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Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 26, 2001
Lakers take hold after Kings falter
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Shaquille O'Neal was right. One superhero was enough Sunday for the Lakers, especially when the Kings collapsed.
O'Neal had 23 points and 15 rebounds as Los Angeles scored 18 straight in the fourth quarter to beat the Kings 84-72 and move into a tie with Sacramento atop the Pacific Division.
The Lakers destroyed the Kings in the fourth without Kobe Bryant, who hurt his ankle Wednesday. O'Neal, who has chafed under Bryant's bigger role in the offense this season, said the Lakers would be fine without Bryant "as long as one of our superheroes is out there."
O'Neal played his self-proclaimed Superman role splendidly, especially in a late sequence in which he hit two free throws, intercepted a pass at the other end and outran Chris Webber for a breakaway dunk that gave the Lakers an 11-point lead with 2:37 left. He even hit five straight free throws in the final minutes.
Webber's jumper with 11:28 left gave Sacramento a 62-53 lead, but the Kings didn't score again until Vlade Divac's free throws with 3:32 left.
Sacramento coach Rick Adelman missed the game because of the flu.
HEAT 88, SPURS 83: Don't write off Tim Hardaway. Miami coach Pat Riley certainly hasn't.
The 34-year-old point guard scored 20 of his 25 in the second half and added eight assists as host Miami ran its winning streak to four.
"For all of you guys that ever have a notion about retiring Tim Hardaway, this is why he's here," Riley said.
Hardaway's three-pointer over David Robinson with 20.7 seconds remaining gave Miami an 86-81 lead. He was 5-for-8 on threes and sealed the victory with a pair of free throws with 10.3 seconds left.
BUCKS 105, HAWKS 98: Host Milwaukee didn't start to play like a first-place team until about 10 minutes remained. That was enough.
The Bucks, who trailed by 17 with about four minutes left in the third quarter, won their fifth straight game and increased their lead to 41/2 games over idle Charlotte in the Central Division.
Ray Allen had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Sam Cassell added 22 points and 11 assists for the Bucks.
CELTICS 102, BULLS 98: Boston coach Jim O'Brien might have been in the mood to celebrate if he hadn't been so exhausted from what should have been an easier game.
"I'm thrilled to be tied," O'Brien said after Boston pulled even with Indiana for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and avoided an embarrassing loss to the league's worst team. "But it takes too much energy to smile after a game like that. It's too difficult."
Paul Pierce scored 13 of his 36 in the last 31/2 minutes as Boston pulled away.
Boston and Indiana each have 13 games left, two head-to-head.
TIMBERWOLVES 105, NETS 91: Terrell Brandon scored a career-high 34 against the player he once replaced as Minnesota's point guard.
Brandon shot 15-of-25 from the field and added six assists as the Wolves led throughout. Stephon Marbury scored 32 for New Jersey against his former team, including 20 in the second half. The Timberwolves traded Marbury to the Nets in the 1999 deal that brought Brandon from Milwaukee.
RAPTORS 102, GRIZZLIES 92: The Grizzlies were little more than spectators at times during probably the last meeting between Canada's teams.
Vancouver owner Michael Heisley has to inform the NBA today where he wants to move the team. Memphis, Louisville, New Orleans and Anaheim are possibilities.
"We're definitely not focused as we could be," Vancouver's Shareef Abdur-Rahim said. "We probably have some guys that have gone home already, but that's what makes us a bad team."
JAZZ 119, WIZARDS 93: Karl Malone became the NBA career leader for free throws made for host Utah. He made two with 10:48 left in the third quarter, and ended with 8,534 career to pass Moses Malone (8,531).
MAVS 103, HORNETS 100: Michael Finley had 31 points and 10 rebounds for host Dallas, which ended a two-game losing streak.
WARRIORS 103, PISTONS 95: Mookie Blaylock capped a triple-double (13 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) by hitting the clinching jumper with 30 seconds left for host Golden State.
SUPERSONICS 93, ROCKETS 90: Ruben Patterson scored 23, including the game-winning layup with 12.3 seconds left, for host Seattle.