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Evans re-energizes himself after being hurt in tumble
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, January 17, 2005
It's easy, although not necessarily accurate, to assume the Los Angeles Clippers will play better against the Kings this afternoon at Staples Center than they did Saturday night at Arco Arena.
Not that the Clippers, who were coming off a double-overtime victory over the Miami Heat the previous night in L.A., were inept during their 99-95 loss to the Kings. L.A. outrebounded the Kings 49-31 and outscored them 56-36 in the paint.
However, Kings coach Rick Adelman was just pleased to be able to look down his bench and see more players than empty seats. For the first time in three games, Adelman had 12 players available, and he used nine of them.
One was Maurice Evans, who bounced back quickly from a mild concussion, 12 stitches in his scalp above his right ear and a hairline rib fracture.
Thursday night, Evans was hit in the air by Utah's Carlos Boozer and Kirk Snyder and fell awkwardly and dangerously to the court. The Kings' swingman hit the floor primarily with his head and the upper right side of his body, and although he never lost consciousness, he did lose his bearings.
"I was dazed and had to figure out things once I was able to sit up," said Evans, who played 21 minutes against the Clippers, scoring five points and not showing any effects from the fall. "Once I sat up, I realized I was at the game and there were a lot of people in the gym."
Initially, Evans didn't remember the play that sent him crashing to the floor. He thought he had suffered the cut on his head during the first quarter. But he knew his rib was hurting, and it still did when he played against the Clippers.
"That's what hurts the most," Evans said. "I can't turn this way or that way without feeling it. It hurt the most when I would cut through the lane and people were bumping me. (Corey) Maggette and (Bobby) Simmons both are really strong and physical, and I felt it every time they hit me.
"But I think I was still effective, and I don't think the rib took away anything. I did what I was supposed to do. It's just that my role had changed from the games before."
Saturday, Adelman was informed Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Miller had been placed on the injured list with a concussion.
"Our guy is tougher than their guy," Adelman joked.
All joking aside, the coach is impressed by Evans' grit.
"You have to give him credit," Adelman said. "That takes a lot of toughness to come back from the fall he took and ... play the next game."
Evans, who was an offseason free-agent pickup for the Kings, said that once he regained his faculties, there wasn't any doubt he would play Saturday.
"I'm one of those dudes who if I can walk, I can play," he said.
As for the Kings, they have won three straight games after a Jan. 8 road loss to the cellar-dwelling New Orleans Hornets. The Kings have also won six straight overall against the Clippers, whose top two point guards, Marko Jaric and rookie Shaun Livingston, are on the injured list.
Adelman just wants his team to become solvent after an unsettling week that featured a trade that brought Cuttino Mobley and Michael Bradley on board. The coach said he must learn how to best incorporate Mobley, a shooting guard, into the mix.
And the Kings should have an eye toward the Pacific Division-leading Phoenix Suns, who have finally appeared human in recent days. The Kings are just four games behind the Suns in the loss column after being seven back earlier last week.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12062104p-12932263c.html
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, January 17, 2005
It's easy, although not necessarily accurate, to assume the Los Angeles Clippers will play better against the Kings this afternoon at Staples Center than they did Saturday night at Arco Arena.
Not that the Clippers, who were coming off a double-overtime victory over the Miami Heat the previous night in L.A., were inept during their 99-95 loss to the Kings. L.A. outrebounded the Kings 49-31 and outscored them 56-36 in the paint.
However, Kings coach Rick Adelman was just pleased to be able to look down his bench and see more players than empty seats. For the first time in three games, Adelman had 12 players available, and he used nine of them.
One was Maurice Evans, who bounced back quickly from a mild concussion, 12 stitches in his scalp above his right ear and a hairline rib fracture.
Thursday night, Evans was hit in the air by Utah's Carlos Boozer and Kirk Snyder and fell awkwardly and dangerously to the court. The Kings' swingman hit the floor primarily with his head and the upper right side of his body, and although he never lost consciousness, he did lose his bearings.
"I was dazed and had to figure out things once I was able to sit up," said Evans, who played 21 minutes against the Clippers, scoring five points and not showing any effects from the fall. "Once I sat up, I realized I was at the game and there were a lot of people in the gym."
Initially, Evans didn't remember the play that sent him crashing to the floor. He thought he had suffered the cut on his head during the first quarter. But he knew his rib was hurting, and it still did when he played against the Clippers.
"That's what hurts the most," Evans said. "I can't turn this way or that way without feeling it. It hurt the most when I would cut through the lane and people were bumping me. (Corey) Maggette and (Bobby) Simmons both are really strong and physical, and I felt it every time they hit me.
"But I think I was still effective, and I don't think the rib took away anything. I did what I was supposed to do. It's just that my role had changed from the games before."
Saturday, Adelman was informed Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Miller had been placed on the injured list with a concussion.
"Our guy is tougher than their guy," Adelman joked.
All joking aside, the coach is impressed by Evans' grit.
"You have to give him credit," Adelman said. "That takes a lot of toughness to come back from the fall he took and ... play the next game."
Evans, who was an offseason free-agent pickup for the Kings, said that once he regained his faculties, there wasn't any doubt he would play Saturday.
"I'm one of those dudes who if I can walk, I can play," he said.
As for the Kings, they have won three straight games after a Jan. 8 road loss to the cellar-dwelling New Orleans Hornets. The Kings have also won six straight overall against the Clippers, whose top two point guards, Marko Jaric and rookie Shaun Livingston, are on the injured list.
Adelman just wants his team to become solvent after an unsettling week that featured a trade that brought Cuttino Mobley and Michael Bradley on board. The coach said he must learn how to best incorporate Mobley, a shooting guard, into the mix.
And the Kings should have an eye toward the Pacific Division-leading Phoenix Suns, who have finally appeared human in recent days. The Kings are just four games behind the Suns in the loss column after being seven back earlier last week.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12062104p-12932263c.html
