Kings Get Even With Suns; Bucks Stop the Magic Again

This time, the fans in Arco Arena had everything to shout about.

With the league’s most potent offense in devastating form, Peja Stojakovic scored 22 points and Jason Williams had 18 at Sacramento as the Kings evened their best-of-five Western Conference first-round playoff series at 1-1 with a 116-90 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.

Led by inspired play from point guards Williams and Bobby Jackson, who made his first six shots and finished with 16 points, the Kings jumped to a 22-point first-half lead and never let up on the way to the franchise’s biggest playoff victory since April 7, 1951.

“Everybody gets open shots when we’re moving the ball like that,” Jackson said. “It feels great. We were pushing the ball and finally playing our style. We played extremely well.”

The Kings didn’t even need much help from Chris Webber, who had 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Game 3 is Sunday at Phoenix.

Seven Kings scored in double figures as Sacramento shot 57% in the first three quarters and made a number of fancy passes to incite the fans, who were mostly silent late in Sacramento’s Game 1 loss.

“There was never a doubt in my mind this team would respond,” King Coach Rick Adelman said.

The Kings also clamped down on the Suns, who shot 32.6% and couldn’t keep up. Tony Delk scored 14 points--most well after the game was decided--for the Suns.

Milwaukee 103, Orlando 96--Ray Allen wouldn’t be bullied by Andrew DeClercq or burned by Tracy McGrady.

Fired up by a flagrant foul from DeClercq 1:15 into the game, Allen scored a personal playoff-best 27 points at Milwaukee as the Bucks took a 2-0 lead in their series.

In the fourth quarter, Allen slowed down McGrady after the Magic’s 21-year-old star appeared primed to win the game by himself.

McGrady scored a career playoff-high 35 points, but only five in the fourth quarter as the Magic lost for the 11th consecutive time to Milwaukee.

“He was smoking,” Allen said of McGrady, who scored 20 consecutive points in the first half. “I had a chance to sit back and watch him and he had a real good rhythm making jump shots. He thought he was going to post me up a little bit more and he had a little spin move. And I was right there in his pocket.”

Sam Cassell added 26 points for the Bucks, who won consecutive playoff games for the first time since 1989, which is also the last time Milwaukee advanced past the first round.

Game 3 is in Orlando on Saturday night.

The Magic, playing physically, sent the Bucks to the line 33 times. Allen was 11 of 13 from the foul line and Cassell made all nine of his free throws as the Bucks outscored Orlando, 25-9, on free throws.

“They do have more guns, more experience than us,” Orlando Coach Doc Rivers said. “But I do believe we will return to Milwaukee [for a decisive Game 5].”