NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE Webber leads Kings to 87-81 win

Sacramento deadlocked its series with Minnesota, 2-2.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Every basket was a grind in the Sacramento Kings' series-tying victory. Perhaps that's why Chris Webber played so well. His last easy shot was some time last year.
Webber scored a playoff-high 28 points and Brad Miller added 20 to lead the Kings to an 87-81 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night in Game 4 of their second-round matchup.
For the first extended period since his return from serious knee surgery in February, Webber seemed downright comfortable. He made his first six shots, played strong defense on Kevin Garnett and added six points over the final 3:20, quashing the Timberwolves' hopes for a third straight last-minute victory.
Webber is somewhere near half-strength, playing extensive minutes on a painfully sore knee that could use much more recovery time than it gets in the playoffs. He was humorless and untalkative after the game -- but clearly satisfied by outplaying Garnett for the first time in the series.
"I made up my mind tonight I was going to play my game, do what they brought me here to do," Webber said. "At least I was going to try to do it."
Game 5 Friday
Game 5 is Friday night in Minnesota, where the clubs split the first two games of the series.
Mike Bibby had 15 points and a playoff-best 12 assists for the Kings, who increased their defensive intensity on cue. Webber again played a role, verbally exhorting his teammates in several timeout huddles.
Coach Rick Adelman altered his substitution pattern to give Webber more rest.
"He was getting open jumpers, and he was impressive," Adelman said.
Garnett had 19 points and 21 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who made 24 turnovers while losing in Sacramento for the first time in four games this season. Minnesota's Big Three -- Garnett, Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell -- combined to shoot 17-for-48.
The Timberwolves fled their locker room en masse before the media arrived.
"[The loss] had to do with us not taking care of the basketball," said Sprewell, the only Minnesota player in the interview room. "Webb came out really aggressive tonight. He did exactly what he had to do to help this team win tonight. We knew they were going to put up a serious fight. They didn't want to go back to Minnesota down 3-1."
Poor shooting night
Peja Stojakovic, the NBA's second-leading scorer in the regular season, had another terrible shooting game, missing eight of his first nine shots and rarely asserting himself in the Kings' offense. Stojakovic, Bibby and Doug Christie combined to shoot 7-for-31, getting just one basket in the fourth quarter.
But Webber carried the Kings. Though most of his points came from the outside to draw Garnett away from the paint, he played strong defense, grabbed eight rebounds and also got a dramatic dunk in the final minutes.