Webber Gets Last Word in Atlanta

Helping Sacramento end a 12-game losing streak at Atlanta pleased Chris Webber for several reasons.

The Kings, with the best record in the NBA, defeated the Hawks, 92-91, Sunday to remain ahead of the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks as they battle for home-court advantage in the playoffs.

And Webber’s 29 points and 12 rebounds let him have the last word with Atlanta assistant coach Rick Mahorn.

“Rick Mahorn is a person that I feel is responsible for getting me into the NBA,” Webber said. “I met him in high school. It’s a pleasure to beat him every time because he likes to talk trash. At halftime, he said, ‘You guys are going to win the championship, but you’re going to lose today.’”

Webber, who contested the Hawks’ last two shots and played the entire second half, helped the Kings get their first victory at Atlanta since Feb. 16, 1988. Overall, Sacramento has won four in a row and 11 of 13.

Ending March with a 12-4 record, the Kings improved to 7-1 in their last eight road games.

“We know this is a tough place for us to play,” Webber said. “We love Atlanta. We spend a lot of time here in the summer, so I guess our focus isn’t that good. Today we wanted to make sure we paid attention to detail, and they played well.”

The Hawks had the ball with 8.9 seconds left, but Jason Terry missed a running jump shot off the glass and Nazr Mohammed’s eight-foot shot from the right side bounced off the rim at the buzzer.

Indiana 100, Miami 81--The Pacers, holding the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, stayed 11/2 game ahead of Toronto. Miami fell four games behind the Pacers, who also gained the tiebreaker edge over the Heat.

Ron Artest had 24 points, nine rebounds and eight steals to lead the Pacers.

Toronto 72, Philadelphia 70--With Vince Carter out for the rest of the season, the Raptors are finding ways to win and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Antonio Davis scored 16 points, including a go-ahead tip with 44.8 seconds left at Philadelphia, as the Raptors won their fifth consecutive game without Carter.

Toronto remained 11/2 games behind Indiana for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia fell to 2-11 without Allen Iverson, who is expected to be sidelined the remainder of the regular season because of a broken left hand.

Detroit 86, Denver 82--The Pistons clinched a playoff spot as Jerry Stackhouse scored 22 points, including four in the final 30 seconds at Auburn Hills, Mich. The Pistons, who finished 32-50 last season, moved within 21/2 games of New Jersey for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. They lead Milwaukee and Charlotte by 51/2 games in the Central Division and are on pace to have first-round home-court advantage for the first time since 1991.

Minnesota 86, New Jersey 85--Kevin Garnett had 23 points and 22 rebounds at Minneapolis as the Timberwolves held on for their third victory in a row. The Nets, who trailed by as many as 21 points in the first half, outscored the Timberwolves, 23-9, in the fourth quarter.

Dallas 110, Washington 103--Steve Nash made two long jump shots and a three-point play in the final three minutes at Washington to help the Mavericks send the Wizards 21/2 games behind Indiana for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. He scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half and had 10 of the Mavericks’ final 14 points.

Michael Jordan missed his first seven shots and didn’t score until he made two free throws in the final minute of the third quarter. He then made three consecutive field goals but missed his last two shots in the game’s final two minutes. He finished with 10 points and five assists in 28 minutes.

Boston 110, Milwaukee 80--The Celtics (42-32) clinched their first winning record in nine seasons with the victory at Boston, handing the Bucks their 11th loss in 16 games and beating them for the first time in four meetings this season.

Orlando 97, New York 90--Tracy McGrady had 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Magic, which went on a game-ending 10-3 run at Orlando. The Magic (40-33) improved to seven games over .500, a level it has achieved only one other time this season.