Mike Bibby

Mike Bibby scored 40 points, Kenny Thomas had 6 points in overtime to cap his first career triple-double, and the Sacramento Kings overcame Kobe Bryant's 51-point performance for a 118-109 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last night in Sacramento, Calif. Brad Miller scored 16 points and forced overtime on a 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds left in regulation for the Kings. Pistons 105, Knicks 79 -- Richard Hamilton scored 26 points, Rasheed Wallace added 23, and visiting Detroit beat undermanned and overmatched New York for its sixth straight victory.

Beno Udrih had 23 points and six assists to help the Kings beat the Detroit Pistons, 105-95, last night in Sacramento. Udrih, a late preseason cut by San Antonio who came to the Kings as a backup, has quickly become a starter. He showed why against the Pistons, making 9 of 13 shots and all five of his free throws attempts and fueling a strong second half by the Kings. But Udrih had plenty of help, as the Kings won for a second straight time and improved to 4-1 at home. Kevin Martin had 19 points and eight rebounds, Ron Artest scored 16, Brad Miller had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Mikki Moore added 10...

Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki look like they're ready for the 3-point Shootout, and the Dallas Mavericks still have the NBA's longest winning streak. Terry and Nowitzki combined for five 3-pointers in a game-clinching third quarter and the Mavericks beat Miami, 112-76, last night in Dallas for their 13th straight victory -- one short of the team record. Dallas's streak coincides with its franchise-record stretch of holding 13 straight opponents under 100 points. No team has beaten them or broken the century mark since their 117-115 loss at the New York Knicks Jan. 11. Nowitzki led the Mavs...

Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki look like they're ready for the 3-point Shootout, and the Dallas Mavericks still have the NBA's longest winning streak. Terry and Nowitzki combined for five 3-pointers in a game-clinching third quarter and the Mavericks beat Miami, 112-76, last night in Dallas for their 13th straight victory -- one short of the team record. Dallas's streak coincides with its franchise-record stretch of holding 13 straight opponents under 100 points. No team has beaten them or broken the century mark since their 117-115 loss at the New York Knicks Jan. 11. Nowitzki led the Mavs...

Damon Jones hit a 3-pointer with 23.4 seconds left, and Shaquille O'Neal blocked Mike Bibby's layup attempt in the closing seconds of the Miami Heat's 10th straight victory, a 109-107 win over the Kings last night in Sacramento, Calif. O'Neal, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds despite a bruised left calf, missed two free throws with 10.9 seconds left, but blocked Bibby's drive to the hoop with about two seconds to play. Chris Webber's 3-point attempt at the buzzer was well short, and Miami extended its longest winning streak since late in the 1997-98 season.

Tracy McGrady scored 28 points and the visiting Houston Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings, 106-95, last night to extend the Kings' losing streak to five. Yao Ming had 21 points and nine rebounds for Houston, which has won three of four games since McGrady returned to the lineup following a back injury. Derek Anderson added 16 points, and David Wesley had 12. Mike Bibby had 24 points and six assists for the Kings, who have lost four games at home for the first time since the 1997-98 season.

Jason Kidd scored 20 of his 33 points in the first half, leading the New Jersey Nets to an 89-79 win over the Magic last night in Orlando. Interim head coach Lawrence Frank notched his second victory since taking over earlier this week for the fired Byron Scott. In all, the Nets have won three straight. Kenyon Martin had 18 points while Richard Jefferson added 13. Lucious Harris scored all 12 of his points in the final quarter. Kidd shot 15 for 27 in breaking out of a slump that saw him score 32 points in his previous three games.

Chauncey Billups scored 21 of his 27 points in the second half and the host Detroit Pistons won their eighth straight game despite allowing 100 points for the first time this season, beating the Dallas Mavericks, 115-102, last night. Detroit, which hadn't won eight in a row since the 1990-91 season, had its NBA-record streak of not allowing 100 points snapped at 38 games, including 36 this season. The Pistons had held their last two opponents under 70 points -- Boston (68) and Houston (66)

Playing with flulike symptoms, Allen Iverson scored all 24 of his points in the first half, then happily sat out the fourth quarter, leading the 76ers past the New Orleans Hornets, 103-91, last night at Philadelphia. Iverson shot 8 of 22 from the field and 7 of 10 from the free throw line. He also had nine assists as the Sixers (7-5) snapped a two-game skid. "I didn't feel good at all," Iverson said. "I was dizzy out there for virtually the whole game. Once I stopped playing at halftime, and came back in, I just never felt right.

