Rough and ready
Kings don't put up with all that JazzBy Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Friday, January 14, 2005
Chris Webber, center, tries to restrain Peja Stojakovic after the Kings forward was fouled hard by Utah's Matt Harpring. Stojakovic and Harpring received technicals.
The Kings spilled too much blood Thursday night to lose.
The Kings spilled too much blood Thursday night to lose.
Sacramento started the game with nine available players and finished with just seven after injuries to Greg Ostertag and Maurice Evans. But they still put together enough plays to come away with a 107-93 victory over the Utah Jazz at Arco Arena.
"I'm as proud of this team for these two wins as any victory over San Antonio or whatever," Kings coach Rick Adelman said after his team followed up a Tuesday win over Denver to improve to 23-11. "With this situation, these guys came to play, and as a coach, that's all you can ask."
Peja Stojakovic led all scorers with 27 points, including four three-pointers as he eluded Matt Harpring's grabbing defense.
Chris Webber had 23 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, one off his season high.
Brad Miller completed the Kings' frontcourt dominance with 21 points. Miller also had nine rebounds and a season-high four blocked shots.
An unusual set of circumstances - the trade of Doug Christie for Cuttino Mobley and Michael Bradley and an ankle injury that sidelined Mike Bibby, one of the team's most durable players - left Adelman with Eddie House as his starting point guard.
Then, with 9:41 left in the second quarter, Ostertag took an inadvertent elbow to the mouth from Jazz center Curtis Borchardt in front of the Utah bench. Ostertag received a towel from Utah trainer Gary Briggs, then walked to the locker room.
Ostertag returned to the bench later in the quarter after receiving six stitches from Kings physician Richard Marder.
However, the doctor hadn't finished this call.
It was a physical game against the Jazz, the league's most penalized team. Utah was coming off two home victories against San Antonio and Phoenix, and the Kings have played the Jazz enough to know the approach taught by coach Jerry Sloan.
Sacramento used a 26-2 run in the second quarter to lead by 16 in the first half and 19 in the third quarter. Utah cut the lead to 59-53 midway through the third but never got closer.
Stojakovic and Harpring got too close in the third quarter when the Jazz forward was called for a foul, then made contact well after the whistle as Stojakovic attempted a shot.
The normally docile Stojakovic responded with a shove of his own, and both players received technical fouls.
"They always tell you in that situation that the instigator is the only one that will receive the technical," Adelman said. "Harpring clearly was the instigator, but you should be able to respond within reason, and I thought Peja did that."
Webber, who was the first to support Stojakovic in what became a little scrum in front of the Kings bench, was pleased to see his teammate defend himself. But Webber was not happy later in the game.
Evans, who earlier had taken an alley-oop pass from Miller and dunked it backward in one motion on Utah's Gordon Giricek, rose for another dunk attempt and was sandwiched by Kirk Snyder and Carlos Boozer with 2:05 left in the game. Evans' landed hard on the right side of his head and upper body.
He remained motionless on the floor for a moment before being helped into the locker room by trainer Pete Youngman. Marder gave him 12 stitches and said Evans sustained a mild concussion. Boozer did visit the Kings' locker room after the game to ask about Evans condition and wish him well.
