NEW YORK, 8 March 2004 — A triple-double from Lamar Odom propelled playoff hopefuls the Miami Heat to a surprise 102-96 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
Odom scored a season-high 30 points, had a career-best 19 rebounds and added 11 assists as Miami boosted their chances of finishing the regular season in the Eastern Conference’s top eight.
The Kings not only took an NBA-best record into Miami but a resurgent Chris Webber — averaging 25 points per game in his two appearances since returning from injury and suspension.
Although Webber maintained his impressive form with 22 points and nine rebounds, Miami refused to go quietly.
Odom dominated, registering his eighth career triple-double as Miami pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Once Eddie Jones scored two free throws to give the Heat an 84-82 lead, the Kings never restored parity.
Rafer Alston finished with 20 points for Miami, while Rasual Butler and Udonis Haslem had 17 points apiece from coach Stan Van Gundy’s bench. Mike Bibby led the Kings (45-16) in scoring with 24 points. The win left Miami in a three-way tie for seventh place in the East, alongside the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In other games on Saturday:
The Detroit Pistons enjoyed a 97-66 win over the Denver Nuggets. Rasheed Wallace led the Pistons with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while the Nuggets had six players top scoring with just eight points each. Denver managed just 10 points in the third quarter. Bo Outlaw had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Memphis had four other players scoring in double-digits, as the Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Clippers 98-92 at the Staples Centre.
The Philadelphia 76ers earned an important 97-88 win over the Chicago Bulls with the help of 27 points and 11 rebounds from Kenny Thomas. Allen Iverson had 20 points for the Sixers but still struggled on six-of-18 shooting.
Cleveland won its third straight game, putting the Cavaliers firmly in the playoff picture, with a 106-97 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. LeBron James contributed 24 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists and four steals.
NBA champions the San Antonio Spurs made it three wins in a row with a 107-86 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Playing again without the injured Tim Duncan, the Spurs were paced by Rasho Nesterovic’s 22 points and 19 from Malik Rose.
Zach Randolph’s 23 points spurred the Portland Trail Blazers to a 91-70 win over the Utah Jazz.
