Jarrett Jack and Troy Murphy lead Pacers past Kings 117-109
Jarrett Jack scored 26 points and Troy Murphy had 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 117-109 victory Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings.
The Pacers pulled within two games of Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
For Murphy, it was his eighth straight game with double figures in points and rebounds and his 38th this season. Jack added seven rebounds, three assists and four steals.
Travis Diener came off the bench for a season-high 18 points and Marquis Daniels also scored 18 to help Indiana win its second straight and fifth in seven games.
Kevin Martin scored 21 points for the Kings, who have dropped two straight and five of six. Rashad McCants scored 20 points and Spencer Hawes tied his career-high with 19 points.
Jason Thompson scored 13 points and Bobby Jackson had 12.
Trailing by 15 points entering the fourth quarter, the Kings cut the margin to 110-101 on a driving layup by McCants with 2:45 remaining.
Following a timeout, Diener connected on this fifth and final three-pointer and Jack followed with a pair of baskets to put Indiana ahead 117-101.
Accompanied by Larry Bird, president of basketball operations, the Pacers arrived in Sacramento hoping to halt a trend that had seen them lose 12 of 13 on the road since a victory in Phoenix on Jan. 7.
The Pacers played their seventh straight game without all-star Danny Granger, who is recuperating from a partially torn tendon in his right foot.
Indiana was also without Mike Dunleavy, who is out for the season and contemplating knee surgery.
T.J. Ford scored seven points in the third quarter for the Pacers, who built the lead to 20 points and went into the fourth with a 93-78 advantage.
The Kings had no answer for Murphy in the opening half.
The veteran forward hurt the Kings on the perimeter and inside, getting 20 points and six rebounds for Indiana. The Pacers benefitted from the Kings' marginal defensive effort in taking a 65-51 halftime lead.
Jack scored 15 points and Diener came off the bench for 12, making all four shots, including three three-pointers. Martin scored 16 first-half points for the Kings and Hawes had 13.
Murphy made his first three three-point attempts in the first quarter and scored nine points, helping the Pacers to a 32-27 lead.
Notes: Thompson is the only Kings player to have played in all 62 games this season. Bird watched the game in a lower level seat with former Pacers player Sam Perkins. Kings rookie Donte Green played power forward for the first time all season.
