Injury-depleted Kings beat Celtics 116-112
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-31 14:03

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Mike Bibby had 33 points and 10 assists, Kenny Thomas added a season-high 29 points and the injury-depleted Sacramento Kings finished a dismal December with a 116-112 victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday night.

Kevin Martin scored a career-best 22 points for the Kings, who weathered Boston's impressive third-quarter rally with tenacious play in the fourth. Peja Stojakovic, Bonzi Wells and Shareef Abdur-Rahim all missed the game with injuries, but Sacramento won its second straight without three of its top four scorers.

Bibby, who scored 38 points Tuesday against the Clippers, hit four 3-pointers and impressively directed Sacramento's offense despite the Kings' 21 turnovers. Martin, a second-year pro starting in Wells' place, got an uncontested dunk with 26.3 seconds left, ending Boston's final rally.

Ricky Davis had a season-high 33 points for the Celtics, who made a strong second-half comeback but dropped to 2-11 on the road with their third straight loss to open a five-game road trip. Boston hasn't won at Arco Arena since Feb. 16, 1996, losing 10 straight.

Boston erased a 15-point deficit in the third quarter with seven 3-pointers — the most hit by an opponent in any quarter in Kings franchise history. But Sacramento went ahead 101-94 with 5:19 to play with Martin's acrobatic layup and alley-oop dunk on consecutive possessions.

Thomas scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, including five straight after Boston pulled within 104-101 on Paul Pierce's free throws with 2:53 to play. Pierce was scoreless until midway through the fourth quarter, but finished with 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds.

Brad Miller had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the last-place Kings, who finished December 5-9 — their worst mark in 13 years — despite winning their final two games before the new year.

Stojakovic's strained groin is his third significant injury already this season, while Wells missed his fourth straight game with a torn groin muscle. Abdur-Rahim, the NBA's leader in field-goal percentage, had surgery Wednesday to repair his broken jaw, and won't be re-evaluated for at least two more weeks.

The Kings led 59-49 at halftime with 14 points apiece from Miller and Bibby, but the Celtics opened the third quarter with a 13-for-19 shooting streak, scoring 31 points in 8 1/2 minutes and taking an 82-81 lead on Raef LaFrentz's 3-pointer.