Arco Arena
Bench
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14171869p-14999307c.html
No Bull: Kings win a laugher
Sacramento guard Kevin Martin takes Chicago to school in the first half, scoring 20 of his 23 points.
It's been a good two weeks for the Maloofs.
First, the Ron Artest trade put their franchise back in the national spotlight. Then Wednesday night during the Grammy Awards, two dancers who flanked Madonna during her performance viewed by millions wore Kings jerseys - one for Brad Miller, the other Mike Bibby - with no particular reason but plenty of free purple publicity.
The trifecta was completed Thursday, when the Maloofs' team held its own running (over) of the Bulls in a 98-80 win over Chicago that was the Kings' seventh straight at Arco Arena
And it was on national television to boot, the first coast-to-coast showing of the team with Artest that has all appearances of being revitalized. But when the cameras came calling for TNT's halftime interview, the Kings already in command with a 51-32 lead, they didn't pick Artest. It was Kevin Martin they wanted. And it was the right pick.
The second-year shooting guard scored 20 of his 23 points in the first half, long before the Kings went on to lead by as many as 31 points in the second half. The storyline was once again consistent, with Martin's offense rising while the Kings' defense cracked down. He hit 6 of 11 shots and had eight rebounds.
"I came out in this game in a different mind-set for a lot of reasons," said Martin, who hit 4 of 8 three-pointers. "I wasn't trying to smile this game. I was taking this game serious."
Martin wouldn't divulge the inspiration. But his mind-set, it seems clear, has been focused for some time.
His development has hit the fast track like a runaway train, all while he's brought control and calm to his game. Coming in, he had hit 11 of his last 15 three-pointers and 24 of his last 34 shots overall.
In recent weeks, he's been the most efficient King, scoring 20-plus points in six of nine games and averaging 17.9 points per game while never taking more than 11 shots in that span. His three-point percentage, which stood at 16.6 percent after 18 three-point attempts in the first 19 games, had soared to 40.7 percent before tipoff.
"He's coming out aggressive and taking the shots that are there," coach Rick Adelman said. "It takes guys to be thrown into the fire to get that experience and confidence."
Even his mentor has been surprised. Kings assistant Pete Carril has worked with Martin more than anyone. During the summer, when Martin was given so much credit for an improved work ethic, Carril's challenge was to overhaul the youngster's awkward shooting form. There were tweaks made, but Carril has since taken the don't-fix-what's-ain't-broke approach as Martin has heated up.
Throughout the progression, Martin played through numerous aches and pains for fear of losing precious playing time. He still wears a sleeve on his left leg for the muscle strain he suffered early this season. And while his choice of boxers over briefs was made public recently, his other undergarments have included a padded shirt that offers protection for his banged and sometimes bruised ribs. The promise, meanwhile, has been apparent.
"He has the potential to be very good," Artest said. "He's young, early in his career, playing excellent ... When he gets better, he'll be an All-Star one day."
As spoken from a one-time All-Star who continued to have a superstar effect on the defense. The Bulls' total was the second lowest by a Kings opponent this season, as Chicago - sluggish after losing to Memphis the night before - shot a season-low 33.3 percent, and didn't hit the 50-point barrier until early in the fourth quarter.
In the seven games in which Artest has been on board, the Kings have allowed 100-plus points only once. Minus the 124 points given up in a loss to Toronto, the Kings have allowed an average of 86.3 points in the remaining six games. In the seven games prior to the Artest trade, the Kings had yielded an average of 113.5 points per game.
Rookie Francisco García aided the effort, posting career highs with five steals and six assists. Bibby had 20 points.
"It seemed like we wanted it tonight," Bibby said. "We've got a different mentality on defense, and hopefully we can stick with it. Everybody's playing together."
awesome action shot of Martin..
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