(My Sportsbook) - Hopefully, for both the NBA and its fans, Tuesday's game between the
Sacramento Kings and
New Jersey Nets wasn't a preview of the NBA Finals because we'll all be in for another uneventful sweep.
Sacramento posted a 109-102 victory over the Nets on Tuesday to complete a season sweep. The Kings had destroyed the defending Eastern Conference champs at the Meadowlands back on January 9, 118-82.
On Tuesday, Chris Webber collected a season-high 36 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists and Peja Stojakovic added 26 points and seven rebounds.
"I don't know if you can play better than Chris Webber played tonight," said Kings coach Rick Adelman. "He was just so good, especially down the stretch."
Sacramento raced out to a 20-6 advantage and threatened to make the game another laugher. But New Jersey didn't fold and began to chip away, pulling within three in the second half. However, the Nets were never able to get any closer and the Kings held on for the victory.
"We weren't embarrassed, [but] we lost both games," Nets guard Jason Kidd said. "There's nothing you can do about it. Win by 50, win by two, it's a loss. We played our hearts out."
Sacramento, which has won eight of its last 10 games, shot a blistering 59 percent from the floor while limiting the Nets to 44 percent. Mike Bibby had 13 points and 10 assists, and Vlade Divac and Doug Christie scored 11 points apiece for the Kings.
"A real solid win for us against a very good team," Adelman said. "After what happened in Jersey, that was kind of one of those games that happens very seldom and we knew this team was going to come at us. They kept making runs at us and we responded to all the runs and beat a very good team."
With the win, Adelman and his staff earned the honor to coach the Western Conference All-Stars at the 2003 All-Star Game in Atlanta. The Kings (31-11, .738) clinched the best possible winning percentage in the West.
The Dallas Mavericks actually own the NBA's best mark at 32-8, but head coach Don Nelson is not eligible to coach in the game because he headed last year's squad.
This marks the third All-Star coaching appearance for Adelman and the second in the past three seasons. He previously coached the West in 2001 while with Sacramento and in 1991 when he was with the Portland Trail Blazers. However, Adelman is 0-2 so far in the mid-season affair.
The Kings, who pounded Dallas 123-94 last Wednesday, will look to keep the pressure on the Mavs. Sacramento, which is just two games behind Dallas in the West, embarks on a three-game road trip starting Thursday in Memphis.