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http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/11581503p-12479702c.html
Seven wins and counting
Peja is perfect from the free-throw line to keep the Kings' streak alive
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, November 27, 2004
LOS ANGELES - It would be hard to accurately measure the value of the huge plays made by the Kings on Friday night on their way to a 109-106 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers before a sellout crowd at Staples Center.
Peja Stojakovic could hardly buy a field goal in the fourth quarter, but he made each of his seven free-throw attempts in the period and also had a critical steal of a Kobe Bryant pass with 36 left in the game.
Stojakovic scored a team-high 26 points, despite shooting just six of 17 from the field.
However, that's what 13 of 13 from the free-throw line will do for you.
"I missed so many shots. Some of them were wide open," he said. " But the whole game was so weird. For six years I play with Vlade (Divac) on the Kings and on the (Yugoslavian) national team. And now I'm feeling a lot of pressure from my ex-teammates on the Lakers bench. He was messing with me."
Stojakovic re-created the scenario while Divac stood next to him in the Kings locker room after the game.
"So after all of the things we have been through," Stojakovic said of Divac, "he's over there on the bench going, 'You're going to choke, you're going to choke.' "
Divac said, "Hey, I'm trying to win."
As were the Kings, who played their third straight game in which neither team held a double-digit margin. This one featured 16 lead changes and 14 ties.
Sacramento trailed 102-99 with 1:40 left when Doug Christie made a three-pointer from the left wing to tie it at 102-102. Jumaine Jones, who was a member of the Kings for a very brief moment before a trade was rescinded, then took a pass from Bryant and made a three from the right corner with 1:19 left for a 105-102 Lakers lead.
Then it was Mike Bibby, who converted an off-balance, 24-foot, three-pointer with 1:04 left to tie the game again at 105-105.
Sacramento, however, had to deal with a questionable flagrant foul call against Christie, who was trying to get through a pick set by Lakers forward Brian Cook. The call gave Cook two free-throws and the Lakers the ball with 52.9 seconds left.
Cook made one of two free throws. Then it was time for Stojakovic's defense to stand up.
"We did a good job of double teaming Kobe, and Peja anticipated the pass and got over there ," Kings coach Rick Adelman said.
Cook fouled Stojakovic, who made both free throws with 35.9 seconds left for a 107-106 Kings lead.
After Bryant missed a three-pointer, Lamar Odom fouled Stojakovic again with 6.7 seconds left. He made both shots for a 109-106 lead.
Bryant tried a quick three-pointer after a time out and missed badly, but the rebound rolled off the Kings and out of bounds. With one last chance, Odom missed a heave from nearly 35 feet.
The Kings now have experienced for themselves that the Lakers are far away from the model that featured Shaquille O'Neal. This version revolves around Bryant, who scored a game-high 40 points on 11 of 17 from the field, including three of four from three-point range.
Bryant also went 15 of 19 from the free-throw line.
The Kings made 25 of 27 (92.6 percent) of their free throws and didn't equal Bryant's number of attempts until late in the third quarter. The victory was Sacramento's seventh straight. The Kings go for their eighth straight Sunday night at Arco Arena in a rematch of their Western Conference semifinal against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Seven wins and counting
Peja is perfect from the free-throw line to keep the Kings' streak alive
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, November 27, 2004
LOS ANGELES - It would be hard to accurately measure the value of the huge plays made by the Kings on Friday night on their way to a 109-106 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers before a sellout crowd at Staples Center.
Peja Stojakovic could hardly buy a field goal in the fourth quarter, but he made each of his seven free-throw attempts in the period and also had a critical steal of a Kobe Bryant pass with 36 left in the game.
Stojakovic scored a team-high 26 points, despite shooting just six of 17 from the field.
However, that's what 13 of 13 from the free-throw line will do for you.
"I missed so many shots. Some of them were wide open," he said. " But the whole game was so weird. For six years I play with Vlade (Divac) on the Kings and on the (Yugoslavian) national team. And now I'm feeling a lot of pressure from my ex-teammates on the Lakers bench. He was messing with me."
Stojakovic re-created the scenario while Divac stood next to him in the Kings locker room after the game.
"So after all of the things we have been through," Stojakovic said of Divac, "he's over there on the bench going, 'You're going to choke, you're going to choke.' "
Divac said, "Hey, I'm trying to win."
As were the Kings, who played their third straight game in which neither team held a double-digit margin. This one featured 16 lead changes and 14 ties.
Sacramento trailed 102-99 with 1:40 left when Doug Christie made a three-pointer from the left wing to tie it at 102-102. Jumaine Jones, who was a member of the Kings for a very brief moment before a trade was rescinded, then took a pass from Bryant and made a three from the right corner with 1:19 left for a 105-102 Lakers lead.
Then it was Mike Bibby, who converted an off-balance, 24-foot, three-pointer with 1:04 left to tie the game again at 105-105.
Sacramento, however, had to deal with a questionable flagrant foul call against Christie, who was trying to get through a pick set by Lakers forward Brian Cook. The call gave Cook two free-throws and the Lakers the ball with 52.9 seconds left.
Cook made one of two free throws. Then it was time for Stojakovic's defense to stand up.
"We did a good job of double teaming Kobe, and Peja anticipated the pass and got over there ," Kings coach Rick Adelman said.
Cook fouled Stojakovic, who made both free throws with 35.9 seconds left for a 107-106 Kings lead.
After Bryant missed a three-pointer, Lamar Odom fouled Stojakovic again with 6.7 seconds left. He made both shots for a 109-106 lead.
Bryant tried a quick three-pointer after a time out and missed badly, but the rebound rolled off the Kings and out of bounds. With one last chance, Odom missed a heave from nearly 35 feet.
The Kings now have experienced for themselves that the Lakers are far away from the model that featured Shaquille O'Neal. This version revolves around Bryant, who scored a game-high 40 points on 11 of 17 from the field, including three of four from three-point range.
Bryant also went 15 of 19 from the free-throw line.
The Kings made 25 of 27 (92.6 percent) of their free throws and didn't equal Bryant's number of attempts until late in the third quarter. The victory was Sacramento's seventh straight. The Kings go for their eighth straight Sunday night at Arco Arena in a rematch of their Western Conference semifinal against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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