Sacramento Offers No Solutions for Seattle

The losing continued for the Seattle SuperSonics.

Chris Webber scored 31 points and Darrick Martin added 21 as the Sacramento Kings ended a road losing streak at four games with a 113-104 victory that sent the SuperSonics’ losing streak to five games Wednesday night at Seattle.

Webber began a game-breaking 10-2 run with a jump hook to put the Kings ahead, 89-87. The SuperSonics came no closer than four points afterward.

Martin filled in for Jason Williams, who sat out because of a migraine headache.

Gary Payton led the Sonics with 25 points on 11-for-30 shooting.

The Kings got big production from their reserves, with Predrag Stojakovic and Lawrence Funderburke scoring 14 points each. The duo combined for 23 of the Kings’ 33 points in the fourth quarter. The SuperSonics tried to foul their way back into the game late, but the Kings made 16 of 18 free throws in the fourth period.

Charlotte 109, Milwaukee 105--Derrick Coleman had a season-high 27 points and the Hornets overcame three strong individual performances to win at Charlotte, N.C.

Charlotte made only two shots in the final eight minutes but still shot 54% and improved to 13-2 at home.

Elden Campbell added 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots for the Hornets, who had seven players score in double figures.

Milwaukee’s Sam Cassell had a career-high 19 assists before fouling out in the final minute. Glenn Robinson scored 36 points, most by a Charlotte opponent this season. Ray Allen added 28, including 19 in the first half, when he made seven of 10 shots. He missed 10 of 14 the rest of the way.

Indiana 116, Atlanta 89--Reggie Miller made five three-pointers and scored 19 of his 25 points in the third quarter of the Pacers’ victory at Atlanta.

Indiana, which has won 12 of 14 games, rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit and outscored the Hawks, 40-10, in the third quarter.

Afterward, Hawk guard Isaiah Rider, who scored 16 points, missed the team flight to Detroit after questioning his teammates, saying, “People don’t care, man. I’m tired of this laughing and giggling . . . when we’re losing. People don’t care, man. I care.”

Cleveland 96, Washington 94--Shawn Kemp scored 35 points at Cleveland and the Cavaliers survived a clock malfunction in the closing seconds to end a seven-game losing streak.

Kemp, who pledged earlier in the week to play more aggressively from start to finish, did just that as the Cavaliers won for the first time since Dec. 14.

After Tracy Murray’s three-pointer with 28 seconds remaining brought Washington to within 96-94, Cleveland was bringing the ball upcourt when the game clock suddenly froze for several seconds, showing 18.5 seconds left.

The scoreboard operator couldn’t explain what made the clock stop, and Cavalier General Manager Jim Paxson came onto the floor after the game to ask the referees what happened.

Rod Strickland led the Wizards with 20 points.

Miami 109, Orlando 106--Rookie Anthony Carter scored the game’s final four points on a drive past Darrell Armstrong and a pair of free throws as the Heat won at Orlando, Fla.

Carter, filling in because the injured Tim Hardaway sat out his 17th consecutive game, finished with 21 points and a team-high nine assists.

Magic guard Tariq Abdul-Wahad had a career-high 21 points.

Philadelphia 97, Golden State 94--Allen Iverson scored 34 points, including nine in the final 4:20, and the 76ers held off the Warriors at Oakland.

The 76ers also gave Larry Brown the 700th coaching victory of his NBA career.

Vonteego Cummings had 23 points to lead the Warriors, who dropped their second game since Garry St. Jean took over as coach for the fired P.J. Carlesimo.

Utah 101, Vancouver 90--Karl Malone dominated a key stretch of the fourth quarter and scored 29 points to lead the Jazz at Salt Lake City.

After Mike Bibby made his third consecutive shot to pull Vancouver within three points, Malone scored three times inside on assists from John Stockton and drew two offensive fouls on Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

Michael Dickerson led Vancouver with 25 points.

Utah is the only team in the Western Conference that Vancouver has not defeated, losing all 16 times.

Detroit 91, Chicago 77--Jerry Stackhouse scored 23 points, Grant Hill finished with 20 and a rare technical foul and the Pistons got 21 points off 29 Bulls’ turnovers at Chicago.

B.J. Armstrong led the Bulls with 22 points.

Around the League

Chris Mills, the Golden State Warriors’ No. 2 scorer, underwent surgery to remove bone spurs in his right ankle and will be sidelined indefinitely. In other moves, the Warriors waived guard Tim Legler and signed swingman Jamel Thomas. Meanwhile, the Warriors, Wilt Chamberlain’s first NBA team, honored the late basketball great by retiring his No. 13 jersey in an emotional halftime ceremony at Oakland. Chamberlain, who died Oct. 12 of a heart attack, became the first player in NBA history to have his jersey retired by three teams. The Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers also honored him that way. . . . The Chicago Bulls altered their roster yet again, signing guard Khalid Reeves and waiving guard Rusty LaRue. Reeves had been playing in Greece.