Kings Edge Mavericks in OT

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Posted 8:35AM on Sunday, May 12, 2002

DALLAS - The Sacramento Kings overcame the loss of All-Stars Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic and a big game by Dallas' Big 3 to take control of the Western Conference semifinal series. Mike Bibby drove around Michael Finley and over Dirk Nowitzki to score with 12.2 seconds left in overtime Saturday, and the Kings beat the Mavericks 115-113 to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Nowitzki, who had 31 points and 12 rebounds after being held in check the first three games of the series, drove into the lane, but missed a potential game-tying shot with 2.5 seconds left. Nowitzki couldn't control the rebound, and by the time Finley retrieved the ball and heaved a long shot, the game was over. The series moves back to Sacramento for Game 5 on Monday night. Webber had 30 points and 10 rebounds, but fouled out with 4:45 left and the Kings ahead 100-99. Sacramento's other big man, Vlade Divac, fouled out early in overtime. Stojakovic left Game 3 with a severely sprained right ankle and is questionable for the rest of the series. Bobby Jackson, who started for Stojakovic, scored 15 of his 26 points during a fourth-quarter rally for Sacramento. Bibby finished with 24 points and also had the tying basket with 31 seconds left in regulation. Finley had 28 points for the Mavericks, and Steve Nash scored 24. But Nash also had nine turnovers. Bibby hit a 14-footer to open the five-minute overtime, and after Divac fouled out, Nowitzki hit two free throws to tie the game. Finley then made a basket to give Dallas the lead, but after Scot Pollard's two free throws with 3:12 left, Bibby had the only other score. Doug Christie, who also sprained his right ankle Thursday night, played 51 minutes. He scored just 12 points, but had six steals and five rebounds. The Kings had the lead only once - for 17 seconds late in the first quarter - before Jackson scored 11 points in a 17-2 fourth-quarter run that made it 100-97. Webber's 18-footer, a minute before he fouled out, put Sacramento ahead 98-97. Bibby's 3-pointer put Sacramento ahead 105-101 with 3:44 left, but after a shot clock violation by the Kings, Nash made a fadeaway jumper and Nowitzki had a putback to tie the game again. Nowitzki, a focal point for the Sacramento defense throughout the Western Conference semifinal series, had the kind of game he's become more accustomed to. Mavericks coach Don Nelson met with Nowitzki for more than 20 minutes before practice Friday. Nelson's goal was to repair the psyche of his young All-Star forward, who was obviously frustrated the first three games of the series after dominating a three-game sweep of Minnesota in the first round. Nowitzki averaged 33.3 points and 15.7 rebounds against Minnesota, but had been limited to 21.3 points and 11.3 rebounds in the first three games against Sacramento. And Nowitzki didn't get off to a good start Saturday, even though the Mavericks did. Dallas led 12-1 after Raef LaFrentz scored 10 points in the first 3 1/2 minutes. But LaFrentz scored only one more basket the rest of the game and Nowitzki missed his first seven shots. Sacramento used a 12-0 run to negate the quick Dallas start. Webber scored eight points in the spurt, ending it with a dunk with 1:09 left in the first quarter that gave the Kings their first lead. Nowitzki had the assist on Greg Buckner's tying basket 17 seconds later and finally scored an easy layup on a pass from Nick Van Excel that put Dallas ahead 27-25 after one. Nowitzki finished 9-of-28 from the floor. The Mavericks had a 54-49 lead right before halftime when Nash made a one-handed shot while falling down. But Webber hit a 3-pointer and Mavericks coach Don Nelson was called for a technical foul at the end of the half because he was upset about some non-foul calls. Christie made the free throw to start the second half, but Nowitzki hit a 3-pointer right after that and the Mavericks built a 12-point lead during a stretch when the frustrated Kings had three technical fouls. Kings coach Rick Adelman got a technical after Christie was undercut by LaFrentz and there wasn't a foul called. Divac and Webber later got technical a minute apart from each other. Notes: Nash and Van Exel were in the Mavericks' starting lineup together for the first time in the playoffs. Van Exel scored just four points on 2-of-10 shooting. ... Dallas' Eduardo Najera had three fouls in a 12-second span of the second quarter. ... The crowd of 20,274 was the largest ever at American Airlines Center, which is in its first season. ... Hedo Turkoglu, who had been expected to start for Stojakovic, played 34 minutes with four points and seven rebounds. ... It was the first overtime playoff game for Dallas since 1985.