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http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5408720
Artest has Kings back in playoff hunt
By Mike Kahn, FoxSports.com
It required about 63 more games than most people expected for the Sacramento Kings to be among the top eight teams in the Western Conference.
But they arrived Sunday evening in the wake of an 85-80 win over the Dallas Mavericks to move into the eighth spot in the Western Conference — a half game behind the seventh place Los Angeles Lakers, a half game ahead of the slumping New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, and just two games behind the sixth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
1. Item: The Kings pounded the Grizzlies 105-93 Friday night to reach .500 for the first time since they were 7-7 on Nov. 29, and finally seem to have hit their stride. They've won eight of the last 10 games, while the Hornets have lost six in a row and eight of 10; the Lakers have split their last 10 and the Grizzlies have lost two in a row and six of 10.
What this really means: The Kings have clearly taken off since the big trade of sending Peja Stojakovic to Indiana to gamble on the supremely talented but mercurial Ron Artest. The Kings lost the first two games after the deal, and have been 14-5 since — by far their best run of the season. Artest scored 30 points in the win over Memphis, providing them with the low post presence they lost when aging Chris Webber was dealt to Philadelphia last season. It's a different kind of offense he brings to the table than the sweet-shooting — if erratic in recent years — Stojakovic.
More important has been the defensive tenacity that Artest has brought, previously foreign to this franchise.
This translates exactly the way Kings president Geoff Petrie had hoped, as his buddy — coach Rick Adelman — has always been able to coach a wide variety of personalities. With so much playoff experience on this team, it wouldn't be the least bit surprising to see the Kings catch and pass the Grizzlies for the sixth seed. From there, it wouldn't be much of a stretch for the Kings to knock off the third-seeded Denver Nuggets in the opening round of the playoffs. Sure, we're getting ahead of ourselves, but the Kings were a team we expected to win the Pacific Division and challenge in the West ... we just didn't expect them to have to go through the back door to make it happen.
Artest has Kings back in playoff hunt
By Mike Kahn, FoxSports.com
It required about 63 more games than most people expected for the Sacramento Kings to be among the top eight teams in the Western Conference.
But they arrived Sunday evening in the wake of an 85-80 win over the Dallas Mavericks to move into the eighth spot in the Western Conference — a half game behind the seventh place Los Angeles Lakers, a half game ahead of the slumping New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, and just two games behind the sixth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
1. Item: The Kings pounded the Grizzlies 105-93 Friday night to reach .500 for the first time since they were 7-7 on Nov. 29, and finally seem to have hit their stride. They've won eight of the last 10 games, while the Hornets have lost six in a row and eight of 10; the Lakers have split their last 10 and the Grizzlies have lost two in a row and six of 10.
What this really means: The Kings have clearly taken off since the big trade of sending Peja Stojakovic to Indiana to gamble on the supremely talented but mercurial Ron Artest. The Kings lost the first two games after the deal, and have been 14-5 since — by far their best run of the season. Artest scored 30 points in the win over Memphis, providing them with the low post presence they lost when aging Chris Webber was dealt to Philadelphia last season. It's a different kind of offense he brings to the table than the sweet-shooting — if erratic in recent years — Stojakovic.
More important has been the defensive tenacity that Artest has brought, previously foreign to this franchise.
This translates exactly the way Kings president Geoff Petrie had hoped, as his buddy — coach Rick Adelman — has always been able to coach a wide variety of personalities. With so much playoff experience on this team, it wouldn't be the least bit surprising to see the Kings catch and pass the Grizzlies for the sixth seed. From there, it wouldn't be much of a stretch for the Kings to knock off the third-seeded Denver Nuggets in the opening round of the playoffs. Sure, we're getting ahead of ourselves, but the Kings were a team we expected to win the Pacific Division and challenge in the West ... we just didn't expect them to have to go through the back door to make it happen.
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