Sacramento Kings

Let's go Kings!

BRYAN PATRICK bpatrick@sacbee.com Beno Udrih gave Kurt Thomas and the Milwaukee Bucks plenty of frustration Friday night. Udrih had 26 points and nine assists for the Kings.

Sure, it would have been fun for two parts of the NBA Rookie of the Year debate to duel on the court Friday night at Arco Arena.

But the Kings' star rookie wouldn't be around late. And there's no telling when he might be back.

Tyreke Evans left the game late in the fourth quarter as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied for a 114-108 double-overtime win.

Evans suffered a concussion in a fall and went to the locker room with 24.4 seconds left in regulation and the Kings ahead 91-89.

Evans also suffered lacerated gums and a chipped tooth, and doctors will check to see whether he has a broken jaw. Evans will not travel today with the team to Los Angeles for Sunday afternoon's game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Kings coach Paul Westphal was pleased the team did things right late, such as making free throws. The Kings made all five free throws in the fourth quarter.

The Bucks, however, made 5 of 9 three-pointers in the fourth and shot 50 percent (12 of 24) from the field.

The Kings, who led 73-66 entering the fourth, went cold. Sacramento went 8 of 24 from the field during the quarter. Westphal felt the Kings' attempt to take time off the clock led to them starting the offense too late.

"There were things to learn from (the game), and we will learn from it," Westphal said.

Sacramento led 91-84 with 1:20 left in regulation. The Bucks then went on an 11-4 run to close the quarter with clutch shooting.

The Kings couldn't contain Milwaukee's star rookie, Brandon Jennings, much of the night. And when they did, an improbable three tied the score.

Jennings appeared flustered by the Kings' defense when he found Ersan Ilyasova. Ilyasova launched a deep three-pointer that made the score 95-95.

"They hit some shots that defy description," Westphal said.

That put the Kings in an unfamiliar position. Usually with the game on the line, the ball is in Evans' hands.

The Kings ran a play for Beno Udrih, who was playing well, but he missed a layup at the end of regulation.

Even without Evans, the Kings had their chances to win. A shot clock violation on their final possession of the first overtime left the score 101-101 with 20.2 seconds remaining.

Jennings missed a jumper from the left wing, and Ilyasova's putback was off at the buzzer.

In the second overtime, Jennings, John Salmons and Andrew Bogut kept rolling.

Jennings finished with 35 points and eight assists. Bogut had 21 points and 11 rebounds. Salmons contributed 27 points.

Ilyasova had 12 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Bucks, who have won 13 of 15.

"That was a tough loss to absorb," Westphal said. "We did everything to earn that win."

Udrih led the Kings with 26 points on 11-of-24 shooting. Carl Landry had 16 points before fouling out in the first overtime.

Spencer Hawes scored 16 points, and Evans had 15 before leaving with his injury.

Ime Udoka, who had played sparingly lately, came off the bench to grab a game-high 13 rebounds.

Jennings put on a dazzling shooting display in the second quarter, when he scored 16 points.

The Kings executed their plan of forcing Jennings to shoot jumpers, but the problem was Jennings was hot from behind the three-point line.

Jennings made 8 of 13 from behind the three-point line. Overall, Jennings was 12 of 28 shooting.

For more than 10 years, it seemed there wasn't much Tom Abatemarco didn't do in Sacramento.

But what Abatemarco loves to do is coach. And he'll do that again at the collegiate level.

The former Sacramento State men's basketball head coach, who was a Kings regional scout this season, leaves Monday for his new job as a men's assistant coach at Colorado.

"I had a great run here working with Joe, Gavin and the whole (Maloof) family," Abatemarco said. "But heck, I'm a coach. I couldn't pass up this opportunity."

Abatemarco was a Kings radio analyst from 2003 to 2009 while also working as a Monarchs assistant coach.

After the Monarchs folded last November, Abatemarco joined the Kings' scouting department. He worked closely with assistant basketball vice president Mike Petrie and general manager Wayne Cooper.

"I enjoyed it," Abatemarco said. "I worked hard with (Petrie and Cooper). It was very rewarding, but I missed college basketball."

The Colorado job provided Abatemarco with the chance to do that while working with a longtime friend in head coach Jeff Bzdelik.

"I missed recruiting," Abatemarco said. "I missed being on the bench, and Jeff is an incredible coach."

