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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Chris Webber says his hair is in
cornrows because he's a moody person. After his defense tied Karl
Malone and the Utah Jazz in knots, Webber's mood was excellent.
|  | | Predrag Stojakovic scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Kings to the win. |
Predrag Stojakovic scored 31 points, and Webber had 26 points,
eight assists, eight steals and six rebounds as the Sacramento
Kings beat the Jazz 105-90 Sunday in a meeting of division leaders.
Webber, who returned from a sprained ankle six days ago, moves
closer to full speed each day. He didn't make many spectacular
plays against Utah, but he used quick hands and active feet to
match his career high in steals and help hold Malone to eight shots
in 35 minutes.
Webber changed his hairstyle on a whim, but so far it's paid
off. The Kings haven't lost since he came back.
"I'm just glad I was aggressive today," Webber said. "There
was a lot of frustration out there for both teams, and sometimes
that's motivation."
The Kings won their fourth straight and snapped Utah's four-game
winning streak while creeping within a half-game of the Western
Conference lead. If Sacramento can survive its upcoming four-game
East Coast road trip, the Kings could make a run at the West's top
seed with 10 of their last 16 games at home.
"It was a big game for us, and a big challenge to play this
team at home before we go on a road trip," Kings coach Rick
Adelman said. "We really defended them well. We had much better
swarming defensively. We were active (and) got our hands on a ton
of balls."
Sacramento (42-19) increased its Pacific Division lead to a full
game over the Lakers and the Trail Blazers, while Utah (43-19)
dropped into a tie with San Antonio atop the Midwest Division.
Doug Christie added 14 points as the Kings improved the league's
best home record to 26-5 in front of a raucous crowd in a
playoff-ready Arco Arena. Utah was responsible for one of those
home losses three weeks ago. But this time, the Kings held off the
Jazz throughout a difficult second half.
"They manhandled us all day long," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said
_ and he meant it as a compliment. "They did a great job of
getting their hands on basketballs. We couldn't pass the ball, and
we had a tough time with 22 turnovers."
The Kings won with a defense that made a season-high 18 steals
while holding Donyell Marshall scoreless and frustrating Malone,
who refused to speak to reporters afterward.
Jason Williams had 12 points and six assists while thoroughly
outplaying John Stockton, but he sat out most of the fourth quarter
in favor of Bobby Jackson as the Kings nursed a lead that Utah
never cracked. Stojakovic was 11-for-17 from the field and hit
three 3-pointers.
"Right now, we're just playing at a high level," Webber said.
"I think good teams, when they play well, they create a great
atmosphere. There's a lot of intensity in this locker room right
now."
John Starks had 17 of his 21 points in the first half for Utah,
while Danny Manning added a season-high 20. Manning also stayed on
the court after the final buzzer to berate referees Tom Washington
and Rodney Mott, who hit him with a technical foul with 45 seconds
to play.
"When you're playing against them, you have to be able to play
with a lot of energy," Starks said. "They feed off the crowd. The
crowd was in it today, and for whatever reason, we didn't play our
normal game."
Malone scored 20 points, while Stockton had nine assists but
went 3-for-11 from the field. Utah's venerable duo made nine of the
team's turnovers and frequently deferred to Manning and Starks on
offense.
Neither team led by more than four points in an intense,
entertaining first half, but Sacramento scored nine straight points
early in the second half to put the Kings up by eight.
Williams hit an exceptional one-handed 3-pointer at the third
quarter buzzer, then gave a high-five to Kings owner Gavin Maloof
at courtside as Sacramento entered the fourth up 76-64.
Game notes
Sacramento won its fifth straight home game. ... Leave it
to Kings fans to have long memories. The crowd rang dozens of bells
in a reminder of the playoff series two seasons ago in which fans
at Arco Arena and the Delta Center rang cowbells behind the
visiting benches. They also relentlessly booed former Kings center
Olden Polynice. ... Film director and NBA junkie Penny Marshall,
wearing a purple cap, sat next to Maloof in the front row. ... Utah
lost on the road for just the third time in 12 games. ... Starks
matched his season high in points.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Utah Clubhouse
Sacramento Clubhouse
RECAPS
New York 86
Miami 83
Philadelphia 97
Boston 91
Toronto 101
Vancouver 84
Sacramento 105
Utah 90
Detroit 95
Indiana 78
Cleveland 124
Milwaukee 110
Phoenix 94
Houston 92
Dallas 111
LA Clippers 93
Seattle 109
LA Lakers 97
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