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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
ATLANTA (AP) -- Pounding his chest, tugging his jersey and carrying the Atlanta Hawks on his back, Isaiah Rider seems worth all the trouble he caused earlier in the season.
|  | | Dikembe Mutombo drives past Scott Pollard for 2 of his 19 points. He also grabbed 18 rebounds. |
Rider equaled his season high with 32 points and took control in
the second half, pulling the Hawks from a 15-point deficit to a
110-100 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night.
"I don't care what they say about Isaiah Rider," said
Sacramento's Nick Anderson. "I don't care if he never comes to practice. If he continues to play like that, they're going to win a lot of games."
Rider has been on his best behavior since a one-game suspension Nov. 16 for missing practice, averaging 23.3 points in the last eight games.
He had 13 points in a 21-8 run to close the third quarter,
giving the Hawks an 84-83 lead heading to the final period when he
converted a three-point play with 23.7 seconds remaining.
"I've never been shy," said Rider, who hit 13-of-30 from the
field, dished out six assists and grabbed four rebounds. "That's
why I'm one of the better players in this league."
After the Kings scored the first two baskets of the fourth
quarter, Rider hit a 3-pointer to ignite a 10-0 run. Finally, he
came up with a steal in the final minute to thwart any hope of a
comeback by Sacramento, the second straight division leader to fall
to the Hawks.
"We started out really sluggish," Rider said. "I take some of the blame for that. I came out and kind of flat-lined it. ... But I told myself there was a lot of time left. When I take over, good things happen."
Atlanta beat Central-leading Toronto 107-89 on Tuesday and has a
three-game winning streak.
Jim Jackson added 26 points for the Hawks, while Dikembe Mutombo
had 19 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks. Chris Webber led the Kings with 26 points.
Atlanta underwent a makeover prior to this season, trading away Steve Smith and Mookie Blaylock while promising a more exciting
style of play. But it was the defense which turned the tide against
the Kings, one of the league's most creative teams.
Sacramento scored 42 points in the first quarter, hitting
19-of-24 shots from the field while building a 10-point lead. The
Kings increased the margin to 59-44 in the second quarter before
settling for a 67-58 lead at the break.
In the second half, however, the Kings shot only 25 percent from the field -- 12-of-48.
"It's all about defense," Mutombo said. "The only thing that
was keeping them in the game was their running game. When we shut
down their running game, they didn't have any offense. All they
could do was pick and roll."
Rider added, "You can't win in this league with all offense.
You've got to play defense at some point in time. But they only
play defense when they want to."
Jason Williams wowed the Philips Arena crowd with several
dazzling plays, including a behind-the-back bounce pass to Vlade
Divac that drew a foul under the basket.
Williams had 18 points and 12 assists but shot only 7-of-20 from
the field after a quick start.
"That was not the hottest we've ever been" Webber said, "but
that was as cold as we've ever been in the second half. You have to
credit their defense."
Game notes
The Hawks have won eight in a row over the Kings. They also
have an 11-game home winning streak against Sacramento that began
in 1988. ... Injured Hawks forward LaPhonso Ellis has a new son: Walter Andrew Ellis. The 7-pound, 7-ounce boy was born Monday
night. ... Showing they are now one of the league's marquee teams,
Sacramento attracted a weeknight crowd of 14,537 -- second-largest
of the season at the Hawks' new arena. ... The Kings shot 101 times
from the field.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Sacramento Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
RECAPS
Atlanta 110
Sacramento 100
San Antonio 96
New Jersey 94
New York 84
Milwaukee 80
Orlando 103
Minnesota 93
Dallas 101
Chicago 95
Seattle 117
Golden State 108
Houston 109
LA Clippers 96
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