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Kings News
KINGS ACTIVATE JACKSON
April 8, 2004
Sacramento Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie announced today that the club has activated guard Bobby Jackson from the injured list, while placing swingman Gerald Wallace onto the injured list with a sprained left foot.
Jackson, last years NBA Sixth Man of the Year who is currently in his seventh NBA season, spent 24 games on the injured list due to a strained abdominal. He is averaging 13.9 points (.453 FG%, .366 3FG%, .759 FT%), 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game over 49 outings.
Wallace, currently in his third NBA season, is averaging 2.0 points (.360 FG%, .450 FT%) and 2.0 rebounds per game through 37 contests.
Kings Games Recap
Camby, Nuggets Playoff Bound
April 12 -- For the first time in nine seasons, the Denver Nuggets are headed to the NBA playoffs.
Marcus Camby collected 12 points, 21 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks as the Nuggets clinched a postseason spot with an 97-89 triumph over the Sacramento Kings.
As the final seconds ticked down, a wild celebration began in the stands at the Pepsi Center and spilled onto the court.
"These guys just played their hearts out for this city," Denver coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "It takes courage and perseverance to not let people challenge your confidence. This team has worked extremely hard and will continue to get better. I'm extremely proud of every single one of them."
The Nuggets had not made the playoffs since 1995, when they were swept in the first round by San Antonio. Denver was 17-65 last season and became the first team in NBA history to make the playoffs the year after winning fewer than 20 games.
"Seventeen wins to the playoffs, it's like night and day," Camby said.
Rookie Carmelo Anthony scored 17 points, despite playing the fourth quarter with a migraine headache.
"It felt like the room was moving and things just got blurry," Anthony said. "We won the game, though, so forget about the migraine. (The playoffs) hasn't really hit me yet. You can come talk to me tomorrow, then I can answer all of your questions better."
The Nuggets extended a four-point halftime lead to 78-64 in the final minute of the third quarter.
The Kings responded with a 17-3 run and tied it at 81-81 on a jumper by Anthony Peeler with just over 6 1/2 minutes to play.
Andre Miller, who scored 21 points, answered with four straight and Camby took over defensively.
After a steal by Camby helped the Nuggets take a 91-87 lead, the 6-11 center rejected a shot by Peja Stojakovic that Miller grabbed and fired ahead to a streaking Anthony. The resulting dunk electrified the crowd.
"I just tried to step it up down the stretch, not just tonight," Camby said. "I'm a guy who has a lot of playoff experience, so I used that to my advantage."
Denver has won five of six games and their 43 victories is its highest total since going 43-39 during the 1989-90 season.
"We talked about how energetic they were going to be," Sacramento coach Rick Adelman said. "I don't think we played with enough poise to take their crowd out of the game."
Stojakovic scored 20 points to lead the Kings (55-25), who failed to clinch the Pacific Division title and the second seed in the Western Conference.
"It's tough playing four games in five nights," Peeler said. "We are not worried about not being ready for the playoffs, we're still in the top three in the West."
Warriors Drop Kings to Fourth in West
April 14 -- The Sacramento Kings were dealt a pair of losses in one night.
The Kings struggled in a 97-91 defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, then saw the Pacific Division title slip through their fingers after their biggest rival pulled off an improbable victory.
Sacramento (55-27) could have clinched the division with a victory but continued to struggle, losing for the 10th time in 16 games. The Kings still had hope afterward, but the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers on a last-second shot by Kobe Bryant.
Sacramento fell to fourth place in the Western Conference and face the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the playoffs.
Sacramento never led after the second quarter but pulled within 93-91 on a layup by Mike Bibby with 49 seconds left. Adonal Foyle responded with a hook shot and Kings forward Chris Webber missed a wide-open 3-pointer at the other end.
Mickael Pietrus sealed the win with a pair of free throws with 14.5 seconds left as the Warriors (37-45) ended the season by winning 12 of their final 17 games.
Peja Stojakovic scored 27 points and Bibby finished with 22 for Sacramento, which shot less than 40 percent (36-of-91) from the floor and was outrebounded 57-46.
Kings Q&A
Playoff Q&A with Mike B.
Mike Bibby took a couple of minutes out of this weekend's practices to answer a few questions about the Kings, the Dallas Mavericks, and the 2004 Playoffs. Here's what he had to say:
Kings.com: How has practice been since you knew who you were facing in the first round?
Mike: We've been watching a lot of film. I'm just getting ready. That's the main thing that we're doing. We're just trying to see what tactics we can use to stop them.
Kings.com: What have you been watching out for during film?
Mike: We're watching out for everything. How we play defense, our offense against their defense, their transition stuff. Just everything.
Kings.com: Are you looking forward to matching up with Steve Nash?