Abatemarco also fondly recalled his time with the Monarchs, which included winning the 2005 WNBA title. He enjoyed the players and said the time with coach John Whisenant would continue to help him in his career.

"I learned a lot about coaching defense from Whiz," Abatemarco said. "And that (defensive scheme is) something that's worked, especially in college."

Abatemarco said it wouldn't take long to get back into coaching mode. He said he has kept in touch with his contacts so recruiting shouldn't be an issue.

But his time in Sacramento has been memorable, no matter what job he held.

"I started in events (with the Maloofs) and worked my way up," Abatemarco said. "I wanted to prove I was worth having a job. The college thing is what suits me right now."

Good returns – The Bucks' 13-2 record since last month's trade deadline has a lot to do with the addition of John Salmons.

Salmons, whom the Kings sent to Chicago last year, has given Milwaukee a veteran leader and a versatile perimeter scorer and defender.

Salmons entered Friday's game averaging 18.9 points with the Bucks, who hope he can provide the same boost in the playoffs that he gave the Bulls last season. Salmons averaged 18.1 points in the postseason.

"He's a professional, and he has a real calm demeanor out there," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "And that has helped our guys."

As the 2009-2010 NBA season begins to wind down the individual awards become a common topic of conversation.

It was Quincy Pondexter's game to win or lose. Isaiah Thomas knew that. Jon Brockman and Spencer Hawes knew that.

CARL COSTAS ccostas@sacbee.com Spencer Hawes gets some encouragement from Lakers guard Kobe Bryant after Tuesday's game.

Spencer Hawes admits there are times he thinks he has all the answers.

But what 21-year-old doesn't think that from time to time?

What Hawes is learning late in his third NBA season is don't try to be a player that you're not, and to do what you do best. And the best games don't always yield the best statistics.

Hawes had 13 points, three rebounds and a season-high five blocks in Tuesday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at Arco Arena.

Hawes made 6 of 10 shots, but it's no surprise that he can score. His defensive effort against one of the bigger front lines in the NBA perhaps was more impressive.

He didn't back down against Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol, and is taking the time to learn the nuances of defensive basketball.

"At first you come in thinking you know it all," Hawes said after Wednesday's practice. "I think there's still a little bit of that aspect with me, but all our coaches have something to offer us and we can take something from all of them. And keep being dedicated to improving above everything else."

At 7-foot-1, Hawes is the lone 7-footer on a team lacking size in the frontcourt, and his statistics are often the subject of discussion.

And against the Lakers, Hawes' three rebounds were insignificant compared to the 12 grabbed by Bynum.

But Kings coach Paul Westphal isn't evaluating the effectiveness of Hawes based on the box score.

"I don't look at numbers that much," Westphal said. "I look at each individual play. If he did the right thing on the play and the ball bounced somewhere else, you can't blame him for not getting the rebound."

It's hard for a young player not to be hung up on statistics. It takes a level of maturity to look beyond the numbers and assess play.

Hawes sounds like a player who understands.

"Everyone looks at their numbers, but you know where you are," Hawes said. "And as a player, you pretty much remember most of the good plays and all of the bad plays that you make. You kind of have that in your mind and you know when you mess up. I know with me, I'm probably my harshest critic, so it's easy for me to figure out where I need to improve."

While blocked shots are a tangible way of tracking Hawes on defense, numbers can't measure defensive rotations or knowing who to pick up on a defensive switch.

Westphal is looking for the right decisions and effort from Hawes.

"If there's a chance where he didn't box out or somebody beat him to the ball and he was flat-footed or something, those things are problems," Westphal said. "It's not the numbers, per se, it's making the right play."

That's what made Hawes' play against the Lakers one of his better efforts of the season. He might not have gotten to every loose ball, but he was challenging the Lakers defensively and using his outside shooting to take advantage of his strengths against Los Angeles' size.

"Spencer is a good shooter and a good decision-maker," Westphal said. "When he's playing against a taller player who doesn't like to leave the paint, there's a lot of opportunity for him to get some good looks at the basket. So it's no surprise he's been able to perform well against those guys."

After having his defense scrutinized much of the season, Hawes said direction from coaches and experience are starting to yield results.

Hawes said his goal Tuesday was to "put up some resistance" against Gasol and Bynum. And while both had good games, Hawes didn't hang his head about his effort. He's looking forward to seeing the Kings' improvement against the duo next month in the season finale.

