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Martin, Bibby lead Kings past Pacers

Feb 26, 2007 - 4:45 AM INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Kevin Martin and Mike Bibby didn't need Ron Artest to win in Indiana.

Martin scored 35 points and Bibby added 28 and six assists as the Sacramento Kings used a big third quarter to cruise to a 110-93 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Indiana took a 50-47 lead into the half before Martin caught fire after the break.

"I was in a rhythm and I was trying to be aggressive and go with the flow out there," Martin said. "I didn't shoot the ball well the other night, so I just tried to stay with it tonight. I thought we played with a lot more energy and we also played loose. Good things happen when you're playing loose."

Sacramento's shooting guard scored 21 points and Bibby chipped in 13 in the third as the Kings outscored the Pacers, 40-24, in the quarter to put the game away.

"The third quarter was our undoing, that's when they got by us and got to the free-throw line," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "Defensively, it was a struggle all night. Defense is an issue for us right now in a big way. It's something we have to keep spending time on and emphasizing.

"To be a really good basketball team, your man-to-man defense has to be the core of what you're doing."

Jermaine O'Neal struggled with a left knee injury throughout the game but still managed to score 19 points, grab nine rebounds and block six shots. Mike Dunleavy added 18 and nine boards for the Pacers.

O'Neal moved ahead of Herb Williams into 10th place on the Pacers' all-time franchise career scoring list with 8,647 points in seven seasons with Indiana.

Artest did not make the trip to face his former team due to personal reasons.

"It was a big win against a team going to make the Eastern Conference playoffs," Kings coach Eric Musselman said. "They're a team that plays well at home and is above .500."