LMM
Starter
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12697870p-13550381c.html
Peja paints playoff picture for Kings
He scores 35 points as Sacramento locks up a postseason berth with a road win over the Blazers.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Saturday, April 9, 2005
PORTLAND, Ore. - While speaking to the media following his team's 119-115 victory Friday night over the Portland Trail Blazers, Kings coach Rick Adelman was cool, calm and collected.
Adelman was nothing like the stalking screamer he was during much of the game. But the hard-fought win, combined with Denver's 107-104 victory over Minnesota, clinched Sacramento's seventh consecutive playoff berth.
Peja Stojakovic scored 17 of his game-high 35 points in the third quarter, while Mike Bibby added 19 points and 11 assists.
Cuttino Mobley, whose shot was off much of the night, was huge in the fourth quarter with 12 of his 18 points, including four straight free throws during the final 22 seconds. And Brian Skinner had 16 rebounds, eight offensive, and three blocks.
The Kings matched a franchise record of seven straight postseason berths set by the Rochester Royals from 1949 through 1955. It's the ninth time the Kings have made the playoffs in Sacramento and the 19th overall for the franchise.
So Adelman understandably was breathing easier after the game. By that time, he'd found out that Kenny Thomas had not suffered any serious damage despite being knocked out of the game in the first quarter by an elbow to the right eye by Portland center Joel Przybilla. Thomas is expected to be available for Sunday's home game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Despite what Adelman said have been consistent conversations about playing hard from the start of games, his team gave up points to the Trail Blazers as if they were the Phoenix Suns, who lead the NBA in scoring.
Only once this season had Portland scored as many as its 35 points against Sacramento in the first quarter and the 63 it had at halftime.
So Adelman revisited his conversation about focus and concentration at halftime.
"We've talked about it and talked about it, and at halftime we talked about it again," he said. "I just don't understand. It just seemed like we thought we were just going to gradually work our way into the game. In the second half, we played a lot better."
The Kings trailed 35-25 at the start of the second quarter. Once again, Sacramento's reserves, who may soon become known as the Rescue Crew, had the starters' backs. Darius Songaila, Maurice Evans, Corliss Williamson and Eddie House strung together a 15-4 run to open the quarter and take a 40-39 lead.
The Kings eventually lapsed at the end of the quarter and trailed 63-54 at the break.
At that point, Stojakovic got hot, and Bibby, who had six assists in the third quarter, kept finding him in transition. Stojakovic made 5 of 6 field-goal attempts, including four three pointers, and three free throws. His 17 points were more than half of Sacramento's 32 in the quarter and one fewer than Portland's 18.
Williamson had played well throughout the contest on the way to his 16-point, 11-rebound performance. But it was a takedown of Przybilla with 6:08 left in the game that had the crowd booing and the Portland center acting as if he wanted to fight.
"I tried to give (Przybilla) a hug around his neck and tell him to take it easy on us," Williamson said of the incident, which resulted in a flagrant foul. "He'd banged up a couple of our players, and he'd hit me a few times. "I guess I hugged him too hard."
Peja paints playoff picture for Kings
He scores 35 points as Sacramento locks up a postseason berth with a road win over the Blazers.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Saturday, April 9, 2005
PORTLAND, Ore. - While speaking to the media following his team's 119-115 victory Friday night over the Portland Trail Blazers, Kings coach Rick Adelman was cool, calm and collected.
Adelman was nothing like the stalking screamer he was during much of the game. But the hard-fought win, combined with Denver's 107-104 victory over Minnesota, clinched Sacramento's seventh consecutive playoff berth.
Peja Stojakovic scored 17 of his game-high 35 points in the third quarter, while Mike Bibby added 19 points and 11 assists.
Cuttino Mobley, whose shot was off much of the night, was huge in the fourth quarter with 12 of his 18 points, including four straight free throws during the final 22 seconds. And Brian Skinner had 16 rebounds, eight offensive, and three blocks.
The Kings matched a franchise record of seven straight postseason berths set by the Rochester Royals from 1949 through 1955. It's the ninth time the Kings have made the playoffs in Sacramento and the 19th overall for the franchise.
So Adelman understandably was breathing easier after the game. By that time, he'd found out that Kenny Thomas had not suffered any serious damage despite being knocked out of the game in the first quarter by an elbow to the right eye by Portland center Joel Przybilla. Thomas is expected to be available for Sunday's home game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Despite what Adelman said have been consistent conversations about playing hard from the start of games, his team gave up points to the Trail Blazers as if they were the Phoenix Suns, who lead the NBA in scoring.
Only once this season had Portland scored as many as its 35 points against Sacramento in the first quarter and the 63 it had at halftime.
So Adelman revisited his conversation about focus and concentration at halftime.
"We've talked about it and talked about it, and at halftime we talked about it again," he said. "I just don't understand. It just seemed like we thought we were just going to gradually work our way into the game. In the second half, we played a lot better."
The Kings trailed 35-25 at the start of the second quarter. Once again, Sacramento's reserves, who may soon become known as the Rescue Crew, had the starters' backs. Darius Songaila, Maurice Evans, Corliss Williamson and Eddie House strung together a 15-4 run to open the quarter and take a 40-39 lead.
The Kings eventually lapsed at the end of the quarter and trailed 63-54 at the break.
At that point, Stojakovic got hot, and Bibby, who had six assists in the third quarter, kept finding him in transition. Stojakovic made 5 of 6 field-goal attempts, including four three pointers, and three free throws. His 17 points were more than half of Sacramento's 32 in the quarter and one fewer than Portland's 18.
Williamson had played well throughout the contest on the way to his 16-point, 11-rebound performance. But it was a takedown of Przybilla with 6:08 left in the game that had the crowd booing and the Portland center acting as if he wanted to fight.
"I tried to give (Przybilla) a hug around his neck and tell him to take it easy on us," Williamson said of the incident, which resulted in a flagrant foul. "He'd banged up a couple of our players, and he'd hit me a few times. "I guess I hugged him too hard."
