Sacramento, USA, January 15 (AP) - In every big test so far this season, the Sacramento Kings have ended up doing the teaching.
Chris Webber had 29 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, and Peja Stojakovic hit six 3-pointers as the Kings reminded the
league-leading Mavericks of their place in the NBA's hierarchy with a 123-94 victory over Dallas on Wednesday night.
The Mavs have the NBA's best record, but the Kings sure look like the NBA's best team following their highest-scoring game of
the season. Sacramento led by 20 in the first half, and Dallas never contended in its worst loss of the season.
"I told the guys, 'You've shown your ability to rise to a level,'" Sacramento coach Rick Adelman said. "Games like this one show
us where we can be. That's what we're reaching for, so by the end of the year, we know what we can do as a team."
They still trail the Mavericks (31-6) atop the overall standings, but the Kings (29-10) are showing traits of the champions they hope
to become: they've posted emphatic victories in all three high-profile games of their regular season so far.
Sacramento beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day, then trounced East champion New Jersey by 36 points last week
before flattening the Mavericks in the first of four meetings between the Western Conference's division leaders.
Players in both locker rooms called it a statement game - and it was clear who was doing all the talking. Led by Webber's 16th
career triple-double - and the second of his spectacular season - and Stojakovic's 23 points, the Kings jumped to a huge early
lead that demoralized Dallas.
"Everybody's saying they've got great players - the best power forward, the best point guard - but you've still got to come out
and play the game," Webber said. "It takes a while to develop what we've got. You can't just wake up one morning and say you're
going to do something."
Webber was nearly unstoppable - from inside and outside, whether passing or shooting. He closed the third quarter by sprinting
behind Dallas' defense for a dunk off a pass from Keon Clark, and he returned the favor with an alley-oop to Clark for a two-handed
reverse slam early in the fourth.
With 4 1/2 minutes left, Webber left to a raucous standing ovation from the crowd at Arco Arena, where Sacramento is 17-2 this
season. Last season, Dallas was the only team to win twice in Sacramento during the regular season.
"This game doesn't say anything about where we are," Dallas coach Don Nelson said. "We're having a great year. I think it says
more about who they are. We've never said we were better than Sacramento. I think they're the best team in the league."
Mike Bibby added 16 points and six assists as the Kings shot better than 55 percent. Sacramento, which beat Dallas in five
games in last season's conference semifinals, ended a three-game losing streak to the Mavs in the regular season.
"I think we played pretty close to the perfect game, especially in the first half," said Vlade Divac, who had 11 points and eight
rebounds.
Nick Van Exel scored 20 points in a reserve role for the Mavericks, who came out flat and never got into the game. Dallas'
six-game winning streak was snapped, despite 15 points and nine rebounds from Dirk Nowitzki.
"We're not where we thought we were as a team," Van Exel said. "They put a good whupping on us. They let us know we still
have a ways to go."
Sacramento scored 39 points in the first quarter - 11 from Webber, along with two 3-pointers by Stojakovic - while stopping
Dallas' fast break and limiting the Mavs to tough shots. The Kings clearly were motivated for the matchup, and the Mavericks
couldn't keep pace.
Michael Finley missed his first eight shots and finished with eight points, while Nash and Nowitzki couldn't get going.