Mike: "Yeah. This is going to be our third time in the playoffs going up against eachother. This is a challenge I'm going to have to step up and take. They knocked us out last year. But we're looking for revenge. Everybody is expecting us to lose in the first round. We're trying to prove everyone wrong."
Kings.com: Are you looking forward to matching up with Steve Nash?
Mike: "Yeah. This is going to be our third time in the playoffs going up against eachother. This is a challenge I'm going to have to step up and take. They knocked us out last year. But we're looking for revenge. Everybody is expecting us to lose in the first round. We're trying to prove everyone wrong."
Kings.com: How much do you enjoy playing in the playoffs?
Mike: "It's good. This is my third year (in the playoffs). I'm fired up a little bit. My intensity is going to be a lot higher than in the regular season. "
Kings.com: You mentioned everyone expecting you to lose in the first round. Are you drawing any motivation from that?
Mike: "Everyone has us to lose. But we have faith in ourselves. It's a whole different game now. It's a whole new season and it starts on Sunday. Everybody has jumped off our ship. They had us winning it all at first. Now, we're just out here to prove everybody wrong. "
Kings.com: What is the mental approach you guys are taking going into the playoffs?
Mike: "Just getting back to the way we were playing before. Just having fun. We used to smile, joke and laugh around, having fun during practice. But lately, that hasn't been the case."
Kings.com: What is the mental approach you guys are taking going into the playoffs?
Mike: "Just getting back to the way we were playing before. Just having fun. We used to smile, joke and laugh around, having fun during practice. But lately, that hasn't been the case."
CWebb Q & A
Chris Webber took a couple of minutes out of this weekend's practices to answer a few questions about the Kings, the Dallas Mavericks, and the 2004 Playoffs. Here's what he had to say:
Kings.com: How is your knee doing?
Chris: Ups and downs. I remember last year playing in the playoffs with a lot of pain, and its not as much as it was then, even though I was stronger then. Its a catch-22, not as much pain but not as strong. You just gotta fight through it and make the best of it.
Kings.com: Do you guys worry about getting caught up in their style of play?
Chris: I think it depends on which game and which situation. I dont know what the talk around town is, and thats obviously the point everyone is trying to make. I just feel like we need to play our gametheyre gonna play their game and whoever imposes their will on the other team will win. We have a game plan, were gonna stick with it, and I feel great about our chances.
Kings.com: Do you ever think about what if? regarding last year?
Chris: I would think that any player would say, I think we could have gone all the way, so I dont want to seem like that even though it is true. It is ironic though that where I left off is against the team I was hurt against, so I do want to play well and I do want to have a chance to win, but Im not the player I was last year as far as being able to do some things and putting you in positions where I feel like I can excel. So I really have to understand myself right now, my limitations, and make sure I accentuate the positive and really hide the weaknesses. I do feel like we could have gone all the way last year, but at the same time I think things make you stronger for a reason and hopefully, mentally, Ive learned something this year that can carry me through, maybe where last year it wouldnt have.
Kings.com: How has your knee affected your game?
Chris: If a big guy is on me and I drive to the lane and jump off one legIm a one-leg jumperI dont have the quickness of getting off that way, now I have to stop on two-feet and take a jumper. Or just the freedom to act on instinct is not theremy instincts are telling me to do something that my body cant. So I just have to go with what I know and stick with it even if sometimes it doesnt go, whereas before I had so many other options. A lot of those options are taken away. I need to really remember the things I can excel at right now.
Kings.com: When will you be healthy?
Chris: Hopefully tomorrow. Its definitely a serious injury though. I heard a couple of guys who have the same thing arent even playing in the playoffs. The good thing though is that one day I will be healthy. The last three years as a whole with the ankle injuries and the knee injury, I havent been able to be myself. Ive learned to play on the ground, I cant wait till I get back so I can play above the rim.
Kings.com: Make the case that you guys are ready to do in the playoffs what you think you can do?
Chris: Its funny, because I understand the question, but I dont want to make the case because talking does nothing. You can say, Were gonna use all the people that believed in us before dont believe in us now, were gonna prove people wrong, or whatever. Ive been here a long time though and feel like Im one of the guys who started this. Ive gone through almost every emotion possible, and the only emotion left right now is to just do it. Its just that simple. Were not a team that can sneak up on you, we know where we are, we know that we havent played well. We know the fact of the matter. We know that we can play well and that we are a good team and we have to play the way we can.
The Royal Rapscallion
The Royal Rapscallion 03/01 Edition
Hello again Kings fans. Thanks for logging on to Kings.com and clicking your favorite insider. This weeks scoop focuses on a familiar but heartwarming theme: team unity. If R2 has written it once, hes written it a thousand timesthe Kings lead the NBA in the most underrated, intangible statistic: Camaraderie.
