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Sunday, Mar. 11 5:30pm ET
Webber, Stojakovic provide punch

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Chris Webber says his hair is in cornrows because he's a moody person. After his defense tied Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz in knots, Webber's mood was excellent.

Predrag Stojakovic
Predrag Stojakovic scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Kings to the win.

Predrag Stojakovic scored 31 points, and Webber had 26 points, eight assists, eight steals and six rebounds as the Sacramento Kings beat the Jazz 105-90 Sunday in a meeting of division leaders.

Webber, who returned from a sprained ankle six days ago, moves closer to full speed each day. He didn't make many spectacular plays against Utah, but he used quick hands and active feet to match his career high in steals and help hold Malone to eight shots in 35 minutes.

Webber changed his hairstyle on a whim, but so far it's paid off. The Kings haven't lost since he came back.

"I'm just glad I was aggressive today," Webber said. "There was a lot of frustration out there for both teams, and sometimes that's motivation."

The Kings won their fourth straight and snapped Utah's four-game winning streak while creeping within a half-game of the Western Conference lead. If Sacramento can survive its upcoming four-game East Coast road trip, the Kings could make a run at the West's top seed with 10 of their last 16 games at home.

"It was a big game for us, and a big challenge to play this team at home before we go on a road trip," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "We really defended them well. We had much better swarming defensively. We were active (and) got our hands on a ton of balls."

Sacramento (42-19) increased its Pacific Division lead to a full game over the Lakers and the Trail Blazers, while Utah (43-19) dropped into a tie with San Antonio atop the Midwest Division.

Doug Christie added 14 points as the Kings improved the league's best home record to 26-5 in front of a raucous crowd in a playoff-ready Arco Arena. Utah was responsible for one of those home losses three weeks ago. But this time, the Kings held off the Jazz throughout a difficult second half.

"They manhandled us all day long," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said _ and he meant it as a compliment. "They did a great job of getting their hands on basketballs. We couldn't pass the ball, and we had a tough time with 22 turnovers."

The Kings won with a defense that made a season-high 18 steals while holding Donyell Marshall scoreless and frustrating Malone, who refused to speak to reporters afterward.

Jason Williams had 12 points and six assists while thoroughly outplaying John Stockton, but he sat out most of the fourth quarter in favor of Bobby Jackson as the Kings nursed a lead that Utah never cracked. Stojakovic was 11-for-17 from the field and hit three 3-pointers.

"Right now, we're just playing at a high level," Webber said. "I think good teams, when they play well, they create a great atmosphere. There's a lot of intensity in this locker room right now."

John Starks had 17 of his 21 points in the first half for Utah, while Danny Manning added a season-high 20. Manning also stayed on the court after the final buzzer to berate referees Tom Washington and Rodney Mott, who hit him with a technical foul with 45 seconds to play.

"When you're playing against them, you have to be able to play with a lot of energy," Starks said. "They feed off the crowd. The crowd was in it today, and for whatever reason, we didn't play our normal game."

Malone scored 20 points, while Stockton had nine assists but went 3-for-11 from the field. Utah's venerable duo made nine of the team's turnovers and frequently deferred to Manning and Starks on offense.

Neither team led by more than four points in an intense, entertaining first half, but Sacramento scored nine straight points early in the second half to put the Kings up by eight.

Williams hit an exceptional one-handed 3-pointer at the third quarter buzzer, then gave a high-five to Kings owner Gavin Maloof at courtside as Sacramento entered the fourth up 76-64.

Game notes
Sacramento won its fifth straight home game. ... Leave it to Kings fans to have long memories. The crowd rang dozens of bells in a reminder of the playoff series two seasons ago in which fans at Arco Arena and the Delta Center rang cowbells behind the visiting benches. They also relentlessly booed former Kings center Olden Polynice. ... Film director and NBA junkie Penny Marshall, wearing a purple cap, sat next to Maloof in the front row. ... Utah lost on the road for just the third time in 12 games. ... Starks matched his season high in points.

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RECAPS
New York 86
Miami 83

Philadelphia 97
Boston 91

Toronto 101
Vancouver 84

Sacramento 105
Utah 90

Detroit 95
Indiana 78

Cleveland 124
Milwaukee 110

Phoenix 94
Houston 92

Dallas 111
LA Clippers 93

Seattle 109
LA Lakers 97


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