clarinews@clarinet.com (01/16/90)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (UPI) -- A.C. Green and Vlade Divac scored 25 points each Monday to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-91 victory over the Sacramento Kings. The win improved the Lakers' record to an NBA-best 26-8. Sacramento, which lost their third game in a row, fell to 8-26. Magic Johnson added 17 points and James Worthy 14 for the Lakers. Kenny Smith paced the Kings with 20 points, while Rodney McCray had 19 points and Wayman Tisdale added 16. Sacramento hit only 6 field goals out of 26 attempts in the first quarter for a miniscule .231 shooting percentage. Mychal Thompson's pair of jump shots started the Lakers on a 15-2 run and Divac finished the run with a pair of slam dunks to give Los Angeles a 27-12 lead with 1:11 to play in the quarter. The Lakers outrebounded the Kings 19-9 in the opening period. Vinny Del Negro's layup brought the Kings within 33-27 with 9:01 to play in the half, But Divac scored the next four LA baskets on a pair of hook shots, a layup and an 18-foot jumper. The Lakers used that to ignite a 25-10 run and a 58-37 lead shortly before halftime. Los Angeles led 60-41 at the half. Orlando Woolridge's 17-foot jumper gave the Lakers a 74-45 lead with 4:56 to play in the third quarter, their biggest lead of the game. A 14-5 run in the final 4:09 enabled the Kings to pull within 79-59 after three periods. Smith's dunk with 3:32 in the final quarter pulled the Kings within 99-87, but the Lakers scored the next 8 points in a row on a pair of free throws by Worthy and Green, a jumper by Byron Scott and Divac's layup.