After winning two of three on the road last week, the team dispatched New York and traveled to tinsel town for a battle with a Lakers club frothing at the mouth to avenge their loss at ARCO on January 16, a game without two thirds of L.A.s Big-4 (Kobe, Shaq, and Karl Malone). Round two found the Kings in dire straights, hobbled sans Bobby Jackson, Brad Miller, and CWebb. But Bibby and Co. checked excuses at the Staples Center door, gutting out a 103-101 victory before a flabbergasted home crowd. R2 hasnt seen Jack Nicholson so befuddled since gangly Adrian Brody topped him for the 2002 Best Actor Award. And Mike Bibbys three-pointer with Gary Paytons hand in his grill is the biggest bomb Jack has lived through since viewing the meager box office take from his 2001 thriller The Pledge.
And there was Bibbys boogie back to the bench after drilling the dagger trifecta. You know, that side-step swagger Mike displays when coolly hitting crucial shots. The same dance that prompted Phillopian Jackson to comment: Bibby acted out on the court like an A#$%^&*. Gee, thanks Phil for your two senseless.
Anybody tune in to TNTs pre or post-game shows, err, the Laker apology hours? Rapscallion is clearly biased, but since when does a panel comprised of Magic Johnson (still vested in the Lake Show), and anti-SacTownic Charles Barkley equal journalism? According to Barkley in the pre-game show: If the Kings and Lakers played 100 playoff series, the Lakers would win 100 of them. Oh, and dont forget this nugget of brilliance from Sur-ly Charles at halftime when Sacramento trailed 49-57. The Kings have no chance to win this game. Just keep telling yourself that Charles.
Moving on, the Kings werent making any excuses for losing to Andrei Kirilenko, rather, the Utah Jazz on Friday night. But R2 will. The team plane sat on the tarmac for 3 ½ hours following their win vs. L.A. and instead of arriving in Sac at 12:00 a.m., a weary Kings club finally touched down at 4:00 a.m.
WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK
Its a good sign everybody is getting along when guys chug down the court with nothing but gleaming smiles on their faces. The deal between Coach Adelman and his squad is basic. You miss a free throw, you run. After every practice, players take turns hitting freebies. On Monday, several missed their charity shots and were sentenced to several wind sprints. Instead of the grimaces typically accompanying such punishment, CWebb, Vlade, and Darius Songaila seemed to enjoy their calisthenics, laughing it up all the way. I dont know about you, but running sprints elicits anything but a grin from R2. Maybe it was the impending return of CWebb, but the Kings are a very happy bunch right now.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CWEBB
Darius Songaila has fit in swimmingly since Geoff Petrie robbed Boston of the Lithuanian forward during the offseason. Over the weekend, several of the Kings realized that in six months with Sacramento, Songaila has lived more like a veteran than a kid in his first pro campaign. So, per the suggestion of vets Mike Bibby, Tony Massenburg, and Anthony Peeler, the team treated Darius to a bit of good-natured rookie initiation. And while they were at it, their plans included birthday-boy CWebb, who turned 31 on Monday.
At the conclusion of practice, a chair was placed at center court where Webber was instructed to sit with his back to the locker room. What happened next was perhaps the most hilarious stunt pulled in recent Kings history. Decked in a pair of snug black spandex that made tighty-whities look fashionable, Songaila was given a birthday cake and led in a choke chain by Tony Massenburg towards an unsuspecting Webber. Once music was played, Songaila sashayed in front of CWebb with the cake, holding it out while dancing a little jig. Webber jumped out of his chair howling and teammates witnessing the caper laughed uncontrollably. With tears of hilarity, Doug Christie ran from the scene shouting, I love this team, I love this team! Two thumbs up to Songaila for being a good sport.
Team-building moments like these are more common than not in Sacramento, giving the Kings cohesiveness other teams never acquire. See ya next time!
The Royal Rapscallion 02/09/04
Kings.com welcomes back the Royal Rapscallion for his first appearance in cyberspace since retreating into a secret lair following the 2003 Playoffs. Since then, hes done little else but watch NBA basketball. Here are his thoughts on the first half of the 2003-04 season.
Greetings Kings fans! Its good to be back on the web covering the Kings. Here are a few of my thoughts on the first half of the season, including the All-Rapscallion Western Conference All-Star squad.
Even the most staunch Kings supporters, Head Coach Rick Adelman included, would have recommended a person committed had they suggested Sacramento might have the best record in the Association by the 1st of February. After watching Dallas maneuver more trades than Martha Stewart, the Lakers woo a pair of legends, and Minnesota lure Latrell and Cassell, Geoff Petrie and Co. began meticulously reshuffling team resources. Employing scientific precision, Petrie worked a three-team trade with San Antonio and Indiana that brought All-Star Brad Miller to the capitol and sent brother Hedo to the Lone Star State and Scot Pollard to Indianapolis.
