http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/83180.html
Healthy victory for the Kings
Miller, Artest return as Sacramento rips Blazers
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:28 am PST Sunday, November 26, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
When Kings coach Eric Musselman arrived at the team's practice facility around 11 a.m. Saturday, he had officially come in third place behind Mike Bibby and Kevin Martin.
Just hours after the team's victory in Seattle, point guard Bibby was receiving treatment for his left thigh contusion, while shooting guard Martin had an examination of his right hand, which had continued to pain him. They set the day's trend early, that of overcoming aches and pains en route to being ready come game time.
By tipoff time Saturday night at Arco Arena, the surprise was in who followed. Kings center Brad Miller -- the long-lost 7-footer whose foot injury had kept him out since Nov. 4 -- was an able body ready for Musselman's calling. And small forward Ron Artest, who was one day removed from a back problem that kept him from making the trip to Seattle, was back as well.
The 105-85 victory over Portland, as a side note, was of the healthy variety, too.
A two-game winning streak was only the last good news of the day for the Kings, who ignored the reports of a new-and-improved Trail Blazers team in a rout. Martin continued to dominate in ways both creative and consistent, scoring 27 points on 8-of-13 shooting to mark the eighth consecutive game in which he has scored 20-plus points. Bibby had 20 points on 5-of-13 shooting, and forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 13 points while maintaining his starting spot.
The Trail Blazers were led by forward Zach Randolph, who had 24 points and eight rebounds, but they never came closer than 12 points in the second half after the Kings scored a season high for a half and took a 65-43 lead into halftime. Nine Kings players logged at least 15 minutes, with forward Corliss Williamson leading the bench crew with 10 points in 26 minutes.
"We just knew that tonight we had more able bodies and we were coming off of a back-to-back," Musselman said, "so it was important to spread the minutes and ... get Brad ready for the week coming up against some difficult teams."
In typical Miller fashion, he joked before the game that his decision to return was based on a shortage of sports coats. And if he couldn't meet the league's dress code, then he may as well play. Truthfully, the torn tendon in his left foot had finally let up on him, and Miller pushed his way back all the more with each agonizing day away from the floor.
"I've just been dying at home," Miller said. "After the first week, getting the cast off, all the swelling was gone and the pain was pretty quick going away."
Miller didn't enter the game until the second quarter. He was active in fulfilling his team-mandated 15-minute limit, finishing with two points, four rebounds, and two assists. His first play was fitting, as Miller passed to Bibby on the high post, set a quick screen and freed the point guard for a 20-footer and a 36-26 second-quarter lead.
"About a week and a half ago, I targeted this as the day to get out and play," Miller said. "But I had to take it day by day, and was going from the running to the water treadmill, Stairmaster, then graduating from machine to machine and eventually getting on the treadmill. I've been working hard, and I was just bored at home."
The Kings were up 34-26 after the first quarter, when Martin and swingman John Salmons were a combined 7 for 7 and the Kings were 13 of 17 overall (76.5 percent) from the field. The Kings opened the second with a 19-6 run to open a 21-point lead.
Artest -- who said he listened to the Seattle win on the radio from his home in Loomis -- looked cautious in his 22 minutes, playing 15 minutes before he took his first shot and finishing 1 of 6 from the field. He also had six rebounds.
"It's just pretty soft, pretty tight," Artest said of his back. "They said (the magnetic resonance imaging exam) came up negative, so now it's just about ... making sure my back stays healthy throughout the whole season."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@ sacbee.com.
Healthy victory for the Kings
Miller, Artest return as Sacramento rips Blazers
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:28 am PST Sunday, November 26, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
When Kings coach Eric Musselman arrived at the team's practice facility around 11 a.m. Saturday, he had officially come in third place behind Mike Bibby and Kevin Martin.
Just hours after the team's victory in Seattle, point guard Bibby was receiving treatment for his left thigh contusion, while shooting guard Martin had an examination of his right hand, which had continued to pain him. They set the day's trend early, that of overcoming aches and pains en route to being ready come game time.
By tipoff time Saturday night at Arco Arena, the surprise was in who followed. Kings center Brad Miller -- the long-lost 7-footer whose foot injury had kept him out since Nov. 4 -- was an able body ready for Musselman's calling. And small forward Ron Artest, who was one day removed from a back problem that kept him from making the trip to Seattle, was back as well.
The 105-85 victory over Portland, as a side note, was of the healthy variety, too.
A two-game winning streak was only the last good news of the day for the Kings, who ignored the reports of a new-and-improved Trail Blazers team in a rout. Martin continued to dominate in ways both creative and consistent, scoring 27 points on 8-of-13 shooting to mark the eighth consecutive game in which he has scored 20-plus points. Bibby had 20 points on 5-of-13 shooting, and forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 13 points while maintaining his starting spot.
The Trail Blazers were led by forward Zach Randolph, who had 24 points and eight rebounds, but they never came closer than 12 points in the second half after the Kings scored a season high for a half and took a 65-43 lead into halftime. Nine Kings players logged at least 15 minutes, with forward Corliss Williamson leading the bench crew with 10 points in 26 minutes.
"We just knew that tonight we had more able bodies and we were coming off of a back-to-back," Musselman said, "so it was important to spread the minutes and ... get Brad ready for the week coming up against some difficult teams."
In typical Miller fashion, he joked before the game that his decision to return was based on a shortage of sports coats. And if he couldn't meet the league's dress code, then he may as well play. Truthfully, the torn tendon in his left foot had finally let up on him, and Miller pushed his way back all the more with each agonizing day away from the floor.
"I've just been dying at home," Miller said. "After the first week, getting the cast off, all the swelling was gone and the pain was pretty quick going away."
Miller didn't enter the game until the second quarter. He was active in fulfilling his team-mandated 15-minute limit, finishing with two points, four rebounds, and two assists. His first play was fitting, as Miller passed to Bibby on the high post, set a quick screen and freed the point guard for a 20-footer and a 36-26 second-quarter lead.
"About a week and a half ago, I targeted this as the day to get out and play," Miller said. "But I had to take it day by day, and was going from the running to the water treadmill, Stairmaster, then graduating from machine to machine and eventually getting on the treadmill. I've been working hard, and I was just bored at home."
The Kings were up 34-26 after the first quarter, when Martin and swingman John Salmons were a combined 7 for 7 and the Kings were 13 of 17 overall (76.5 percent) from the field. The Kings opened the second with a 19-6 run to open a 21-point lead.
Artest -- who said he listened to the Seattle win on the radio from his home in Loomis -- looked cautious in his 22 minutes, playing 15 minutes before he took his first shot and finishing 1 of 6 from the field. He also had six rebounds.
"It's just pretty soft, pretty tight," Artest said of his back. "They said (the magnetic resonance imaging exam) came up negative, so now it's just about ... making sure my back stays healthy throughout the whole season."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@ sacbee.com.
