Kings 107, Hornets 92
Monday December 16, 2002SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) The absence of Bobby Jackson wasn't enough to slow the Sacramento Kings.
With Jackson sidelined for the first time this season due to a sprained ankle, Chris Webber carried the scoring load, finishing with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as the Kings extended their home unbeaten streak to 12 games Sunday night with a 107-92 victory over the New Orleans Hornets.
Webber shot 12-for-16 as the Kings beat the Hornets for the fifth straight time at Arco Arena and won for the eighth time in 11 games overall.
Doug Christie made all five of his 3-point attempts and finished with 21 points for Sacramento.
``We found out right before the game that Bobby Jackson wasn't going to play so we knew we had to buckle down and try to find ourselves,'' Christie said. ``We were able to do that tonight. We really don't have positions out there, everyone just kind of plays.''
Jackson, who had started 25 straight games, is averaging 20.2 points. Injured point guard Mike Bibby, who hasn't played this season, wanted to be activated for the game against the Hornets, but Kings coach Rick Adelman resisted the temptation.
``We'll have to practice Bibby before we can tell when he'll be ready to back,'' Adelman said. ``We'll see how he moves, and I really can't say. He wanted to play tonight. I would think Thursday or Saturday.''
The Hornets, who opened a seven-game road trip with victories over Utah and the Los Angeles Lakers, had their four-game road winning streak stopped.
Webber scored nine points in the third quarter as the Kings carried a 79-68 lead into the final period.
``Chris makes it tough when he's able to knock down that 18-foot shot,'' Hornets forward P.J. Brown said. ``It seemed like he was always open tonight, and when he took that shot it was money.''
Baron Davis scored 23 points, and David Wesley and Jamaal Magloire each added 15 points for the Hornets. Jamal Mashburn finished with 12 points and nine assists, Courtney Alexander had 11 points and Elden Campbell added 10.
``They are a deep and talented team,'' Kings center Vlade Divac said. ``They hang around and put themselves in a position to win the game.''
Peja Stojakovic scored 17 points for the Kings, who shot 53 percent overall and 9-for-18 from 3-point range. Vlade Divac and Jim Jackson each scored 10 points.
``When everybody is making shots they are impossible to stop,'' Hornets coach Paul Silas said. ``That's just part of the game. I've seen the Kings go on the road and miss everything they throw up. They really played well.''
Webber had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in the first half as the Kings built a 52-45 lead. ^Notes:@ Jamal Mashburn is one point shy of the 10,000 mark for his career. ... Wesley, who made 15 of 26 3-pointers over the previous three games, didn't attempt his first one until the third quarter on Sunday. He finished 1-for-2 from beyond the arc.
(