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Kings back in series with win over Sonics
Mike Bibby had 31 points and seven rebounds in a dramatic improvement on his last two performances, and the Sacremento Kings got back in their first-round playoff series with a 116-104 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics in Game 3 Friday night, cutting Seattle's lead to 2-1.
Kenny Thomas scored 22 points and Cuttino Mobley had 21 — both career playoff highs — for the Kings, who rode the energy from their deafening sellout crowd to a 21-point lead in the first half. With Bibby leading the way, Sacramento coolly stayed ahead throughout a foul-filled second half, making 50 percent of its shots. Game 4 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday night, with Game 5 back in Seattle on Tuesday. Ray Allen scored 33 points and Jerome James had 22 points and nine rebounds before fouling out in the final minutes of yet another surprising performance. But just as the Kings did in the series' first two games in Seattle, the Sonics fell far behind early and expended all their energy just trying to catch up. The Kings' playoff fortunes in this rebuilding season probably hang on Bibby, their point guard. But he didn't live up to his vaunted playoff reputation in Seattle, going 8-for-30 in the first two games — including a 1-for-16 performance that probably decided Game 1 in the Sonics' favor. But Bibby made five of his first six shots in Game 3, and he rarely stopped attacking the basket. He scored eight points and ran Sacramento's offense with poise in the fourth quarter, finishing 11-for-21. Meanwhile, Seattle missed its final 10 3-pointers.
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