NBA

Abdur-Rahim propels Kings to first win

By Times wire
Published November 7, 2005

PHOENIX - Shareef Abdur-Rahim stayed humble in victory.

The power forward scored Sacramento's final six points and sealed his team's first win with a blocked shot in the final seconds as the Kings beat the Suns 118-117 on Sunday night.

Then he acknowledged that he could have been the scapegoat after missing two free throws with the Suns leading 114-112 with 1:16 to play. "I was just happy that we got back and it didn't hurt us," he said. "We got a stop and were able to come back down and score. I got a couple of chances to redeem myself."

Abdur-Rahim broke a 114-114 tie when he made an 8-footer in the lane with 30 seconds left. Leandro Barbosa answered with a 3-pointer. Abdur-Rahim then hit two free throws with 13.3 seconds left.

Abdur-Rahim also blocked a layup by Boris Diaw - Phoenix's last good attempt to pull out the win. Brian Grant's 16-footer from the side was short with 0.7 seconds left, denying coach Mike D'Antoni his 100th victory.

WARRIORS 83, KNICKS 81: Jason Richardson's 3-pointer as the shot clock expired with 5:46 left gave the visiting Warriors the lead for good and kept Larry Brown winless with New York.

LAKERS 112, NUGGETS 92: Kobe Bryant scored 12 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter to help host Los Angeles pull away. The Lakers didn't trail after Bryant scored five straight to snap a 10-all tie in the first.

MRS. SHAQ EXPECTING: Heat center Shaquille O'Neal's wife, Shaunie, told a Miami television station she is three months pregnant.

MAVERICKS: Forward Dirk Nowitzki's flagrant-one foul against Matt Harpring during a loss to the Jazz on Thursday was upgraded by the league to a flagrant-two, which carries an automatic ejection and a $1,000 fine. The ejection, however, cannot be carried over to the next game.

REGGIE SPEAKS HIS MIND: Retired Pacers guard Reggie Miller said he favors Detroit in the Eastern Conference because of concerns with his former team's chemistry, adding, "Any little thing can set Indiana off." Responded Indiana's Stephen Jackson: "I respect Reggie too much to degrade his statement, but I don't agree with it. We're the best team in the league. We know it. We know what we can do. It's not about what people think."

[Last modified November 7, 2005, 01:11:04]