http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14245680p-15063782c.html
Kings notes: Adelman has scheduling fears realized
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, April 20, 2006
In the end, it was no more than preemptive frustration.
After the Kings' game against Seattle on Tuesday, coach Rick Adelman groused about the potential difficulty in his squad playing its first-round playoff opener Saturday instead of Sunday.
By Wednesday afternoon, the official word came that the Kings will indeed start Saturday, when they visit San Antonio.
"We know both of these teams (the Spurs and Phoenix, which was a possibility for the first round) pretty well, so it's not going to be like you need three or four days, because the league's not going to give you that anyway," Adelman said.
"(Playing Saturday) would be a nightmare. Whoever they put on Saturday, it's uh ... well, I don't want to get (NBA Commissioner) David Stern mad, but it's ridiculous. I mean, I know it's TV and everything, but you play Wednesday night, and suddenly you have to start Saturday afternoon. It makes no sense, but that's the way it is sometimes."
The good news for the Kings, of course, is the extra day that came with their regular season ending a day before most of the league's.
Thumbs up - The padding on Ron Artest's thumb surely isn't padding his stats.
Since aggravating an old injury against Phoenix on April 11, the Kings' small forward has worn a cumbersome wrap on his right thumb. And after averaging 19.7 points in the seven games pre-padding, Artest has scored a combined 23 points in the three games since, hitting just 9 of 35 shots.
"I figure right now, I've got to do something else, got to rebound, play more defense and get some assists," Artest said. "I'm going to take shots. (And) they're going to fall, definitely in crunch time. They may not fall as much as usually they would fall, but they're going to fall. I'm not going to be shy to shoot it."
Livin' large - A day after Fan Appreciation Day at Arco Arena, there were surely a select few enjoying Owner Appreciation Day.
The final tally on handouts to various fans at Tuesday's game: a team poster for everyone, 48 high-definition TVs, two 42-inch plasma TVs, 160 iPods, 45 Verizon TV phones and cash prizes and more TVs through the TV and radio broadcasts.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
Kings notes: Adelman has scheduling fears realized
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, April 20, 2006
In the end, it was no more than preemptive frustration.
After the Kings' game against Seattle on Tuesday, coach Rick Adelman groused about the potential difficulty in his squad playing its first-round playoff opener Saturday instead of Sunday.
By Wednesday afternoon, the official word came that the Kings will indeed start Saturday, when they visit San Antonio.
"We know both of these teams (the Spurs and Phoenix, which was a possibility for the first round) pretty well, so it's not going to be like you need three or four days, because the league's not going to give you that anyway," Adelman said.
"(Playing Saturday) would be a nightmare. Whoever they put on Saturday, it's uh ... well, I don't want to get (NBA Commissioner) David Stern mad, but it's ridiculous. I mean, I know it's TV and everything, but you play Wednesday night, and suddenly you have to start Saturday afternoon. It makes no sense, but that's the way it is sometimes."
The good news for the Kings, of course, is the extra day that came with their regular season ending a day before most of the league's.
Thumbs up - The padding on Ron Artest's thumb surely isn't padding his stats.
Since aggravating an old injury against Phoenix on April 11, the Kings' small forward has worn a cumbersome wrap on his right thumb. And after averaging 19.7 points in the seven games pre-padding, Artest has scored a combined 23 points in the three games since, hitting just 9 of 35 shots.
"I figure right now, I've got to do something else, got to rebound, play more defense and get some assists," Artest said. "I'm going to take shots. (And) they're going to fall, definitely in crunch time. They may not fall as much as usually they would fall, but they're going to fall. I'm not going to be shy to shoot it."
Livin' large - A day after Fan Appreciation Day at Arco Arena, there were surely a select few enjoying Owner Appreciation Day.
The final tally on handouts to various fans at Tuesday's game: a team poster for everyone, 48 high-definition TVs, two 42-inch plasma TVs, 160 iPods, 45 Verizon TV phones and cash prizes and more TVs through the TV and radio broadcasts.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
