RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- There are some nights when the baskets
at Arco Arena just look awfully big to the Sacramento Kings.
| | Kings guard Darrick Martin hit one of Sacramento's 14 3-pointers on Tuesday. |
Chris Webber had 25 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds as the
Kings were at their high-flying, hot-shooting best in a 130-104
victory over the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday night.
"Every once in a while you get in a rhythm, and everybody else
is in the same rhythm. That's sweet," Webber said. "When we're
all throwing it in at the same time, we're tough to beat,
especially in our building."
Peja Stojakovic scored 22 points and Doug Christie added 19 for
the Kings, who won for the fifth time in six games while posting
the highest point total in the NBA this season. Sacramento shot 56
percent and went 14-for-28 on 3-pointers, including four by Jason
Williams, who had 16 points.
Sacramento started hot and never cooled off. Darrick Martin's
3-pointer with 10 seconds to play was the last blow in a night full
of them for the Nets.
"I think we match up better against any other team in the
league," Nets coach Byron Scott said.
The Kings scored 39 points in the first quarter. They shot 62
percent while scoring 69 in the first half. They were up to 101
points late in the third quarter with a barrage of outside shooting
that even had coach Rick Adelman shaking his head in wonder.
"I guess we really had it going offensively," Adelman said.
"There was some slippage for us defensively, but tonight we could
get away with it."
All 12 players scored for Sacramento, which improved its
NBA-best home record to 17-3. The blowout was a welcome change from
recent developments at Arco, where the Kings' last eight games were
decided by a total of 21 points.
Keith Van Horn had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Nets, who
also had a standout offensive game but couldn't keep up with the
Kings' blistering pace.
"We didn't match up with their shooters in transition early in
the game," Van Horn said. "They got their confidence, started
feeling good about themselves and kept shooting well in the second
half."
Stephon Marbury scored 15 points but shot just 7-for-20 and was
beaten regularly by Williams.
"I've never seen anybody that hot," Marbury said of the Kings.
"That's just my personal opinion: Regardless of how our defense
was, they were just hot."
Webber, the NBA's reigning player of the week, went 11-for-16
from the field and racked up all of his statistics in the first
three quarters as Sacramento's starters sat out most of the fourth.
Webber and Williams were the chief towel-wavers as Sacramento's
reserves still outscored New Jersey in the fourth.
The Nets, whose 126 points against Seattle on Nov. 11 were the
NBA's previous season-high, began a five-game West Coast road trip
with a dispiriting defensive performance. New Jersey's defensive
rotations were so slow that many of the Kings' 3-point attempts
were wide-open.
The game was Scott's return to Sacramento, where he spent the
last two seasons as Adelman's assistant and became a popular figure
in the community. Fans held up supportive signs and gave him an
ovation during introductions.
"The homecoming was fine. It was the game that wasn't that
good," Scott said.
Johnny Newman had 16 points off the bench for New Jersey, which
lost for just the second time in five games.
With the Kings up by 26 midway through the fourth quarter,
Adelman even played veterans Nick Anderson and Martin, who have
been planted on the Kings' bench all season. Both got standing
ovations from the Arco Arena crowd, and both hit 3-pointers.
Game notes Kenyon Martin's rebound slam just 2½ minutes into the game
disabled the shot clock above the basket. It wasn't fixed until
several minutes later. ... Anderson and Bobby Jackson took offense
when New Jersey rookie Stephen Jackson began asking the officials
for fouls. "They ain't gonna help you! You better bring some
defense!" Anderson shouted across the court. ... Sacramento, which
won at New Jersey last month, swept the season series with the Nets
for the first time since 1986-87.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
New Jersey Clubhouse
Sacramento Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 83 Atlanta 82
Washington 97 Charlotte 95
Orlando 116 Toronto 111
Philadelphia 114 Dallas 98
Milwaukee 105 New York 91
Minnesota 82 Phoenix 73
Seattle 91 LA Lakers 80
Portland 104 Chicago 100
San Antonio 110 Vancouver 77
Denver 105 Houston 100
Utah 100 Golden State 78
Sacramento 130 New Jersey 104
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