Webber Lifts Kings Over Suns

Chris Webber had 28 points and 14 rebounds Friday night to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 105-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Sacramento.

Sacramento won for the ninth time in 11 games to take over first place in the Pacific Division with an 11-4 record.

The Kings broke the game open with a 13-2 run midway through the third period. Vlade Divac scored seven points, including the final two on an inside move, giving Sacramento a 78-57 lead with 3:21 left.

Jason Williams scored 16 points and Doug Christie had 15 points and six assists for the Kings. Scot Pollard and Divac scored 14 points.

Utah 94, Miami 92--Another comeback by the Jazz, another collapse by the Heat.

Karl Malone scored on a tip-in with 2.6 seconds left at Miami and Utah overcame a fourth-quarter deficit for the third time in four games. The Jazz rallied from a 78-66 deficit at the start of the quarter.

Utah outscored Miami, 16-3, at the start of the fourth quarter to take an 82-81 lead then erased a four-point deficit in the final 74 seconds on Malone’s three-point play, a free throw by Byron Russell and Malone’s winning basket.

The Heat is only 5-3 when leading at the start of the fourth quarter. It blew a 22-point fourth-quarter lead Tuesday in a loss to Milwaukee, then scored only two baskets in the fourth quarter of an 84-81 victory Wednesday over the New York Knicks.

Philadelphia 95, Charlotte 74--Allen Iverson had a season-high 37 points and tied a career high with 10 rebounds to help the 76ers end the Hornets’ six-game winning streak.

Iverson had 18 points in the third quarter at Philadelphia as the 76ers took a double-digit lead. In an earlier loss to the Hornets, which ended Philadelphia’s 10-game, season-opening winning streak, Iverson scored only seven points on three for 17 shooting.

New York 91, Chicago 86--Allan Houston made a three-point shot with 36 seconds left for his only basket of the fourth quarter for the Knicks, who blew an early 17-point lead at Chicago. The victory was Jeff Van Gundy’s 200th in the regular season, making him the 59th NBA coach to reach that plateau.

Orlando 83, New Jersey 80--Tracy McGrady had 31 points and nine rebounds as the Magic won for only the second time in nine games, but it nearly squandered a late three-point lead at Orlando.

McGrady dribbled the ball off his foot and out of bounds with 12.7 seconds left and the Magic leading, 82-79. Darrell Armstrong fouled Stephon Marbury, who made his first free throw but intentionally shot the second hard off the rim.

McGrady rebounded the ball, was fouled and made one of two free throws with 1.3 seconds left, leaving no time for New Jersey to attempt a final shot. The Nets lost their sixth game in a row.

Detroit 103, Cleveland 93--With Jerry Stackhouse home with flu, 11 of his teammates scored at Auburn Hills, Mich., to help the Pistons win back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Detroit showed Stackhouse, who is averaging an NBA-best 28.7 points, is not the only scoring threat on the team. The Pistons’ three-guard rotation of Dana Barros, Chucky Atkins and Mateen Cleaves led the attack. Barros scored 16 points, Cleaves had 15 points and six assists and Atkins had 15 points.

Indiana 86, Vancouver 76--The Pacers held the Grizzlies scoreless in overtime at Vancouver to snap a two-game losing streak. It was the eighth time in NBA history that a team failed to score in an overtime period. The last time was on Nov. 21, 1997, when the Clippers were shut out by Chicago.

Minnesota 102, Boston 98--Chauncey Billups scored a game-high 29 points against his former team and Kevin Garnett added 21 points and 13 rebounds to help the Timberwolves defeat the Celtics for the fifth time in a row.

Around the League

Guard Jason Williams of the Sacramento Kings was fined $10,000 by the NBA for swearing at fans and making obscene gestures after Wednesday night’s game in San Antonio. Williams left the Kings’ 82-79 loss with a sprained right ankle with a minute left in the third quarter.