"I think I'm just making a concerted effort and I'm getting better at (the defensive) end," Hawes said. "Smarter, learning more tricks of the trade and every day trying to pick up something to contribute on that end to try to be the backstop of the defense."

The Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant exchanges glances with The Sacramento Kings' Omri Casspi after a Casspi basket Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at Arco Arena.

He's starting to look and feel like himself again.

The scowl on Omri Casspi's face isn't one of disgust at his own play. It's the look he has when he's into the game and competing.

Casspi shot 8 of 16 in his past two games. That might not seem significant, except when you consider he was 10 for 32 (31.3 percent) in his previous five games. That stretch, from March 3-12, also included being inactive March 7 to give him some rest in hopes he'd find the shooting touch he had earlier in the season.

Casspi had 10 points in Tuesday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. It ended a streak of five games scoring in single digits, the longest such streak this season for Casspi.

He had four consecutive games in single digits back in November.

The rookie said his shot "feels a lot better now" and that he's looking forward to a strong finish to his rookie season.

"It feels like things are getting back and I've felt like that for a couple of days now," Casspi said. "I'm just happy I started making shots in the game."

Kings coach Paul Westphal was happy to see Casspi's liveliness on defense. But he also wants better decision-making on that end of the floor.

"He needs to tighten up his team defense on some of his assignments," Westphal said. "He's got enthusiasm, but sometimes the execution isn't there. But he brought his energy and enthusiasm, that's a great starting point."

Casspi said he's over the stretch of fatigue Westphal was worried about that led to the coach sitting him for a game.

Now his focus is on earning more playing time. Early in the season, Casspi quickly became a player the Kings leaned on late in games. But there's more competition at small forward with veteran Francisco García healthy.

"I'm just happy that I got a chance to play," Casspi said. "And when I got on the court I just believed and thought I needed to bring a lot of energy and be aggressive."

Bobby's night – The Kings will honor former standout Bobby Jackson with "Bobby Jackson Night" when Sacramento hosts San Antonio on April 6.

Jackson retired after last season and works for the Kings as an ambassador, participating in various community and team-related projects.

In honor of his jersey No. 24, a special $24 ticket package is available for the game. It comes with an exclusive pregame question and answer session with Jackson.

RICH PEDRONCELLI Associated Press Carl Landry of the Kings, left, works against Lakers forward Lamar Odom in Tuesday's game.

There's no rush for Carl Landry to become a leader after just one month as a King.

He realizes there are still some minor details to work out.

"Sometimes still getting lost coming to the gym," Landry said. "It's tough trying to step right in and take a leadership role. That's something that I'm looking forward to, hopefully next year."

In his brief time as a King, Landry has already established himself as a dependable option on the floor.

Landry has played in 14 games since coming to the Kings on Feb. 18 from Houston in a trade that sent Kevin Martin to the Rockets. He's been what the Kings had hoped he'd be when they dealt for him and he assumed the new role of starting forward.

He's averaging 16.9 points and 7.1 rebounds, and shooting 51.4 percent from the field. Landry has scored in double figures in every game for Sacramento, providing the kind of consistency the Kings have sought in the frontcourt all season.

Landry averaged 16.1 points and 5.5 rebounds in 52 games with the Rockets this season. He was a backup for three seasons with Houston.

Putting Landry in the starting lineup was an easy decision for the Kings, but it's something Landry is still getting used to.

His role in Houston was to provide instant energy off the bench, and getting a starting assignment was rare.

Landry's lone start for the Rockets was this season, Feb. 9 in Miami.

Being a reserve allowed Landry to size up the competition. That's all changed as a King.

"Now I've got to come out aggressive," he said. "Not necessarily on the offensive end, but be aggressive with defensive rebounding, taking charges, diving on the floor for loose balls right away."

Now that he's playing 37.1 minutes per game with the Kings – instead of the 27.2 minutes he averaged in Houston – Landry is learning to pace himself.

"Coming off the bench, you just go 100 mph because you know you're not going to play much," Landry said. "And whatever you can do, if it's points, rebounds, whatever you can contribute that night, it's a bonus. Starting is something I'm still trying to learn."

Even though it is just Landry's third season, he offers a wealth of knowledge on a team with eight players with three years of experience or less.

