Artest Leads Kings to Win Over Rockets

[April 02, 2008]  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Ron Artest scored 30 points, Kevin Martin added 27 and the Sacramento Kings dealt a blow to Houston's chances of winning the Southwest Division with a 99-98 victory over the Rockets on Tuesday night.

The Rockets (49-25) fell 2 1/2 games behind New Orleans and San Antonio in the division race with only eight games remaining, hurting their chances of hosting a first-round playoff series.

Tracy McGrady scored 32 to lead Houston, but missed a jumper at the buzzer that would have won it. The Rockets have lost five of eight since a franchise-record, 22-game winning streak.

The Kings (34-40) surpassed last season's win total with the victory, the first time they have improved since going from 55 wins to 61 in 2001-02. That season ended with a trip to the Western Conference finals, while this season will end with a second straight season with no playoffs in Sacramento.

Both teams both got off to a slow start to the final quarter, with Houston missing its first 10 shots of the period and Sacramento misfiring on its first five. Rafer Alston broke the drought when he hit an open 3-pointer that gave the Rockets an 83-81 lead with 6:25 left in the game.

The Kings' first basket of the quarter didn't come until Martin scored on a drive with 4:35 remaining to cut the Rockets' lead to 87-86. Sacramento took a 94-93 lead when Francisco Garcia went in for a flying one-handed dunk on a breakaway. He was fouled by Shane Battier on the play but missed the free throw.

Battier answered with a 3-pointer he banked in from straightaway as the shot clock expired to put Houston up two with just over 2 minutes remaining, but then Artest hit a 3-pointer to put Sacramento back on top.

After two free throws from Luis Scola gave Houston the lead, Martin made a pair of his own with 48.9 seconds remaining to make it 99-98.

Scola finished with 20 points and Alston had 18 for Houston.

The Kings scored the final seven points of the third quarter to take a 77-76 lead, getting a fortunate bounce on a 3-pointer by Artest and a last-second jumper by Artest to take the lead heading into the fourth. Artest also hit a shot with 0.1 seconds remaining in the first half for Sacramento.

Kings center Brad Miller was ejected with 7:21 remaining in the third quarter when official Scott Wall gave him back-to-back technicals for arguing a no-call.

Notes: Houston C Dikembe Mutombo got a technical foul in the first quarter for waving his finger after blocking Artest's shot. Mutombo thought he waved it at the crowd, which is legal, but Wall ruled it was taunting. ... Kings backup C Spencer Hawes missed the game with a twisted left ankle.

[Associated Press; By JOSH DUBOW]

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.