Kings Put On Road Show

While Mike Bibby had another big postseason performance, Kevin Garnett played below his most-valuable-player standard.

Bibby scored 33 points as the Sacramento Kings started the second round with an impressive victory and took the home-court advantage away from the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 104-98 victory Tuesday night. Game 2 is Saturday.

“K.G. is an animal,” Bibby said. “We know he’s going to come out next time and try not to let this happen to his team again. There’s no time to relax.”

Still, Sacramento is in great shape after surviving a tremendous game by Sam Cassell, who had his second 40-point output of the playoffs.

“He really kept them in the game,” Bibby said of Cassell, who made seven of 10 three-point attempts and 15 of 24 shots overall. “He got hot. He stayed hot.”

The difference: Cassell didn’t have any help down the stretch, whereas Bibby had five teammates score in double digits.

“We screwed up what we worked 82 games for, as far as home-court advantage,” Minnesota Coach Flip Saunders said. “Now we have to go and get one.”

The Timberwolves have never been this far in the playoffs, and it seemed to show at times. Garnett, who held up his MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony, had a quiet 16 points and 18 rebounds -- plus six turnovers.

“Obviously it starts with me, so I got to make the adjustments,” said Garnett, who made one of eight shots in the second half. Latrell Sprewell, who had only five points on two-for-14 shooting, missed all six of his shots after halftime, and Minnesota totaled 18 turnovers.

“We have to put this game behind us,” Garnett said, “but we also have to learn from it.”

The fourth period featured six ties, the last at 83 with 5:23 remaining.