SACRAMENTO, California, 18 May 2004 — The Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons came up with series-tying victories Sunday to stay alive in the National Basketball Association playoffs.
Peja Stojakovic scored 22 points to lead a balanced attack as the Kings kept their season going with a 104-87 triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves in yet another intense battle in the Western Conference semifinals.
In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Richard Hamilton sank a difficult baseline jumper with 15.5 seconds remaining and Chauncey Billups made two clinching free throws with 8.8 seconds to play as the Pistons forced a decisive seventh game in the Eastern Conference semifinals with an 81-75 triumph over the New Jersey Nets.
The good news for the Kings is that they forced the seventh game. The bad news is their already thin rotation may be reduced.
In the final minute of the third quarter, Kings guard Anthony Peeler swung his left elbow into the abdomen of Kevin Garnett, his former teammate, sending the Most Valuable Player to the floor. Seconds later, Garnett retaliated by shouldering Peeler to the chest, and Peeler responded by elbowing Garnett to the jaw.
Both players received technical fouls, but Peeler — one of only seven Kings to see regular action — was ejected and likely faces a one-game suspension. The series concludes tomorrow in Minnesota.
Before the game, Sacramento center Brad Miller was fined $10,000 for directing an obscene gesture toward fans at Minneapolis after he was ejected from Game Five following an altercation with Darrick Martin.
Latrell Sprewell, who made 6-of-7 3-pointers, scored 27 points and Garnett added 19 and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, which went on a 17-0 run in the first quarter to take a 28-19 lead. The Timberwolves were in front 37-31 with just under nine minutes left in the second quarter before the Kings ran off the next 12 points as part of a 26-7 burst to close the period. Minnesota got no closer than six points thereafter.
Hamilton was held in check most of the second half and Billups for most of the game, but both came up with key points when the Pistons needed them most.
Hamilton scored 16 points in the first half but had just six after the break, when the Nets rallied from a 17-point deficit and pulled within 75-73 on a layup by Richard Jefferson with 34 seconds remaining.
Despite getting bumped by Jason Kidd, Hamilton nailed a jumper from the left baseline with just under 16 seconds left to restore a four-point cushion.
Kenyon Martin answered with a layup with 9.6 seconds left, but Billups was fouled less than a second later, rattled in his first attempt and swished the second to make it 79-75 with 8.8 seconds to play. Billups finished with just 11 points in 38 minutes.
Lindsey Hunter stole the ball from Richard Jefferson, was fouled with two-tenths of a second left and sank two free throws to cap the scoring. Seemingly energized by Friday’s 127-120 triple-overtime victory, the Nets jumped out to a 13-2 lead. But the Pistons tied it 23-23 then took the lead for good 30-27 on a 3-pointer by Hunter with 9:31 left in the second quarter. The Pistons extended to a 50-36 half-time cushion and took their largest lead, 53-36, on a free throw by Hamilton just 86 seconds into the second half.
