Toronto, CANADA, February 23 (agencies) - Predrag Stojakovic scored a career-high 39 points and drilled the go-ahead 3-pointer with 45 seconds to play in triple-overtime as the exhausted Sacramento Kings pulled out a 119-118 (31-29,
19-17, 25-33, 22-18, 8-8, 7-7, 7-6) triumph over the Toronto Raptors.
Stojakovic hit 14-of-29 shots, including 6-of-10 3-pointers. Yugoslav player also had 12 rebounds.
"It was the longest game in my career and I wanted that game so bad," said Stojakovic, who was playing in front of a big crowd of Serbian fans that included 10 relatives. "We won the game and I'm glad we brought them a little bit of joy."
With the Kings down 118-116, Stojakovic hit a 3-pointer from the corner to give the Kings the lead with 45.2 seconds left.
The Raptors had one final chance with 2.6 seconds left, but Charles Oakley missed a 3-pointer.
Perhaps missing recently traded point guard Mark Jackson's floor
leadership down the stretch, the Raptors missed their final five shots in
regulation while the Kings rallied.
Stojakovic buried a 21-footer with less than three seconds to go, putting
Sacramento in front, 97-95.
"Peja (Stojakovic) is our best player now (without Webber) and he took charge," Kings center Vlade Divac said. Divac added 25 points and six rebounds.
The Raptors called timeout and Stojakovic immediately put his index finger
to his lips to silence the crowd at Air Canada Centre with no idea it would
take another 15 minutes to shut them up for good.
"It was an excellent game, if you were watching," Divac said. "But a tough
game to play. As a team we played well and played good defense in crunch
time."
The Kings won their third straight game without injured superstar Chris Webber, who did not accompany the team on its three-game road trip.
