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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Although failing to make the playoffs
again this year, the Denver Nuggets will still have their role.
They will help decide the Pacific Division crown.
|  | | Vancouver's Shareef Abdur-Rahim, left, and Sacramento's Peja Stojakovic fight for a rebound. |
Peja Stojakovic scored 31 points Monday night as the Sacramento
Kings defeated the Vancouver Grizzlies 110-100, keeping alive their
slim hopes of winning the Pacific.
The victory, which tied a franchise record for wins in a season,
put the Kings (55-26) in a first-place tie with the Los Angeles
Lakers. The 1963-64 Cincinnati Royals also had a 55-win season.
The Lakers close the season Tuesday night at home against Denver
and the Kings travel to Denver for a season-ending game Wednesday.
If the two teams finish in a tie, the Lakers will have the second
playoff seed in the West due to a better head-to-head record
against Sacramento, which they have beaten three of four times.
"We had to win tonight and put some pressure on the Lakers,"
Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "There is no lock in this league.
We want to make the Lakers finish it out. Stranger things have
happened in this league."
Kings veteran center Vlade Divac, who had 21 points, 16 rebounds
and five assists, does not anticipate a Denver victory.
"There is a small chance," Divac said. "If it happens, it
happens and well take advantage of it. But it's no big deal. It
would have been nice to win the Pacific Division, but now we have
to start thinking about the playoffs."
Clearly laboring with an ankle injury that has limited his
ability to run and jump, Chris Webber still produced 23 points,
seven rebounds and three steals as the Kings gradually increased
their lead in the second half. Doug Christie had 18 points and
seven rebounds.
"Chris is banged up, but I'm not that concerned about it,"
Adelman said. "We're still winning games. He'll have time to rest
and heal and be ready for the playoffs."
Mired in a recent shooting slump, Stojakovic made 12 of 20 shots
and scored 17 points in the second half, when the Kings outscored
Vancouver 55-46. He made two 3-pointers and five of six free throws,
while also getting six rebounds and five assists.
"I think my shooting is back, I have struggled for awhile, but
I think I will be ready for the playoffs," Stojakovic said. "A
shooter has to keep shooting."
Damon Jones made five 3-pointers and scored 25 points for the
Grizzlies. Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 18 points and Mike Bibby added
15 points and nine assists.
"I thought our guys played hard, we came out and were
aggressive and pushed the ball down the floor and got some easy
baskets against them, but they wore us down," Vancouver coach
Sidney Lowe said.
It was the sixth consecutive defeat and 16th in 18 games for
Vancouver, which is trying for a franchise-high 23rd victory.
"With a season like this, if it means taking baby steps then
getting that (23rd) win would be a good thing," Abdur-Rahim said.
Leading by one point at the half, the Kings got their offense
going in the third quarter. Divac and Webber both scored 10 points
and Stojakovic had nine as the Kings assumed an 86-79 lead.
Despite the Kings' poor shooting first half (21-for-52), Stojakovic had 14
points and Webber added 11 as the Kings took a 55-54 lead into the
break.
Game notes
The league fined Kings guard Jason Williams $25,000 for
inappropriate conduct directed at fans in the overtime victory last week in San Antonio. It was the third time this year Williams has been
fined for the same infraction. The Grizzlies outscored Sacramento
17-9 on fastbreak points in the first half. ... Divac, Webber and
Stojakovic combined for 29 of the Kings 31 third-quarter points.
The Kings finished 33-8 in Arco Arena, the most home victories in
franchise history and tied with San Antonio for the NBA's best mark.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Vancouver Clubhouse
Sacramento Clubhouse
RECAPS
Charlotte 106
Atlanta 83
Cleveland 80
New York 78
Milwaukee 101
Orlando 89
Dallas 110
Golden State 101
LA Clippers 100
Phoenix 80
Sacramento 110
Vancouver 100
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