http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/11654410p-12543343c.html
Sympathy not shown as Kings rip Pacers
Indiana, missing six players due to various reasons, can't box out the full-strength host team.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, December 4, 2004
At some point, the absences of Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Reggie Miller due to suspension and Jeff Foster and Jonathan Bender because of injury were going to catch up to the Indiana Pacers.
The Kings were the benefactors of that inevitability Friday night. Led by Chris Webber, they took advantage during an easy 113-87 victory before another sellout crowd of 17,317 at Arco Arena.
If the outcome hadn't already been established when Webber went to the bench for good at the start of the fourth quarter, it certainly was clear when Kings backup center Greg Ostertag danced to the song "Stayin' Alive" with seven minutes remaining.
Webber made his first eight field-goal attempts and finished 13-of-19 shooting with a game-high 29 points. Webber, one of six Kings to reach double figures in scoring, also had eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Kings center Brad Miller gave his former teammates more than they could handle with 17 points and 13 rebounds, and neither he nor Webber played during the fourth quarter.
Blowing out the roster-depleted Pacers wasn't a huge surprise, but anytime the Kings outrebound any team 57-28, that's news. The Kings grabbed a season-high 23 offensive rebounds as Pacers coach Rick Carlisle often went small with just 10 players available.
Said Miller: "We haven't had any nights when we can say we dominated on the boards, so this was fun."
Webber didn't talk to the media after the game, but his coach and teammates had plenty to say about him. And there was much to discuss. Not only was Webber's mid-range jumper net-driven, but he was as spry and active around the basket as he has been since returning from his serious knee surgery last March.
"He's having more and more games like (Friday night), where he made three or four moves and just caught the ball, went up and dunked it," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "He made quick moves and quick spins to the basket. Hopefully, as the year wears on, he will have more and more nights like that."
Adelman has even been impressed by Webber in games when the power forward hasn't been as explosive.
"I think what he's been great at is when he doesn't feel good, he lets the game come to him," the coach said. "He's such a force with what he can do with the ball, and (Friday), he really shot well. He had a lot of nice plays early, and he got us off to a nice start."
Webber scored 16 of the Kings' 30 first-quarter points.
The Kings took advantage of Indiana's struggles at the start of the second and third quarters to put the game away. The Pacers missed their first six field-goal attempts and committed a turnover to begin the second, then were outscored 24-5 during the early portion of the third. The latter stretch left the Kings with an 84-56 lead.
Indiana has gone 3-4 since the Nov. 19 brawl in Auburn Hills, Mich., that led to suspensions, decimating the team's roster and talent.
"You're going to have some nights where it's tough, and this is the first night in a while we didn't compete at the level we have been competing at," said Carlisle, whose team hung tough during road losses to the Seattle SuperSonics and Los Angeles Clippers this week. "Sacramento is a hell of a team, and (it has) a lot to do with it, obviously. But when you get beat by 29 on the boards, you can do better."
On the Kings' side, Miller looked toward the future regarding Webber. "We just want to see him have the confidence and the confidence in his knee where he can have more nights like this," Miller said. "It was great to sit out the fourth quarter and let the other guys go out and play."
Sympathy not shown as Kings rip Pacers
Indiana, missing six players due to various reasons, can't box out the full-strength host team.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, December 4, 2004
At some point, the absences of Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Reggie Miller due to suspension and Jeff Foster and Jonathan Bender because of injury were going to catch up to the Indiana Pacers.
The Kings were the benefactors of that inevitability Friday night. Led by Chris Webber, they took advantage during an easy 113-87 victory before another sellout crowd of 17,317 at Arco Arena.
If the outcome hadn't already been established when Webber went to the bench for good at the start of the fourth quarter, it certainly was clear when Kings backup center Greg Ostertag danced to the song "Stayin' Alive" with seven minutes remaining.
Webber made his first eight field-goal attempts and finished 13-of-19 shooting with a game-high 29 points. Webber, one of six Kings to reach double figures in scoring, also had eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Kings center Brad Miller gave his former teammates more than they could handle with 17 points and 13 rebounds, and neither he nor Webber played during the fourth quarter.
Blowing out the roster-depleted Pacers wasn't a huge surprise, but anytime the Kings outrebound any team 57-28, that's news. The Kings grabbed a season-high 23 offensive rebounds as Pacers coach Rick Carlisle often went small with just 10 players available.
Said Miller: "We haven't had any nights when we can say we dominated on the boards, so this was fun."
Webber didn't talk to the media after the game, but his coach and teammates had plenty to say about him. And there was much to discuss. Not only was Webber's mid-range jumper net-driven, but he was as spry and active around the basket as he has been since returning from his serious knee surgery last March.
"He's having more and more games like (Friday night), where he made three or four moves and just caught the ball, went up and dunked it," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "He made quick moves and quick spins to the basket. Hopefully, as the year wears on, he will have more and more nights like that."
Adelman has even been impressed by Webber in games when the power forward hasn't been as explosive.
"I think what he's been great at is when he doesn't feel good, he lets the game come to him," the coach said. "He's such a force with what he can do with the ball, and (Friday), he really shot well. He had a lot of nice plays early, and he got us off to a nice start."
Webber scored 16 of the Kings' 30 first-quarter points.
The Kings took advantage of Indiana's struggles at the start of the second and third quarters to put the game away. The Pacers missed their first six field-goal attempts and committed a turnover to begin the second, then were outscored 24-5 during the early portion of the third. The latter stretch left the Kings with an 84-56 lead.
Indiana has gone 3-4 since the Nov. 19 brawl in Auburn Hills, Mich., that led to suspensions, decimating the team's roster and talent.
"You're going to have some nights where it's tough, and this is the first night in a while we didn't compete at the level we have been competing at," said Carlisle, whose team hung tough during road losses to the Seattle SuperSonics and Los Angeles Clippers this week. "Sacramento is a hell of a team, and (it has) a lot to do with it, obviously. But when you get beat by 29 on the boards, you can do better."
On the Kings' side, Miller looked toward the future regarding Webber. "We just want to see him have the confidence and the confidence in his knee where he can have more nights like this," Miller said. "It was great to sit out the fourth quarter and let the other guys go out and play."
