http://www.nba.com/games/20040404/SACHOU/recap.html

  Sacramento 99, Houston 94
  Peja Helps Kings Stop Skid

  HOUSTON, April 4 (Ticker) -- The Sacramento Kings needed to stop their slide.
  The best way to do that was to get their best shooter, Peja Stojakovic, some
  open looks at the basket.

  Stojakovic scored 11 points  in a 13-0 third-quarter run to help push the
  Kings to a 99-94 victory over the Houston Rockets that snapped a two-game
  slide.

  "We ran some different things for him,"  Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "We
  tried to run him off more people. It's not easy getting him open when a guy
  like Jimmy (Jackson)  is staying  right with him.  We pushed  the ball more
  where Jimmy wasn't quite set defensively."

  The victory moved Sacramento (53-23) back into a tie with the Los Angeles
  Lakers for first place in the Western Conference.  Sacramento avoided its
  first three-game losing streak since January 24-28, 2003.

  The Kings trailed, 58-50, early in the third quarter when Stojakovic hit a
  jumper from  the left baseline.  Following two free throws  by Mike Bibby,
  Stojakovic scored nine straight points  to put Sacramento up,  63-58, with
  5:24 left.

  "We just made a commitment to do it," Kings forward Chris Webber said.

  "We did a pretty good job of moving the ball  and people movement," said
  Stojakovic, who made 9-of-15 shots and pulled down 11 rebounds. "Jimmy's
  a good defender. I know he's going to try to play physical."

  Houston used a 16-2 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters to sur
  -ge back into the game.  The Rockets eventually  regained the lead  at 92
  -91 on Steve Francis' free throw with 1:29 left.

  But Sacramento countered with a layup by Stojakovic and an 18-foot turna
  -round by Webber that decided the game.

  Adelman played the 6-10 Webber at center against Houston's 7-5 Yao Ming
  for much of the fourth quarter.

  "As long as we were ahead we were going  to run things through Chris, occu
  -py Yao Ming and maybe get some things at the basket," Adelman said. "Peja
  ended getting that layup because Yao wasn't there."

  Webber, playing in just his 17th game of the season since returning from a
  knee injury,  looked more like the former All-Star.  He totaled 19 points,
  eight rebounds and six assists.

  "That's my game right there," Webber said. "That's my shot. I'll take that
  all day."

  Adelman was happy to see Sacramento end its slump after losing four of its
  previous five games.

  "It's huge,"  he said.  "We've been struggling so much,  with our injuries
  (Brad Miller and Bobby Jackson), being on the road. We needed to get a win
  to jump start the rest of our season."

  The Rockets, who peaked at 13 games over .500 on March 13, dropped to 42-34
  with their fourth straight loss.

  "You can't start getting scared," Houston guard Cuttino Mobley said. "We
  can't focus on the guys in back of us."