• Recap
• Bleachers

Martin, Bibby outshine Wallace as Kings beat Bobcats

Mar 1, 2007 - 7:31 AM SACRAMENTO, California (Ticker) -- The backcourt duo of Kevin Martin and Mike Bibby was all the Sacramento Kings needed.

Martin scored 36 points and Bibby added 30 as the Kings rolled to a 135-120 triumph over the Charlotte Bobcats, who dropped their third consecutive game.

The duo combined to connect on 20-of-33 shots from the field, including 9-of-15 3-pointers, in helping coach Eric Musselman capture his 100th career coaching victory.

"Mike and I know that we need to step up and he has been doing that," Martin said. "Mike is a proven scorer and I can score the ball a little too. I honestly didn't know we were shooting as well as were."

"I didn't even know about it until before the game," Musselman said of his win total. "But, yeah, it's (special). It's better than having 99."

It was Martin's second 30-point performance in three games.

John Salmons netted 15 points and Brad Miller and Francisco Garcia added 14 each for Sacramento, which shot an impressive 62 percent (42-of-67) and made 14-of-22 from 3-point range.

Brevin Knight's pull-up jumper brought Charlotte within 104-100 at the 8:42 mark of the fourth quarter but it got no closer.

The Kings used a game-charging 19-8 burst, highlighted by Bibby's three 3-pointers, to forge a 123-108 advantage with 3:44 remaining.

"It felt good," Bibby said about his shot. "It felt like I was barely putting any effort into it and it was going in. It probably felt the best it's felt all season."

"Our guys shot the ball well, the floor was spaced out," Musselman said. "I thought that early in the game our ability to get to the foul line put them on their heels a little bit. That opened up, especially in the fourth quarter, the three ball."

Charlotte was without defensive standout Emeka Okafor for the second straight contest due to an injured right calf.

Gerald Wallace - a former King - had 31 points, nine assists and four steals for the Bobcats, who have lost six of their last seven games away from home.

"The main thing with me is to try to get a win," Wallace said. "I'd take two points, eight turnovers, no rebounds and no assists for a 'W' right now."

"When you're on the road, you just have to maximize each possession," Charlotte coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "But the bottom line was our defense was non-existent."