Once Kobe Bryant lost his scoring touch, Shaquille O'Neal enjoyed a season sweep at his former teammate's expense. Dwyane Wade scored 27 points, O'Neal had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Keyon Dooling scored 8 of his season-high 17 points in the fourth quarter to help the Heat beat the Lakers, 102-89, last night in Miami. It was the 11th straight win and a single-season-record 14th straight at home for Miami (51-16), which moved nine games ahead of Detroit in the Eastern Conference standings and within percentage points of San Antonio (49-15)

Mike Bibby and Brad Miller made the wait for Ron Artest a little easier for the Sacramento Kings. Bibby scored 8 of his 35 points in overtime and added 10 assists, and Miller had 25 points and 15 rebounds to lead the short-handed Kings past the Knicks, 106-102, last night in New York. Sacramento acquired the volatile Artest from the Indiana Pacers for Peja Stojakovic in a trade shortly before the game. The Kings hope Artest, a superb all-around player who is one of the league's best defenders, will join them in time for their game at Boston tomorrow night.

Mike Bibby scored 40 points, Kenny Thomas had 6 points in overtime to cap his first career triple-double, and the Sacramento Kings overcame Kobe Bryant's 51-point performance for a 118-109 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last night in Sacramento, Calif. Brad Miller scored 16 points and forced overtime on a 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds left in regulation for the Kings. Pistons 105, Knicks 79 -- Richard Hamilton scored 26 points, Rasheed Wallace added 23, and visiting Detroit beat undermanned and overmatched New York for its sixth straight victory.

SACRAMENTO -- The Celtics must now seriously consider the possibility of finishing their road trip without a win. It was more of the same last night as Boston dropped a 116-112 decision to Sacramento at ARCO Arena, losing three in a row for the first time this season. All three losses have come on a trip that continues tonight in Los Angeles against the Clippers and concludes Monday night in Denver. The injury-depleted Kings may have represented the Celtics' best chance for a win before heading home.

Tracy McGrady scored 28 points and the visiting Houston Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings, 106-95, last night to extend the Kings' losing streak to five. Yao Ming had 21 points and nine rebounds for Houston, which has won three of four games since McGrady returned to the lineup following a back injury. Derek Anderson added 16 points, and David Wesley had 12. Mike Bibby had 24 points and six assists for the Kings, who have lost four games at home for the first time since the 1997-98 season.

Playing with flulike symptoms, Allen Iverson scored all 24 of his points in the first half, then happily sat out the fourth quarter, leading the 76ers past the New Orleans Hornets, 103-91, last night at Philadelphia. Iverson shot 8 of 22 from the field and 7 of 10 from the free throw line. He also had nine assists as the Sixers (7-5) snapped a two-game skid. "I didn't feel good at all," Iverson said. "I was dizzy out there for virtually the whole game. Once I stopped playing at halftime, and came back in, I just never felt right.

Once Kobe Bryant lost his scoring touch, Shaquille O'Neal enjoyed a season sweep at his former teammate's expense. Dwyane Wade scored 27 points, O'Neal had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Keyon Dooling scored 8 of his season-high 17 points in the fourth quarter to help the Heat beat the Lakers, 102-89, last night in Miami. It was the 11th straight win and a single-season-record 14th straight at home for Miami (51-16), which moved nine games ahead of Detroit in the Eastern Conference standings and within percentage points of San Antonio (49-15)

Long removed from their 0-7 start, the Miami Heat now seem unbeatable at home -- which is why they're headed for the second round of the playoffs. With the Heat running from the start and New Orleans guard Baron Davis hobbled by halftime, Miami extended its home winning streak to 16 games by beating the Hornets, 85-77, last night in Game 7 to clinch the first-round series. The home team won every game, and the Heat became the final NBA team to reach Round 2 -- and the most improbable.

Michael Finley scored 29 points, Steve Nash had a career-high 19 assists last night in Dallas, and the Mavericks beat the Western Conference-leading -- and suddenly struggling -- Sacramento Kings, 127-117. The Kings lost for the fourth time in five games, and their conference lead shrunk to a half-game over the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota. Finley made seven straight field goals in one stretch. The first four came in a 10-0 run at the end of the first half that pushed the Mavericks ahead, 67-50.

The Kings figured their luck had to change sometime. The visitors arrived in Boston with their first four-game losing streak since the 1999-2000 season, the two most recent defeats coming on questionable goaltending non-calls at the end of contests against the Mavericks and Suns. Sacramento had not lost five straight games since the pre-Chris Webber days. But when second-leading scorer Peja Stojakovic left the game in the first quarter with a strained right hamstring and did not return, the Kings had reason to think their nightmare would continue last night at the FleetCenter.

Mike Bibby scored 31 points, including a clinching jumper with 11.7 seconds remaining, and the Sacramento Kings handed the Hawks their sixth straight loss, 100-97, last night in Atlanta. The Hawks (5-26) have lost 11 of 12. Only New Orleans has a worse record. Chris Webber bounced back from a 6-of-21 shooting performance in a loss to Toronto Wednesday night. He made his first six shots and finished 13 of 22 for 28 points. But it was Bibby who made the biggest basket for the Kings after Tyronn Lue missed a wide-open 3-pointer that would have put the Hawks ahead with 35...