http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14064619p-14895511c.html
It's a Nasty-looking victory
Corliss Williamson steps up with 19 points as the Kings win a game that isn't exactly easy on the eyes.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, January 12, 2006
HOUSTON - Rare is the time the main event gets upstaged by a act that wasn't even expected.
But early in the third quarter of the Kings-Houston game Wednesday night, the biggest name in sports this week - former University of Texas quarterback Vince Young - was giving a one-man news conference attended by more than 30 journalists deep within the halls of the Toyota Center.
On the court, Kevin Martin hit a three-pointer, putting the Kings up by 10 points in the opening seconds, followed by a runner from Houston's Rafer Alston and a fast-break layup by the Kings' Kenny Thomas.
In the land of the oblivious, Young kept talking - about his decision to turn pro; about how he had recently met baseball great Derek Jeter, golfer Tiger Woods and Houston Mayor Bill White, for gosh sakes.
This, sports fans, was what they call a dud.
And ugly or not - entertaining or not - the Kings were more than happy to take it.
The list of missing players in their 88-80 victory was enough to field a third team, with the Kings down three and the Rockets without six in a faceoff of teams that came in with fewer combined victories (25) than league leaders Detroit and San Antonio had on their own.
Center Brian Skinner stayed back at the hotel, dealing with the worst kind of flu symptoms that also kept injured guard Bonzi Wells back near his bed. The Kings' MIA list grew late in the third quarter, when the back problem that has been causing Peja Stojakovic stiffness in the right leg made an unwelcome return, forcing the forward out for the rest of the game and, perhaps, even longer.
So the Kings turned to Corliss Williamson - aka The Big Healthy.
Williamson logged a season-high 26 minutes and scored a season-high 19 points, none nastier than a one-handed second quarter dunk that teammate Brad Miller said was a pure time-machine moment - Williamson a la his college days at Arkansas.
The veteran said he felt his true age (32) afterward.
"I guess maybe it looked like that, but it didn't feel like that," he said. "I'm tired. I told him I have two or three dunks in me a year. And I think that's my second one of the season, so I think I'm done."
The Rockets were supposed to be done from the start. They again were playing without superstars Tracy McGrady (back spasms) and Yao Ming (big toe), but this challenge came after a double-overtime loss at Charlotte on Tuesday night and a flight that put them in Houston at about 3 a.m.
Wednesday morning, they also learned forward Stromile Swift had a case of pinkeye that would put him out for a week.
Midway through the fourth, they still looked done, down by 13 points and shooting at a sub-40 percent clip. But forward Juwan Howard (24 points, 15 rebounds) started and finished a 9-1 run that cut the lead to five.
The Rockets stayed close until Kings rookie Francisco García changed his least favorite trend, sinking a three-pointer with 2:50 left to extend the lead and give him his third in four tries. García, who scored 12 points, was 6 of 41 from beyond the arc coming in.
"Yeah, we do just enough good to lose close," Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "I know some of our guys killed themselves out there tonight. And while that should certainly be complimented, this is about winning."
Which was exactly the Kings' point.
"That's something that we haven't found a way to do this year - win ugly games," Williamson said. "It wasn't the way, maybe, the fans wanted to see or the way we wanted to do it, but ... we're happy that we were able to stick in there and find a way to win it."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
It's a Nasty-looking victory
Corliss Williamson steps up with 19 points as the Kings win a game that isn't exactly easy on the eyes.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, January 12, 2006
HOUSTON - Rare is the time the main event gets upstaged by a act that wasn't even expected.
But early in the third quarter of the Kings-Houston game Wednesday night, the biggest name in sports this week - former University of Texas quarterback Vince Young - was giving a one-man news conference attended by more than 30 journalists deep within the halls of the Toyota Center.
On the court, Kevin Martin hit a three-pointer, putting the Kings up by 10 points in the opening seconds, followed by a runner from Houston's Rafer Alston and a fast-break layup by the Kings' Kenny Thomas.
In the land of the oblivious, Young kept talking - about his decision to turn pro; about how he had recently met baseball great Derek Jeter, golfer Tiger Woods and Houston Mayor Bill White, for gosh sakes.
This, sports fans, was what they call a dud.
And ugly or not - entertaining or not - the Kings were more than happy to take it.
The list of missing players in their 88-80 victory was enough to field a third team, with the Kings down three and the Rockets without six in a faceoff of teams that came in with fewer combined victories (25) than league leaders Detroit and San Antonio had on their own.
Center Brian Skinner stayed back at the hotel, dealing with the worst kind of flu symptoms that also kept injured guard Bonzi Wells back near his bed. The Kings' MIA list grew late in the third quarter, when the back problem that has been causing Peja Stojakovic stiffness in the right leg made an unwelcome return, forcing the forward out for the rest of the game and, perhaps, even longer.
So the Kings turned to Corliss Williamson - aka The Big Healthy.
Williamson logged a season-high 26 minutes and scored a season-high 19 points, none nastier than a one-handed second quarter dunk that teammate Brad Miller said was a pure time-machine moment - Williamson a la his college days at Arkansas.
The veteran said he felt his true age (32) afterward.
"I guess maybe it looked like that, but it didn't feel like that," he said. "I'm tired. I told him I have two or three dunks in me a year. And I think that's my second one of the season, so I think I'm done."
The Rockets were supposed to be done from the start. They again were playing without superstars Tracy McGrady (back spasms) and Yao Ming (big toe), but this challenge came after a double-overtime loss at Charlotte on Tuesday night and a flight that put them in Houston at about 3 a.m.
Wednesday morning, they also learned forward Stromile Swift had a case of pinkeye that would put him out for a week.
Midway through the fourth, they still looked done, down by 13 points and shooting at a sub-40 percent clip. But forward Juwan Howard (24 points, 15 rebounds) started and finished a 9-1 run that cut the lead to five.
The Rockets stayed close until Kings rookie Francisco García changed his least favorite trend, sinking a three-pointer with 2:50 left to extend the lead and give him his third in four tries. García, who scored 12 points, was 6 of 41 from beyond the arc coming in.
"Yeah, we do just enough good to lose close," Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "I know some of our guys killed themselves out there tonight. And while that should certainly be complimented, this is about winning."
Which was exactly the Kings' point.
"That's something that we haven't found a way to do this year - win ugly games," Williamson said. "It wasn't the way, maybe, the fans wanted to see or the way we wanted to do it, but ... we're happy that we were able to stick in there and find a way to win it."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
