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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Chris Webber picked a terrible time for what he said was the first ejection of his basketball career.
| | Chris Webber begs to differ with referee Bill Spooner, who heard Webber out and then gave him the thumb in the third quarter. |
Webber was thrown out by referee Bill Spooner in the third
quarter of the Milwaukee Bucks' 112-104 win over Sacramento on
Wednesday night. His momentary lapse of composure essentially
killed the Kings' chances of staying with the Bucks, whose
high-octane offense quickly ran away with the game.
Webber cursed Spooner after a series of calls went against the
Kings. His outburst came during a 24-7 Bucks run spanning the
second and third quarters.
Later, when the Kings trimmed Milwaukee's big lead to single
digits, Webber wasn't around to help.
"That's the first time that I've ever got kicked out of a game,
so I really don't know what to say," Webber said. "I'm more upset
with the loss than anything else. It was tough not to be with the
team at the end when we got it down to eight (points)."
The Kings' anger-management problems didn't end with Webber.
Vlade Divac and coach Rick Adelman also received technical fouls when Webber became enraged, and Jason Williams picked up his own technical in the fourth quarter.
Ray Allen had 22 points and Sam Cassell added 20 points and 13
assists as Milwaukee outgunned Sacramento in a matchup of two of
the NBA's top three offensive teams. Sacramento nearly matched its
average of 105 points per game, while Milwaukee topped 110 points
for the 14th time this season.
The Bucks lost their previous two games before a five-day layoff
leading up to the Kings' visit. Bucks coach George Karl said it was
one of Milwaukee's five most important games of the year.
"I think you saw me coach it a lot like a playoff game," Karl said. "I used a short rotation. We really needed to win this one before this (five-game) road trip we've got coming up."
In an exciting, run-and-gun game with little defense played on
either end, the two teams appeared well-matched before Webber was
tossed. Without Webber's defensive presence, the Bucks drove the
lane at will and stretched their lead to 21 points in the fourth
quarter.
Glenn Robinson had 21 points as all five Bucks starters posted gaudy individual numbers. Scott Williams had 17 points and 14
rebounds, while Ervin Johnson had 12 points and 15 rebounds.
"We made a stand tonight, because we haven't been playing great
lately," Scott Williams said. "This wasn't just another
regular-season win. This was important."
Milwaukee's reserves allowed the lead to be frittered down to
eight points late, and Karl angrily put Cassell and Robinson back
in with 1:43 left. Tyrone Corbin missed two open shots in the closing moments that could have cut the lead to three points.
One night after scoring a season-high 29 points against
Charlotte, Nick Anderson led the Kings with 24. Webber had 12
points and eight rebounds before his ejection, while Jason Williams
had 11 points and 11 assists.
It was the kind of game in which the first four baskets were
three 3-pointers and an alley-oop dunk. Jason Williams' virtuoso
passing skills were in top form, while the Bucks' perimeter passing
offense was clicking as well.
Fans also saw the dark side of this style of basketball,
however. Both teams exhibited horrible shot selection at times, and
they combined for 33 turnovers.
"He (Jason Williams) has spectacular sight. He sees the floor very
well," Karl said. "His shot selection ... he should probably play
on our team shooting like that."
The Kings, who beat the Hornets on Tuesday night, were playing the second leg of an eight-game road trip, their longest in 13 years.
Sacramento shot 39 percent, going 11-for-37 on 3-pointers, and
lost for just the fourth time in 16 games. Milwaukee snapped a
two-game losing streak and beat a Western Conference team at home
for the first time since Dec. 5.
Game notes The two teams combined for the unusually high totals of 187
shots, 78 field goals and 109 rebounds. ... Peja Stojakovic missed
his second straight game for the Kings with a sore right leg. He
watched the game in street clothes. ... The loss prevented the
Kings (26-14) from having their best record after 40 games since
1949-50, when they were the Rochester Royals. ... After Webber
nearly airballed a free throw in the second quarter, he complained
to the officials about the glare a Bradley Center video board was
casting onto the backboard. Bucks officials said Webber was the
first player this season to complain about the video boards, which
debuted in November.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Sacramento Clubhouse
Milwaukee Clubhouse
RECAPS
Phoenix 93 Philadelphia 87
Toronto 120 Washington 105
Orlando 111 Boston 89
Milwaukee 112 Sacramento 104
Vancouver 116 Utah 99
Seattle 95 New Jersey 92
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