• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Ellis' fourth-quarter outburst helps Warriors edge Kings

Feb 10, 2008 - 8:20 AM By Ryan Leong PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- With Baron Davis on the bench and Stephen Jackson hobbled, Monta Ellis took over.

Ellis scored 16 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 105-102 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

Jackson scored 26 points despite turning his ankle in the third quarter, and Davis scored just 10 on 4-of-19 from the floor before fouling out with 2:11 remaining in the fourth.

That left the Warriors' fate up to Ellis, who was up to the task.

"I think it's on all of us to step our game up and try to give a little bit more," Ellis said. "And in the fourth quarter, everybody was telling me to pick it up and that's what I tried to do. I just kept staying aggressive and attacking the basket."

"Whenever guys are down, that's why it's a team," Warriors forward Al Harrington said. "Everybody can't have it every single night so when somebody falls by the wayside a little bit the other guys will pick him up."

It was a tightly played contest throughout, but Ellis helped break open a one-point game by outscoring the Kings, 9-2, to give Golden State a 91-86 lead with 5:56 left in the fourth.

It was back-and-forth from then on. However, Ellis was the difference as he came up with big baskets all night and finished 12-of-15 from the floor and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line.

"It's just going down and I'm taking the right shots and they're falling for me," Ellis said.

When the Kings pulled to within 100-98 on a three-point play by John Salmons with 35 second left, Ellis calmly drilled a jumper from the right baseline for a 102-98 lead with 12.9 seconds remaining that essentially sealed the win.

Salmons' layup cut the deficit to 102-100 with 4.7 seconds left, and Ellis hit 1-of-2 free throws for a 103-100 lead with three seconds left.

The Warriors then fouled Brad Miller before he could get a 3-pointer off. Miller made two free throws, and the Kings then were forced to foul.

Jackson buried to free throws for a 105-102 lead, and Ron Artest's 3-pointer clanged off the back rim at the buzzer.

"It was a shot that I should've made to take it to overtime," Artest said. "Mike (Bibby) was triple-teamed, and I shot it and I should've made the shot. I should've made the shot."

"Well, I was expecting a tough game and we got it," Warriors coach Don Nelson said.

"There was about eight games this year that I don't know how we won them but we did, so we'll just take them. Deservedly now the team deserves a day off, and we are going to give them one (Sunday)."

Bibby had 24 points and Artest added 23 points with 13 rebounds for Sacramento, which had won five of its last six games entering Saturday's play.

"I thought it was a well played basketball game," Kings coach Reggie Theus said. "This team we played tonight, was very well-rested. We played last night, came out and took (the Warriors) to the wire. It was a very physical game. We stayed focused with what we had to do. Ultimately, it gave us a chance."