 12 points, got the Suns within 108-106 with a 15-foot jumper with 1:37 to go, and tightened it to 110-109 with a 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining.
Miller then made an 18-footer after an assist from Bibby with 25 seconds to go. Twelve seconds later, Bobby Jackson fouled Stoudemire hard enough on his layup attempt that he missed and got only the two free throws.
After a free throw by Doug Christie with 13 seconds left, Marion missed a 12-footer and Johnson missed from 14 feet after the ball squirted out of a throng in the paint.
"We turned the ball over too many times (17), and that would be the main thing," Stoudemire said. "They got a lot of easy baskets in transition as well, so that was tough for us. But we fought back pretty strongly, and we had a good chance at it."
The Suns had a 58-57 lead at halftime, and no more than six points separated the teams during a tight third quarter that featured seven lead changes and four ties.
The Kings began to pull away when Darius Songaila broke a 78-all tie with a reverse layup after his first shot was blocked by Steven Hunter.
Bibby scored the last four points of the third quarter on a 19-footer and two free throws, producing an 82-78 Sacramento lead, and it became a 10-0 run on consecutive baskets by Webber, Jackson and Bibby
The Suns took a 45-36 lead -- their biggest of the game -- on Jacobsen's foul shot with 8:49 left in the second quarter.
But Miller and Jackson had six points each as Sacramento outscored the Suns 21-8 in the next 6:14.
"Our whole game we felt was in our first half," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We let them have at least seven layups by outrunning us back. You can't do that against a team like this."
Phoenix regained the lead before halftime on a 3-pointer by Nash and Johnson's layup with 30 seconds to go.
Notes: The Kings, who play Denver at home Sunday night, are 2-1 in the first game of back-to-backs and 0-2 in the second. ... Suns C Jake Voskuhl didn't play because of the flu. ... The Kings, second in the NBA in points allowed (102.4) coming in, have given up at least 101 points in each of five road games. -- The Associated Press
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Webber outshines Suns
Kings 113, Suns 111
Published 8:59 pm PST Saturday, November 13, 2004
PHOENIX - The Sacramento Kings' up-and-down season started another upswing.
Chris Webber had a season-high 28 points and 10 rebounds, and Sacramento shook off its worst loss of the early season and beat the Suns 113-111 Saturday night.
The Kings lost by 30 points at Seattle on Wednesday night, staggering to a 1-4 start.
But they looked more like last season's 55-win playoff team this game, taking charge late in the third quarter and holding off Phoenix's desperate rally in the fourth. Webber, who had 11 points against Seattle, felt like the old order was close to being restored.
"The way we were in a groove, we just saw it coming," he said. "We have been wanting to get this type of energy and communication on the court."
Peja Stojakovic matched his season high with 23 points, Mike Bibby scored 20 and Brad Miller had six of his 14 points in the final quarter, which Sacramento entered with an 88-82 lead.
"They are a really, really tough team to guard, but we played so much better tonight offensively than we have been," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "I was really pleased to get this one on the road."
The Kings return to Sacramento, where they had their only other victory, for their next five games, and Webber believes that will take care of questions about the shaky beginning.
"I think we have an unfair record," he said.
Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash had 29 points apiece for the Suns, who dropped their second straight after a 4-0 start.
Shawn Marion had 14 points and 15 rebounds, Joe Johnson had 15 points and Casey Jacobsen 14.
The Kings used a 16-5 run that began late in the third quarter to go ahead 100-87 on a layup by Stojakovic with 8:03 left in the game.
But Nash, who beat his previous season best by 12 points, got the Suns within 108-106 with a 15-foot jumper with 1:37 to go, and tightened it to 110-109 with a 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining.
Miller then made an 18-footer after an assist from Bibby with 25 seconds to go. Twelve seconds later, Bobby Jackson fouled Stoudemire hard enough on his layup attempt that he missed and got only the two free throws.
After a free throw by Doug Christie with 13 seconds left, Marion missed a 12-footer and Johnson missed from 14 feet after the ball squirted out of a throng in the paint.
"We turned the ball over too many times (17), and that would be the main thing," Stoudemire said. "They got a lot of easy baskets in transition as well, so that was tough for us. But we fought back pretty strongly, and we had a good chance at it."
The Suns had a 58-57 lead at halftime, and no more than six points separated the teams during a tight third quarter that featured seven lead changes and four ties.
The Kings began to pull away when Darius Songaila broke a 78-all tie with a reverse layup after his first shot was blocked by Steven Hunter.
Bibby scored the last four points of the third quarter on a 19-footer and two free throws, producing an 82-78 Sacramento lead, and it became a 10-0 run on consecutive baskets by Webber, Jackson and Bibby
The Suns took a 45-36 lead -- their biggest of the game -- on Jacobsen's foul shot with 8:49 left in the second quarter.
But Miller and Jackson had six points each as Sacramento outscored the Suns 21-8 in the next 6:14.
"Our whole game we felt was in our first half," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We let them have at least seven layups by outrunning us back. You can't do that against a team like this."
Phoenix regained the lead before halftime on a 3-pointer by Nash and Johnson's layup with 30 seconds to go.
Notes: The Kings, who play Denver at home Sunday night, are 2-1 in the first game of back-to-backs and 0-2 in the second. ... Suns C Jake Voskuhl didn't play because of the flu. ... The Kings, second in the NBA in points allowed (102.4) coming in, have given up at least 101 points in each of five road games. -- The Associated Press
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