Landry has been a contributor on playoff teams in Houston in his first two seasons, while most of his new teammates have not played in the postseason.

"He's been in the league three years and that's (tied for) third-most in the league on our young team," said second-year forward Jason Thompson. "So obviously the more games we have underneath our belt, the better it is for our team. We can learn from that and learn from his experiences."

Landry likes the toughness of his new teammates and believes the Kings have talent on the roster.

And he offers no excuses for himself or teammates for struggling.

Landry isn't pleased with his past two games, in which he's shot 42.9 percent (12 of 28) and averaged 14 points and eight rebounds.

That kind of self-analysis is always welcome.

"Carl's only in his third year and he's already the consummate professional," said Kings coach Paul Westphal.

"There's really nothing I can look to and say, 'I wish Carl did this or did that.' He gives you everything he has on and off the floor. He's at the stage of his career where he's going to continue to get better."

More photos » LM Otero - AP

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A NOTE

To all who attend StR Night: The Peachquel, have fun and be safe. (There will be an on-court photo op after the game.) (Aykis Note - Because of the flu, Nicholson is out tonight, and thus the X-Over is cancelled.  See my original post for details.  So its back to StR Night with less Aykis)

SCOUTING REPORT

(HighTops is out of service, so you're stuck with me.)

Milwaukee comes in generally hot, though a bad loss to the Clippers Wednesday ended the team's win streak at six. The team's 12-2 since acquiring John Salmons at the trade deadline, with the league's No. 2 defense on the season. The Bucks are No. 8 in shooting defense, No. 3 in opponent turnover rate and No. 2 in defensive rebounding. They foul a ton (what up, Skiles!) at all positions. Opponents average seven more FTAs than Milwaukee per game, which indicates both the team's hacking tendencies and the distinct inability of any Bucks but Salmons to get to the line regularly -- Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings each average 3.5 FTAs per game. By comparison, Tyreke Evans averages 6.6 FTAs a game, Carl Landry's at 5.2 and even Jason Thompson, he of the 31 minutes a game, averages 3.7.

The Bucks defend best at small forward, where Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Carlos Delfino, Charlie Bell and Salmons split time. Bell's an ace defender, if undersized, and we know Salmons (good in isolation, typically misguided off-ball). Mbah a Moute's the gem, a long and strong athlete with great instincts and unassailable energy. He disrupts the action and generally removes comfort. Thankfully, Sacramento's small forwards don't play with much comfort.

On offense for the Bucks, it's a steady diet of Bogut, Jennings and Salmons. Bogut is a skilled pivot who does most of his work inside of 10 feet -- but not necessarily at the rim. He attempts six shots a game between five and 10 feet, making just 42 percent of them. He's obviously much more efficient at the rim, shooting 66 percent on just under six shots a game.

Among guards who have played at least 35 games this season, Jennings has the second worst field goal percentage at the rim (41 percent). He's also pretty inefficient from 10-23 feet. But he shoots threes well (39 percent), far better than does our own star point guard.

You know Salmons. He switches hands on every lay-up. He cocks his head on jumpers. He does not tend his beard.

THE KEY BATTLE

Brandon Jennings vs. Tyreke Evans. I don't think I need to explain this much.

BOLD PROCLAMATION

Grant Napear will begin talking about Reke's first ever potential quadruple-double once Evans records his second steal.

DETAILS

It's a 7 PM PT start for the Kings and Bucks. Remember: StR's own Aykis16 will be the special guest on the XO Communications Crossover, the in-arena pre-game talk with Scott Moak. So get there early . Also, have fun. And be safe.

Winning was becoming a habit for the Milwaukee Bucks until a recent letdown in Los Angeles.

Arco Arena used to sell out. Every time. The Lakers remain a curious draw and for just the second time this season, Arco was full and buzzing (the first being the home opener). There were no cowbells like years past, no signs to taunt Phil Jackson, and there were chants of "MVP" from a number of Lakers fans who packed in—something that thoroughly disgusts Kings players, management and coaches.

Jackson said Kings rookie Tyreke Evans has tremendous upside, and the guard flirted with another triple-double with 25 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, and he had just one turnover. It was no wonder that Kings coach Paul Westphal shrugged when a reporter who obviously wasn't paying attention asked what the coach thought about Ron Artest's defense on Evans.

Lakers 106,...
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