RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- It had been 45 years since the
Sacramento Kings so thoroughly dominated an opponent with defense.
Even Rick Adelman had to admit he was impressed.
|  | | Tim Duncan had 23 points and a career-high 23 rebounds Tuesday but his Spurs fell to the hot Kings. |
Chris Webber had 30 points as the Kings held San Antonio without
a field goal in the final eight minutes of an 81-75 victory over
the Spurs on Tuesday night.
San Antonio matched its franchise-low with just 27 points in a
suffocating second half. It was the best defensive half for the
Kings franchise since Nov. 23, 1955, when the Rochester Royals held
St. Louis to 26 points.
"The second half was as well as we defended anybody in the past
three years that I've been here," said Adelman, who had little
success preaching defense to the Kings in his first two seasons as
coach. "We had to be the aggressor. I didn't think we were in the
first half, but the second half, we were terrific."
The Kings, who made the playoffs with high-flying offense and
indifferent defense the last two seasons, maintained their lead in
the Pacific Division by holding the Spurs to two points -- a pair of
free throws -- in the game's last 5:37.
Tim Duncan had 23 points and a career-high 23 rebounds for the
Spurs, who outrebounded Sacramento 55-45 but gave no help to Duncan
and Robinson on offense. The Spurs' backcourt of Avery Johnson and
Derek Anderson scored just 10 points on 5-of-20 shooting.
Webber thinks there's no secret to the Kings' prolific defense
this season. Sacramento simply is listening to Adelman's
exhortations and getting a boost from defensive-minded newcomers
Doug Christie and Bobby Jackson.
"We expect this kind of effort now, and that's what you want --
to expect to win big games like this," Webber said. "Coach has
been bringing a defensive game plan to us every week, and every
week we've been buying more into it."
San Antonio shot a season-low 35 percent from the field,
committed a season-high 22 turnovers and had its lowest scoring
output of the season. Sacramento blocked a season-high 10 shots --
six in the fourth quarter -- and held Duncan to 10-of-25 shooting.
"We're concerned, but they're a very good home team, and we
aren't playing well on the road," Duncan said. "It was a great
game. We played hard all the way, but basically it was down to
making plays at the end of the game, and Webber did that. He's a
great player."
The Kings blocked three straight Spurs shots -- including Scot
Pollard's ferocious rejection of Robinson's dunk attempt -- in a
41-second span late in the game to stop San Antonio's comeback
attempt. Webber blocked a final hook shot by Duncan with 1:25 left,
then raised his arms to exhort the screaming Arco Arena crowd.
"He got me in the first half, so I had to get him back,"
Pollard said. "I said, 'I've got to block this, or I'm going to
get dunked on.' Nobody wants that."
San Antonio, which fell to 3-6 on the road this season, lost for
just the second time this season when holding an opponent under 90
points. The Spurs won their championship two seasons ago with
dominant defense, but the Kings beat them at their own game.
"The turnovers were our problem," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich
said. "On the road this year, we are mediocre at best. Each time
it has been free throws and turnovers."
Sacramento won for the 10th time in 12 games. The Kings also
improved to 8-1 at home, losing only in overtime to the champion
Lakers.
With Webber, Vlade Divac and Pollard playing big minutes, the
Kings were able to contend with the Spurs' Duncan-Robinson
combination. Robinson, who entered the game averaging a career-low
12.6 points this season, scored four points in the first minute but
just 15 in the game.
The Kings were hurt by a subpar offensive game from Peja
Stojakovic, their second-leading scorer. Guarded mostly by Sean
Elliott, Stojakovic missed nine of his first 12 shots and finished
with eight points.
Game notes
San Antonio beat Sacramento 82-79 at the Alamodome a week
ago. ... Spurs guard Terry Porter knocked over television monitors
and scattered papers and water bottles when he dove onto the
scorers' table in the second quarter in an attempt to save a loose
ball. ... Kings forward Lawrence Funderburke was honored before the
game as the winner of the NBA's first Hometown Hero of the Month
award. Funderburke received a $10,000 check for his foundation,
which provides activities for at-risk children. ... San Antonio was
called for the first six fouls of the fourth quarter.
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NBA Scoreboard
San Antonio Clubhouse
Sacramento Clubhouse
RECAPS
Indiana 88
New Jersey 64
Miami 100
Atlanta 92
Cleveland 71
Charlotte 66
Orlando 101
Boston 98
Minnesota 100
Chicago 90
Sacramento 81
San Antonio 75
Houston 109
Dallas 102
Utah 98
Toronto 84
Vancouver 91
Detroit 83
LA Lakers 96
Philadelphia 85
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