Kings 95, Suns 86
Wednesday December 18, 2002By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) In the Kings' 2,000th victory, they showed the potency and tenacity that might earn their first championship since the well-traveled franchise's third season.
Chris Webber had 27 points and 12 rebounds as Sacramento stayed perfect at home, snapping the Phoenix Suns' four-game winning streak with a 95-86 victory Tuesday night.
Bobby Jackson scored 19 points for the Kings, who never trailed in their 15th victory in 17 games. Sacramento scored 10 straight points to begin the fourth quarter while improving to 13-0 at Arco Arena this season.
``After all the injuries and everything else, we're starting to get it all together,'' said Jackson, who returned after missing a game with a sprained foot.
``I think people haven't paid as much attention to us, because they've been watching the Lakers and Dallas. We like that. We're under people's radar right now.''
The Kings increased their Pacific Division lead over Phoenix and Seattle to six games. They're 10{ games ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers one week before their much-anticipated Christmas showdown at Staples Center.
Sacramento also passed Indiana for the NBA's second-best record. The Kings and league-leading Dallas have the only perfect home records.
What's more, Sacramento's extensive injury problems this season will be largely healed if Mike Bibby makes his season debut as expected on Thursday night against San Antonio.
``We're getting closer,'' coach Rick Adelman said. ``Phoenix presents a physical challenge for us, and I thought we matched that very well. It's defense and toughness that'll get you through to the playoffs in good shape.''
Rookie Casey Jacobsen had a career-best 15 points as Phoenix lost its sixth straight in Sacramento.
Shawn Marion had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Suns, whose three-game road winning streak also ended on their second trip to Sacramento in four weeks.
After scoring 39 in the Suns' last trip to Arco, Stephon Marbury had just nine points on 4-of-16 shooting, and Penny Hardaway had only eight.
``Shots we normally hit just weren't going in,'' Marbury said. ``We were really careless with the ball, too. That's what happens when you come into an arena like this.''
League steals leader Doug Christie had six more for Sacramento, and Keon Clark blocked five shots as both teams repeatedly capitalized on passing mistakes and turnovers for easy baskets.
``They kept getting rebounds, and we kept missing,'' said Suns coach Frank Johnson, whose team shot 38 percent. ``It was the first quarter when we got caught watching, more than anything. We never came back from that.''
With Jackson, Hedo Turkoglu and Mateen Cleaves back in uniform, only Bibby and Scot Pollard still remain out with the injury problems that forced the Kings to dress eight or nine players for several games this season.
Bibby hasn't played since breaking his foot during the preseason, but he expects to play Thursday. The Kings won't know for sure until he practices Wednesday.
``Mike has declared he's coming back,'' Adelman said. ``I told him that'll be my decision. He needs to calm down a little bit.''< ^Notes:@ The Kings, who began as the Rochester Royals before subsequent moves to Cincinnati, Kansas City (and for three seasons Kansas City-Omaha), are the eighth NBA franchise to win 2,000 games. ... It was just the second time all season that Marbury or Marion didn't lead the Suns in scoring. ... Sacramento is 16-0 when leading at halftime this season.
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