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Kings snap five-game losing streak with rout of Hawks

Dec 11, 2006 - 4:35 AM SACRAMENTO, California (Ticker) -- The Sacramento Kings hardly resembled a team on a five-game losing streak.

Brad Miller scored a season-high 19 points to lead six players in double figures as the Kings coasted to a 117-92 victory over the sloppy Atlanta Hawks.

Corliss Williamson scored 18 points and Mike Bibby added 16 for Sacramento, which had not won this month and had not scored more than 115 points all season. But the Kings dominated the middle two quarters, scoring 70 points over the second and third periods and finishing at a blistering 57 percent (43-of-75) shooting.

"We needed a win," Sacramento coach Eric Musselman said. "I thought we did a lot of really good things tonight. I thought we defended well. As the game wore on, the second and third quarters, I thought offensively we probably played the two best quarters all year."

John Salmons and Kevin Martin chipped in 14 points apiece for Sacramento, which did a nice job of sharing the ball. The team had 25 assists, including eight players with at least three.

"That's when we're at our best, (when everyone is involved)," Miller said. "(Losing) five games really (stinks). All day I was like, 'I just can't wait to come out and destroy these guys.'"

The Kings held a 53-40 lead at halftime before outscoring the Hawks, 39-20, in the third quarter. Bibby poured in 11 points in the quarter, while Miller had nine and Martin eight.

Salim Stoudamire scored a season-high 26 points and rookie Solomon Jones added a career-high 14 for Atlanta, which committed 25 turnovers in finishing its road trip with a 2-3 record.

"Our plan of coming out and playing defense, we didn't do that at all," said Hawks forward Marvin Williams, who shot 1-of-8 from the field and was ejected after receiving consecutive technical fouls in the fourth quarter. "They almost scored 120 points. ... We needed better defense. Everybody in this locker room is better than that. It was terrible."

The Hawks played without leading scorer Joe Johnson, who suffered a calf injury earlier this week. They have lost seven straight meetings with the Kings.

"We should all give our paychecks back," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. "It's unacceptable. Nobody came to play today at all. ... Not having Joe kind of set the tone. We just weren't ready to play."