Boston ? Chris Webber needed only three quarters for a triple-double. Mike Bibby needed just one for the win.
Webber had a triple-double after three quarters, then Bibby took over with 14 of his 27 points to lead Sacramento to a 104-100 victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday night.
“The game was there and it looked like neither team wanted to grab it,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “And at the end, Bibby grabbed it.”
Webber had 14 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists, reaching the milestone with 90 seconds left in the third. This despite making just seven of 23 shots in the game — a performance so discouraging that the Kings’ leading scorer started passing up open shots.
That’s when Bibby took him aside and told him to keep shooting.
“It’s Chris’ ball,” Bibby said. “Whatever he says, goes.”
The victory was the first in five games for Sacramento, which lost its previous two on last-second, disputed shots. Webber said his teammates’ encouragement is one reason why the Kings didn’t fall apart during the losing streak.
“On this stretch, we really could have imploded,” Webber said. “We just really have a positive atmosphere. … I probably lost 15 in a row early in my career, but I could imagine what it would have been like to lose five in a row with these guys.”
Webber reached double figures in all three categories with 90 seconds left in the third for his fourth triple-double of the season and the 21st of his career. But his last rebound was the most important: he grabbed the ball after Mark Blount missed an 11-footer to tie the game with 17 seconds left.
Webber sprung Maurice Evans on a fast break, and Ricky Davis fouled him to avoid giving up the dunk. Evans hit both foul shots to make it a four-point game, and when Raef LaFrentz turned the ball over on Boston’s last possession Bibby wound up with it and dribbled out the clock.
“We really needed people like him,” Kings coach Rick Adelman said. “We’ve had some tough games.”
LaFrentz scored 25 points, going 4-for-8 from 3-point range, and added nine rebounds for the Celtics, who lost at home for the first time in five games. Paul Pierce scored 22 points, and Gary Payton had 12 points, nine assists and five steals.
Sacramento’s Brad Miller and Cuttino Mobley each scored 20 points, and Evans had 17.
Sacramento played most of the game without Peja Stojakovic, who strained his right hamstring in the first quarter and did not return. Stojakovic missed six games with back spasms before returning last week; Adelman said after the game he had no information on the injury.
The Celtics led 70-58 with 5:27 left in the third quarter before Sacramento scored nine consecutive points to get back in the game.
Davis hit a fallaway jumper from 15 feet to give the Celtics a 98-96 lead, but Webber made a baby hook in the lane to tie it with 2:04 to play.
Pierce made a pair of free throws with 1:36 left to give Boston a 100-98 lead. Bibby was fouled cutting to the basket on a behind-the-back pass from Webber, and he made one of two free throws.
Payton missed an off-balance shot in the lane, then Bibby hit a 3-pointer to give the Kings a 102-100 lead. Davis drove to the basket and kicked it out to Blount, but he missed from 11 feet on the right side and Webber grabbed the rebound.
Notes: The Kings are just 5-14 in Boston since moving to Sacramento. … The Celtics are 15-5 in their last 20 home games. … Sacramento was 9-for-16 from 3-point range. … The Celtics have topped 100 points 27 times this season.
