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http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/11823993p-12711872c.html
Holiday comes early for Kings
As Chris Webber rests his sore knee, Sacramento romps against injury-riddled New Orleans.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, December 20, 2004
Peja Stojakovic, whose 21 points led the Kings, draws a foul from New Orleans' Lonny Baxter while shooting in the third quarter.
Here's the case of a veteran and a rookie.
Chris Webber's surgically repaired left knee knows exactly when to get sore. The Kings forward has missed two games this season because of it - against the expansion Charlotte Bobcats and Sunday night against the New Orleans Hornets.
His absence didn't make much difference because the injury-plagued Hornets were no match for the Kings, who put things together at the end of the first quarter and raced to a 107-71 victory at Arco Arena.
While Webber has good timing, Kevin Martin could use some. The first-round draft pick has been ill the past few days and was too weak to play against the 2-21 Hornets in a game in which he likely would have received considerable minutes.
The 36-point victory margin was the Kings' largest since a 118-82 road victory over the New Jersey Nets on Jan. 9, 2003. It was their biggest victory at home since a 118-82 triumph over the Denver Nuggets on March 21, 2002.
Simply winning, no matter the opponent or its condition, was satisfying to Kings coach Rick Adelman.
"After the other night (Thursday's 115-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers), it was good to get this win because now we have two tough games before Christmas (Tuesday against Washington and Thursday against Shaquille O'Neal and Miami)," Adelman said.
Even without Webber, the Kings were too much for the Hornets. Peja Stojakovic scored a game-high 21 points in 30 minutes, leading five Sacramento players in double figures.
Adelman said he had no idea Webber would not play until the coach arrived at the arena, where trainer Pete Youngman informed him of that possibility. But that wasn't all the discouraging news.
"Then he told me Darius (Songaila) wasn't feeling well, either," Adelman said. "Then I asked if there was anybody else."
Youngman had no more names for Adelman, and Songaila said he never thought about not actually playing.
"I knew I was going to play," said Songaila, who started in Webber's place and had a typically solid game with 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. "It's just I didn't know until about five minutes before warm-ups that Chris wasn't going to play. Then when I knew that, it was like, OK, we're not even talking about it. I'm playing."
Songaila played 38 minutes but did so at less than 100 percent.
"I'm drowsy, dizzy and weak, and everything is kind of blurry," he said. "In the beginning, it did affect me. Once I got going, I don't know what it was, I got hot or the body heat, and I was OK."
It wouldn't be surprising if Hornets coach Byron Scott was experiencing some of those same symptoms. His current roster has several players who likely would be in the National Basketball Development League or playing overseas if not for the abnormal amount of injuries New Orleans has suffered.
"Basically, you're trying to survive," Scott said after watching his team make 11 of 17 shots (64.7 percent) in the first quarter, then just 14 of 60 (23.3 percent) the rest of the game.
"Right now, we're just trying to get some guys back. I ripped into the guys at halftime because I really felt that we were not only not competing like we're used to, but we were just scared to take shots."
One reason the Hornets were reluctant to shoot was Kings backup center Greg Ostertag, who was a factor around the basket with a game-high four blocks and six rebounds. He also made all three of his shots and contributed four assists. "I've been known to drop a dime or two," Ostertag said after fouling out in 17 minutes. "Basically, I just tried to be active, rebound and block shots. This is what I do."
Holiday comes early for Kings
As Chris Webber rests his sore knee, Sacramento romps against injury-riddled New Orleans.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, December 20, 2004
Peja Stojakovic, whose 21 points led the Kings, draws a foul from New Orleans' Lonny Baxter while shooting in the third quarter.
Here's the case of a veteran and a rookie.
Chris Webber's surgically repaired left knee knows exactly when to get sore. The Kings forward has missed two games this season because of it - against the expansion Charlotte Bobcats and Sunday night against the New Orleans Hornets.
His absence didn't make much difference because the injury-plagued Hornets were no match for the Kings, who put things together at the end of the first quarter and raced to a 107-71 victory at Arco Arena.
While Webber has good timing, Kevin Martin could use some. The first-round draft pick has been ill the past few days and was too weak to play against the 2-21 Hornets in a game in which he likely would have received considerable minutes.
The 36-point victory margin was the Kings' largest since a 118-82 road victory over the New Jersey Nets on Jan. 9, 2003. It was their biggest victory at home since a 118-82 triumph over the Denver Nuggets on March 21, 2002.
Simply winning, no matter the opponent or its condition, was satisfying to Kings coach Rick Adelman.
"After the other night (Thursday's 115-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers), it was good to get this win because now we have two tough games before Christmas (Tuesday against Washington and Thursday against Shaquille O'Neal and Miami)," Adelman said.
Even without Webber, the Kings were too much for the Hornets. Peja Stojakovic scored a game-high 21 points in 30 minutes, leading five Sacramento players in double figures.
Adelman said he had no idea Webber would not play until the coach arrived at the arena, where trainer Pete Youngman informed him of that possibility. But that wasn't all the discouraging news.
"Then he told me Darius (Songaila) wasn't feeling well, either," Adelman said. "Then I asked if there was anybody else."
Youngman had no more names for Adelman, and Songaila said he never thought about not actually playing.
"I knew I was going to play," said Songaila, who started in Webber's place and had a typically solid game with 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. "It's just I didn't know until about five minutes before warm-ups that Chris wasn't going to play. Then when I knew that, it was like, OK, we're not even talking about it. I'm playing."
Songaila played 38 minutes but did so at less than 100 percent.
"I'm drowsy, dizzy and weak, and everything is kind of blurry," he said. "In the beginning, it did affect me. Once I got going, I don't know what it was, I got hot or the body heat, and I was OK."
It wouldn't be surprising if Hornets coach Byron Scott was experiencing some of those same symptoms. His current roster has several players who likely would be in the National Basketball Development League or playing overseas if not for the abnormal amount of injuries New Orleans has suffered.
"Basically, you're trying to survive," Scott said after watching his team make 11 of 17 shots (64.7 percent) in the first quarter, then just 14 of 60 (23.3 percent) the rest of the game.
"Right now, we're just trying to get some guys back. I ripped into the guys at halftime because I really felt that we were not only not competing like we're used to, but we were just scared to take shots."
One reason the Hornets were reluctant to shoot was Kings backup center Greg Ostertag, who was a factor around the basket with a game-high four blocks and six rebounds. He also made all three of his shots and contributed four assists. "I've been known to drop a dime or two," Ostertag said after fouling out in 17 minutes. "Basically, I just tried to be active, rebound and block shots. This is what I do."
