NBA Game Summary - Memphis at Sacramento

Sacramento, CA (Basketball News) - Mike Bibby nailed a game-winning three- pointer as time expired to lift the Sacramento Kings to a thrilling but controversial 85-82 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at ARCO Arena.

Bibby finished with 26 points for the Kings, who have won two straight after a three-game slide. Peja Stojakovic added 19 points in the victory.

Brian Cardinal led the way with 15 points for the Grizzlies, who saw their four-game winning streak halted. James Posey and Lorenzen Wright each added 11 points in the losing effort.

Following a late Memphis comeback that tied the game at 82-82, the Kings got the ball with just seconds remaining in regulation and called timeout with 1.6 seconds on the clock. On the inbounds pass, Bibby gained possession and put up a desperation three-pointer from well behind the arc. The ball hit the backboard and went in as the buzzer sounded, giving the Kings the three-point victory.

But as the Kings celebrated, the Grizzlies argued otherwise.

The clock read 1.6 seconds when the ball was inbounded, but Posey tipped it before Bibby corralled it. The clock did not start when Posey tipped the ball, but rather when Bibby gained control. The Grizzlies argued that if the clock had started when it was supposed to — when Posey touched the ball — that Bibby would not have had enough time to get the shot off.

But the referees conferred and determined that the shot was good, telling Memphis coach Mike Fratello that even if the clock had started when Posey touched the ball, Bibby still would have had enough time to release the ball.

"I am so glad (for the win) because it gets our momentum going in the right direction," said Kings head coach Rick Adelman.

Leading by four after the opening 12 minutes, the Kings used a big second quarter to grab a sizeable lead.

After Ryan Humphrey’s jumper brought the Grizzlies within two at 25-23, Sacramento used a 15-5 run to go ahead 40-28 with just over five minutes to go before the break.

Corliss Williamson put up a pair of baskets and Stojakovic added five points during the spurt, which was capped by a jumper from the left side by Darius Songaila.

The Kings scored carried a 52-37 lead into the locker room.

Following a see-saw third quarter that concluded with the Kings holding a 74-65 lead, the Grizzlies could not find a way to cut down their deficit until later in the fourth.

Bibby drilled a three-pointer to make it 79-72 and under a minute later, he followed with a 15-foot jumper that gave the Kings a nine-point edge at 4:54.

But that would be the last Sacramento basket for several minutes, as the visitors used an 8-0 run, capped by a Cardinal triple, to cut their deficit to 81-80 with just under two minutes to go.

"We played so well for three quarters, but we just could not make a shot in the fourth," Adelman added.

A Kings foul shot ended the drought and they led by two when Stojakovic badly missed a three-point attempt which led to a clear look in the lane by Earl Watson, whose layup knotted the contest at 82 apiece with 55 seconds to play.

Stojakovic again missed on the other end, this time on a floater from near the stripe, and the Grizzlies called timeout with 34.4 seconds remaining.

Posey then missed a three-point attempt, giving the ball back to Sacramento and setting up the dramatic finish.