Petrie also traded zilch, ahem, a pair of future second-round picks to Boston for unheralded Lithuanian and Wake Forest product Darius Songaila. Drafted #50 overall in the 2002 NBA Draft, he played a season in Russia before returning stateside. Somehow Songailas talents werent worthy of an invite to Celtics training camp, and Petrie swooped in like a starving vulture.
Coincidentally, the transaction was former Kings star Danny Ainges first deal as a general manager. Talk about trail by fire. No disrespect to Ainge, but given Petries 20/20 vision for talent, the analyst turned GM has about as much chance of coming out ahead in that deal as Dennis Kucinich does of beating out John Kerry for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Add the acquisition of free agents Anthony Flamethrower Peeler and Tony, On the Road Again Massenburg and the Kings looked poised to hold their own in a thorny Western Conference.
Fast forward 40 games. A Kings team that was believed good enough to tread water without Chris Webber has been dropping Butterbean-sized cannonballs on the competition since opening night
Pleasant surprise: BRAD MILLER. Has been worth twice his weight in Skoal, or rather, goldrebounding like we knew he could but passing and scoring beyond his own expectations. The Hoosier even developed an early penchant for drilling the trifecta. A known carrier of the disease, Vlade Divac seems to have infected Miller with the passing bug. At nearly 5.0 assists per game, he and Vlade are the only teammates in the history of the NBA 610 or taller to average five or more dimes a game. In fact, Miller and Divac have doled out more assists than the opposing starting two guards combined in 29 games this season. For my money, thats the most impressive statistical morsel to come from the first half of the season.
Consistency: VLADE DIVAC. Continues to school younger, more agile defenders with an array of post moves. His unselfish style improves with age. Can you imagine this guy coming off the bench for a fresh 25 minutes a game once Webber returns?
Most exhilarating play: Down three points vs. Portland with two ticks left in regulation, Brad Miller hits a three-pointer at the top of the key to tie the game at 97. The Blazers won in overtime, but fans that stuck around wont soon forget this affair.
Biggest win: On the road for the second game of a back-to-back in San Antonio, the Kings win 96-91 on January 29th. Undoubtedly the best win of the season to date, beating the defending champs after toppling Houston the night before.
Defining moment: Bobby Jacksons four-point play in the waning seconds of the aforementioned cahone-driven win at San Antonio. In front 91-87 with 29 ticks left, BJax nailed the long ball and drew a foul from defensive specialist Bruce Bowen. Jackson hit the freebie and gave Sacramento a gutsy W. Bobbys individual effort punctuated a six-game road trek defined by teamwork. The victory quieted any nabobs of negativity who questioned the Kings road mettle.
ALL-STAR NODS:
Western Conference starters:
Forwards: Kevin Garnett (Minnesota), Peja Stojakovic (Kings)
Center: Tim Duncan (Spurs)
Guards: Carmelo Anthony (Denver), Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
Reserves:
Shaquille ONeal (LAL): Despite injuries, the Diesel is still the most dominant force in basketball.
Zach Randolph (POR): Impossible to leave this young stud off the list. He gives a double-double a night amidst less than harmonious working conditions.
Brad Miller (SAC): New team, new Conference no problem. An easy selection.
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL): We knew it wouldnt be long before Dirk returned to form. Antoine Walker (DAL): See Brad Miller.
Sam Cassell (MINN): Has run the T-Wolves offense to a T, taking pressure off KG.
Ray Allen (SEA): An all-star game without Allens talents would be wrong. Never mind he missed a chunk of time with an ankle injury.
MVP: Peja Stojakovic.
Biases aside, Stojakovic was the first-half MVP after carrying the Kings through another long stretch without Chris Webber. Peja supplied much of the 23.0 ppg and 10.5 rpg that Webber added last season. Kevin Garnett is a very close second here, but where the Kings added Brad Miller and an assortment of role players such as Anthony Peeler and Tony Massenburg, the Big Ticket finally got the help hes demanded for years. KGs numbers are impressive, but Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell have allowed Garnett the freedom to run the court willy-nilly, gobbling up rebounds and throwing down some monster flushes via assists from Cassell. Nothing against Troy Hudson, but Cassell is an upgrade at the point. Stojakovic gets the thumbs up on account of numerous 30-point games and top-10 marks in every shooting category. He has buoyed a team that was thought to be in a state of flux after the departure of Hedo Turkoglu, Jim Jackson, and Scot Pollard.
Log on to Kings.com for future installments of the Royal Rapscallion.
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