Kings Get Rid of All That Jazz

The Sacramento Kings are moving on -- and the Utah Jazz can start wondering what its dynamic duo will do next.

Chris Webber had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Peja Stojakovic scored 22 points, and the Kings advanced to the second round of the playoffs, beating the Jazz, 111-91, Wednesday night at Sacramento to win their best-of-seven series in five games.

Bobby Jackson had 18 points and six assists for Sacramento, which will face the winner of the Dallas-Portland series in the conference semifinals.

But the game probably will turn out to be a historic one. It might have been the final 48 minutes in the partnership between John Stockton and Karl Malone, the Jazz cornerstones who built a perennial winner in small-market Salt Lake City during 18 seasons together.

Malone, the NBA’s second-leading all-time scorer, has strongly hinted he plans to finally follow through on his frequent threats to leave Utah to play for a championship contender. Stockton, 41, will consider retirement after being an effective point guard for 19 seasons -- longer than any player in league history.

Moreover, Utah Coach Jerry Sloan has hinted he might be ready to retire after 15 seasons. He’s the longest-tenured coach or manager in the four major pro sports.

Malone finished with 14 points and Stockton had eight points. Sloan removed them simultaneously with 5:01 left -- and the Arco Arena fans gave them a lengthy standing ovation.

New Orleans 93, Philadelphia 91 -- George Lynch made his former team regret trading him.

Lynch scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and had two key steals at Philadelphia to help the Hornets avert elimination.

“I was due,” said Lynch, who was traded from the 76ers to the Hornets before last season in a deal for Derrick Coleman. “In the first four games, I couldn’t throw it in the ocean.”

The 76ers lead the best-of-seven series, 3-2. Game 6 is Friday night at New Orleans.

Jamal Mashburn returned after sitting out two games because of a broken right middle finger to score 21 points.

Allen Iverson led Philadelphia with 30 points and Keith Van Horn had 21.

Detroit 98, Orlando 67 -- The Pistons have made a choice: Rather than becoming the third No. 1-seeded team to lose in the first round, they’d rather join the small number of teams to have made an improbable comeback from a 3-1 deficit.

Richard Hamilton was one of six Pistons in double figures with 24 points, and the Pistons held Tracy McGrady to 19 points at Auburn Hills, Mich.

“There’s no reason to get discouraged,” McGrady said. “They’re still playing catch-up.”

Orlando, the eighth-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, leads the best-of-seven series, 3-2. Game 6 is Friday night.

The Pistons are hoping to become only the seventh team -- and the first since Miami in 1997 -- to win a series after trailing 3-1.