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Tuesday, Jan. 25 8:00pm ET
Anderson scores season-high 29 points | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Nick Anderson offered more evidence Tuesday night that he's growing comfortable in his first year with the Sacramento Kings after 10 seasons in Orlando. Anderson scored a season-high 29 points and the Kings kicked off their longest road trip in 13 years with a 110-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. "After being someplace else for so many years and then to move 3,000 miles, it's a big change, and I've been trying to get used to it, get a feel for everything," Anderson said. "It's been an adjustment for me, but I've been working hard." Anderson, who came in averaging less than 10 points, made 11 of 16 field-goal attempts and all four free throws. "I see him getting into a groove and playing more to his standards," teammate Chris Webber said. "We know he can shoot and we know he can score, and he's our best defender by far." Webber had 30 points and Sacramento shot 53 percent in its first victory in Charlotte in nearly 10 years. More important to Kings coach Rick Adelman was that the victory came at the start of an eight-game Eastern swing and against a team that was 16-2 at home. "Starting a road trip like this with a win against a team that only lost two games at home is huge," Adelman said. "I told the guys to step up, and they responded well." The Kings shot 9-of-17 from 3-point range, including their first three in the fourth quarter. Anderson led the way with a 3-for-3 showing from beyond the arc, helping Sacramento end the Hornets' five-game home winning streak and four-game overall winning streak. "It was a rough night," coach Paul Silas said. "We played excellent the last four games, but tonight we just did not have it." Charlotte could not overcome an off night by top scorer Eddie Jones, who missed 11 of his first 13 field-goal attempts and wound up with 11 points on 5-for-18 shooting. "Sacramento did a great job playing defense on us," said Jones, guarded much of the game by Anderson. "They were successful in making us take perimeter shots and stopped us from playing our style of getting to the foul line. When we did penetrate, they had two or three guys waiting on us in the paint." Derrick Coleman had 24 points and eight rebounds for the Hornets, who shot 43 percent and had 20 turnovers that the Kings converted into 30 points. There were 12 lead changes and eight ties before Sacramento scored seven consecutive points late in the third quarter to take what was the biggest lead by either team to that stage. Jason Williams pulled up on a fast break and hit a 25-footer to put the Kings up 83-75 with 28 seconds left in the quarter. The Kings hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions in the fourth, with a 26-footer from Anderson making it 100-89 with 5:36 remaining. Charlotte got no closer than eight, and Sacramento stretched its lead as high as 12 in the closing minutes.
Game notes | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Sacramento Clubhouse Charlotte Clubhouse   | |||||