Blazers Top Kings 103-98

March 10, 1999 / 12:39 AM EST / AP

Portland beat the Sacramento Kings at their own high-scoring game. And the Trail Blazers threw in just enough defense to come away with their eighth straight victory.

Isaiah Rider scored 21 points and Brian Grant had 19 points and 11 rebounds Tuesday night as the Blazers beat the Sacramento Kings 103-98 for their 13th win in 14 games.

"It was a rough night, but just another night at the office," said Rider, who scored 10 points during the pivotal third quarter, when the Blazers made 10 of their first 12 shots and outscored the Kings 31-15 to take the lead for good.

"We talked a little bit (at halftime) about what we were doing wrong, and in the third we just came out and attacked them," Rider added. "We sucked it up and played good defense, and they just couldn't stop us."

Arvydas Sabonis added 19 points for the Blazers, who extended their league-best record to 15-3.

Portland, which improved to 9-0 at home, also put together a scoring burst at the start of the fourth quarter to put away the Kings, the NBA's highest-scoring team at 99.8 points a game.

"They outplayed us tonight. That's all there was to it," said Kings rookie guard Jason Williams, who had 15 points.

Lawrence Funderburke had 18 points off the bench for the Kings, and Vlade Divac had 16 points and 16 rebounds. Chris Webber had 14 points and 13 rebounds.

The Kings pulled within 102-98 with 19.3 seconds left on a driving layup by Jason Williams, and the Blazers' Rasheed Wallace threw the ball away on the inbounds pass. But Williams threw a pass right to Wallace on the next possession to end the threat.

Portland outscored the Kings 25-10 in the first 6:53 of the period to rally from a 55-47 halftime deficit and take a 72-65 lead. Sacramento made just five of 19 shots in the quarter.

"In the third quarter we went totally the wrong way," Divac said. "We started doing what they wanted us to do. Against a team like the Clippers, that's OK. Against the best team in the league, they'll blow you away."

The Blazers led 78-70 heading into the fourth period and made eight of their first 11 shots. A slam dunk by Wallace and a looping jumper to beat the shot clock by Greg Anthony made it 93-79 with 7:31 left.

All five starters scored in double figures for the Blazers, who haven't lost since a 97-95 defeat at Charlotte on Feb. 26. The Blazers and Miami are the first team to sweep games on three consecutive nights this season.

"They were rested, and we were playing our third game in three nights, but we found a way to win," Anthony said. "We're going in the right direction."

Sacramento led 30-29 after one quarter, and a 22-foot jumper off the glass by Jim Jackson tied it at 33. But the Kings went on an 8-2 run, then after two free throws and a short jumper by Portland, Sacramento went on a 14-4 spurt, capped by a 27-foot 3-pointer by Williams to pu the Kings up 55-43.

A layup by Sabonis and an uncontested layup by Rider cut it to 55-47 at halftime.

The Blazers took the lead for good at 60-59 with 7:55 left in the third quarter when Damon Stoudamire fed Sabonis, who sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

Sacramento pulled within 62-61 on two free throws by Corliss Williamson, but Stoudamire hit a pair of 3-pointers and Grant had two turnaround jumpers during a 14-4 run to go ahead 76-65 with 2:22 left in the period.

Notes: The Blazers have beaten the Kings 29 of 30 times at home. ... Portland has given up 100 points just twice both in double-overtime to Golden State and Utah. ... Stoudamire is shooting just .365, but his assists to turnover ratio is better than 3-to-1. ... Vernon Maxwell had five assists, the first time in four games Webber hasn't led the team or tied for the lead in assists. ... Williams got the biggest cheers of any Sacramento player from the Portland crowd, but his only highlight-worthy play came on a no-look pass to Webber for a layup in the first quarter.

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