Salmons, Martin Lead Kings Past Mavs

[January 15, 2008]  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Kevin Martin scored 39 points in his second game back from a groin injury and John Salmons hit a game-winning drive with 2.6 seconds remaining to help the Sacramento Kings snap the Dallas Mavericks' seven-game winning streak with a 122-120 victory Monday night.

Salmons' length-of-the-court drive capped a wild fourth quarter and led to a boisterous celebration at midcourt for the Kings when Jason Terry missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Terry's three-point play had given Dallas a 118-117 lead with 22.2 seconds remaining, before Martin answered with a three-point play of his own with 11.6 to go. Terry tied it with 7 seconds left, setting up Salmons' game-winner.

Salmons finished with 22 points and Francisco Garcia also had 22 for the Kings, who had lost six straight to Dallas.

Terry and Devin Harris scored 25 points apiece to lead the Mavs. Dirk Nowitzki added 21.

Martin hasn't missed a beat since returning from a 17-game absence, making 14 of 16 shots in 28 minutes of action. Martin has 64 points in his two games back despite coming off the bench both games, giving a big boost to the injury-depleted Kings.

After winning three of four on the homestand, the Kings could be getting even more help soon. Point guard Mike Bibby is expected to make his season debut Wednesday in Toronto after undergoing surgery on a torn ligament in his left thumb in October, and forward Ron Artest also could return after missing the previous nine games with an injured right elbow.

The Kings (15-21) have tried to hold it together in the first half of the season under rookie coach Reggie Theus despite missing Artest and Martin for 17 games apiece and Bibby for all 36.

Mikki Moore gave Sacramento its first lead since midway through the first quarter when he slammed in an alley-oop pass from Beno Udrih that made it 63-61 about 3 minutes into the third quarter. With Martin and Garcia combining for 17 of the Kings' next 23 points, the lead expanded to 86-77 with less than 2 minutes remaining in the third. Sacramento led 86-80 entering the fourth quarter.

The Mavericks had trouble stopping the Kings from scoring almost all game. Dallas had held 10 straight opponents under 100 points, but Sacramento topped that on Martin's baseline jumper with 6:02 remaining that made it 101-94.

The Mavericks scored 14 straight points midway through the first quarter, capping the run with an empathic dunk by Erick Dampier and consecutive 3-pointers by Eddie Jones and Josh Howard that made it 27-17.

Dahntay Jones' impressive block on Brandon Bass' dunk attempt early in the second quarter got the home crowd fired up and the Kings tied the game at 50 when Martin's steal and jam capped an 8-0 run. The Mavs went into the half up 57-55.

Notes: Dallas' Jerry Stackhouse missed the game with a strained hamstring. He is day-to-day. ... The Mavs lost for just the fifth time in 34 games in which they scored at least 30 points in the opening quarter the past two seasons.

[Associated Press; By JOSH DUBOW]

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