NBA Game Summary - Seattle at Sacramento

04.30.2005

Sacramento, CA (Basketball News) - Mike Bibby had 31 points and Kenny Thomas added 22 points and seven rebounds to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 116-104 win over the Seattle SuperSonics in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series at ARCO Arena.

Cuttino Mobley tallied 21 points for the Kings, who drew within 2-1 in the best-of-seven set. Brad Miller had 14 points and Peja Stojakovic recorded 12 for Sacramento, which will also host Game 4 on Sunday.

Ray Allen had a game-high 33 points to lead Seattle, which trailed for most of the contest and could never threaten in the final quarter. Jerome James added 22 points and nine boards for the Sonics, who had won both games on their home floor to take the early series lead.

Luke Ridnour had 15 points as the Sonics fell to 1-8 in their last nine road playoff games.

"They came out as the aggressive team tonight on both ends of the court," said Seattle head coach Nate McMillan. "They set the tone. They were more physical on the defensive end. We just weren’t as physical."

The Kings got out to an early lead. Already up 19-15, the club went on a 12-1 run to take a 31-16 advantage. Mobley ended the burst with a jumper with 35 seconds remaining in the first quarter and the Kings cruised into the second with a 31-19 cushion.

Five straight points by the Kings to start the second made it a 36-19 contest. Later, a 12-2 burst extended a 11-point lead into a 48-27 cushion with 5:18 left. Seattle responded to draw within 52-45 late in the quarter, but the Kings went into the break with a 54-45 advantage after Thomas hit a three- pointer to end the first-half scoring.

In the third, an 7-2 burst to open the quarter gave the Kings a 14-point lead. Mobley scored the final five points of the run, capping it with a three-point play to take a 61-47 advantage with 1:15 elapsed.

The Sonics answered later in the frame. Down 73-60 midway through, an Allen three-pointer and a Ridnour jumper cut the deficit to single digits, 73-65. Then with 1:30 remaining until the fourth, a pair of Danny Fortson free throws made it an 86-79 game.

However, the Kings scored six of the final eight points of the stanza to go into the fourth with a 92-81 advantage.

Five minutes into the fourth, a James basket drew the Sonics within 10, 100-90, but that would be as close as the team would get. The Kings scored eight of the next 10 points and cruised to the finish.

"They are a good team, but we can hurt them if we play the right way," said Sacramento head coach Rick Adelman.

Sacramento has won eight of its last nine at home during the postseason.

Sacramento had led for just 50 seconds combined in the first two games...The Kings shot 49 percent from the floor...Seattle hit 42 percent of its shots...Bobby Jackson had nine of the 16 bench points for Sacramento...Seattle’s Rashard Lewis was held to nine points...Seattle’s bench had 21 points, led by Vladimir Radmanovic’s eight...Sacramento ended a three- game slide in Game 3’s of a playoff series.

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