Sacramento Kings Team Report - December 24

(Basketball News) - Sacramento lost to the Heat when Damon Jones hit a three- pointer with 23.4 seconds remaining to give Miami a 109-107 victory over the Kings at ARCO Arena on Thursday.

Chris Webber scored 26 points to lead Sacramento, but he had just 13 after a strong first quarter. Bibby added 21 points in the win and Peja Stojakovic had 19 — including a three-pointer that gave the Kings a brief 107-106 lead with 35.3 seconds left in the game.

Sacramento led by as many as 12 points in the fourth quarter when Stojakovic’s free throws made it 101-89 midway through.

But the Kings went without a field goal for more than four minutes, and Miami used a 13-1 run to pull even at 102-102. Maurice Evans followed with a dunk to end Sacramento’s drought, but a Shaquille O’Neal put back tied it again and Jones made a pair of free throws to give the Heat a 106-104 lead.

Stojakovic followed with a three at the other end to give the Kings a brief 107-106 edge with 35.3 to play. But Jones responded after a timeout to hand Miami its final margin.

Brad Miller, playing with 15 stitches in his right shin after a collision with Miami’s Dwyane Wade in the first quarter, missed a jumper after that. O’Neal then missed the two free throws with 10.9 remaining, but came up big by blocking Bibby’s soft floater in the lane. Sacramento had one last chance, but Webber missed a long three at the buzzer after an inbounds pass.

Webber has scored 20 or more points in six straight games. He is averaging 23.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists that span.

The Kings are off until Sunday when they host Jason Richardson and the Golden State Warriors. Last season, the teams split four games.