On This Date: Webber Leads Kings Past Yao, Rockets
Mar 23, 2020, 11:16 AM | Updated: 11:16 am
(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Back in 2003, the Kings overcame 19 rebounds from Yao Ming and 38 points from Steve Francis for a nail-biting win
All athletic events will be on pause for the foreseeable future, which is a tough pill to swallow for sports fans around the world.
While this may be a rough time for Sacramento Kings fans, we can look back on some good times while we wait for basketball to make it’s return.
On This Date: March 23, 2003
The Sacramento Kings faced quite the task en route to their 50th win of the season, facing Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets at ARCO Arena.
Chris Webber would go on to score 24 points and grab nine rebounds, while Mike Bibby and Peja Stojakovic combined for 44 points in a game that Sacramento won by a final of 109-108.
Future Hall of Fame center Yao Ming, then in his rookie season, finished with a game-high 19 rebounds and 11 points in the loss. All-Star guard Steve Francis gave the Kings all that they could handle, scoring 38 points to go along with nine assists.
As the game went down to the wire, Sacramento guard Bobby Jackson sank three-of-four free-throw attempts to give the Kings a 109-105 lead with 14 seconds remaining. After Francis sunk a three-pointer to cut the Kings lead to 109-108, Chris Webber missed both free-throw attempts to give the Rockets the ball with 4.6 seconds remaining.
Of the missed free-throw, Francis dribbled past the half-court line and let go a 31-foot heave for the win, but to no avail.
Sacramento would go on to finish the season with a 59-23 record, winning the Pacific Division for the second-consecutive season.
