Postgame Quotes: Kings @ Spurs

Head Coach Paul Westphal

(on tonight’s match-up)
“It was over relatively early. I thought that the Spurs were really good. I don’t think anyone could have come into this arena and beat them the way they were playing tonight. Tonight was a good lesson for a young team. We were beating our heads against the wall trying to figure out how to beat this team and stay in the game. Even when the Spurs went to the bench they stayed solid actually they were better than solid. We didn’t have barely enough to win tonight. We didn’t play real sharp and combined with the way the Spurs played we got the result we did.”

(on team effort)
“I would call tonight a bad effort. We had trouble guarding the Spurs but when your hustling you can’t call it a bad effort. We aren’t the only team that hasn’t been able to keep Tony Parker out of the paint or guard Manu Ginobili. I give my team the credit because we were trying. “

(on team play)
“I don’t think anybody played exceptionally well for us tonight. We got out worked by the Spurs in every category that matters. “

Spencer Hawes

(on tonight‘s game)
“They‘re the definition of a veteran team as their execution on both ends of the floor is something that we can study and learn from.”

(on the performance in the second half that lead to the wide deficit)
“I think they‘re just unselfish on both ends. On defense, if one goes to help they all slide to the back and on offense, if they have a good shot they pass it until they get a better shot. If they don‘t have a better shot they pass it for a great shot. So over the course of the game it was just repetition of that and when you do those things, good things usually happen.”

(on his performance coming off the bench tonight)
“Yeah, I had been frustrated for a minute but through talking to the coaches before the game they told me not to press hard on myself to score and from that standpoint to just go out there and help the team do what the team needs to do. So that‘s what I went out and tried to do in tonight‘s game.”

(on lessons to learn being a young team)
“You have to learn to really execute especially when they put some stuff on the scouting report. The coaching staff had warned us and we have to be ready for it.”

Kevin Martin

(on what he thought about tonight‘s game)
“Tonight you had a really inexperienced team going up against a pretty good experienced team as we expected the Spurs to play tonight especially after their loss the other night. And that’s just what they do, they’ve been playing together for a while, they know how to play this game and Coach Pop has done a good job of getting them right back at it. ”

(on the Spurs defense in the second half)
“We were just playing sloppy, that was on us. When they’re not playing up to their maximum potential, you have to take advantage of that and we didn’t.”

(on Tony Parker‘s performance tonight)
“Yeah Tony is always the league leader with points in the paint. He was just comfortable tonight and as a team you just can’t have that.”

Spurs Head Coach: Gregg Popovich

(Opening statement)
“I was glad to see the team sustain the defense in the fourth quarter. We gave up 30 points in the third quarter and we didn’t want to end the game by being sloppy. We wanted to continue like we did in the first half. So it was good to see the group execute defensively in the fourth quarter. That was the best part of the game, besides Manu’s catch (of the bat).”

(When asked if he was horrified when he saw Manu pick up the bat)
“The drummer that he marches too sometimes is a little bit different. He never ceases to amaze me and he just did it again. The legend grows. It’s incredible on Halloween night. You would call someone a liar if they told you that story.”

(On Richard Jefferson finding his role)
“We’ve only had three games. After 15 or 20 games he’ll feel more comfortable then how he feels now. He’ll know what people do and they’ll know what his skills are on the court. I’ll know how they fit also. I thought that tonight he was much more aggressive and more decisive about the things he did on the offensive end and defensively he has taken pride in it. He’s trying to improve his game in that area and he’s trying to get it back to where it used to be. Where he’s a heck of a defender and he’ll do that again.”

Spurs Guard: Manu Ginobili

(on the bat incident in the first half)
“I knew it was coming around me. One day when you can’t dunk, you have to find a way to make the news. I didn’t think it was a big deal but then everyone in the arena was saying my name. The guy was interrupting our game. It flew by for the second time, first time it came close and I tried the second time and just grabbed it. I just stunned him. He was a little dizzy and we took him safely back to the locker room.”

(on tonight’s game)
“We played better today than we did in Chicago. The defense wasn’t as sharp today as we wanted it to be. But it’s only three games into the season; there is a long way to go.”

(on Richard Jefferson’s game)
“He had a great first two games, he just didn’t have the opportunity to score. He was patient and was great today. He never forced bad shots. When you want to win a championship, you have to have a team that doesn’t care about points. Some nights he will score 20 and other nights he’ll score zero. We all know he can do it.”

Spurs Guard: Tony Parker

(on Manu Ginobili and the bat incident)
“He was amazing. The legend continues with Manu. He is amazing and always does crazy stuff.”

(on tonight’s game)
“We played better tonight after a tough loss to Chicago. We came out tonight with a lot of energy and it made a big difference. “

(on Richard Jefferson)
“He was very good tonight - he was very aggressive and getting to the free throw line really helped his confidence on the offensive end. “

Postgame Recap: Kings @ Spurs

SAN ANTONIO 113, SACRAMENTO 94

October 31, 2009 – At AT&T Center, Tony Parker was nearly unstoppable, tallying 24 points and seven assists in three quarters of work and Richard Jefferson added 21 points as the Spurs kept the Kings winless with a 113-94 triumph on Halloween. The Kings trailed by six, 49-43, with 3:37 left before halftime, but the Spurs scored 12 unanswered points for an 18-point advantage, 61-43. The Kings could not cut down the Spurs’ lead as they led by as many as 28 points midway through the fourth quarter. Kevin Martin reached the 20-point plateau for the third straight game, scoring a game-high 29 points on 8-of-14 from the field (including 3-of-5 from three-point range) and 10-of-11 from the free throw line. Spencer Hawes came off the bench to record a double-double with 22 points and a game-high-tying 10 rebounds. San Antonio’s Tim Duncan scored just seven points and grabbed 10 boards in 22 minutes, and like Parker, did not play in the fourth quarter. The Kings outrebounded the Spurs, 37-36, but allowed San Antonio to shoot 58.1 percent from the field.

NOTES: Tyreke Evans led the Kings with six assists before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle. Hawes fell two points shy of his career-high (24, 4/12/09 vs. San Antonio). Martin scored 16 of his 29 points in the first half. San Antonio scored 61 points in the first half, shooting 61 percent from the field.

Open Net: Kings at Spurs

The Kings face the Spurs tonight at 5:30 p.m. Watch the game on CSNCA or listen to the game on Sports 1140 KHTK.

It’s Open Net time! Discuss the game here on Full Court Press before the game, during the game and after the game. Leave a comment below to begin the discussion.

Postgame Recap: Kings @ Hornets

NEW ORLEANS 97, SACRAMENTO 92
October 30, 2009 – At New Orleans Arena, Chris Paul scored 13 points in the fourth quarter and made four free throws down the stretch to finish with a game-high 31 points in leading the Hornets to a 97-92 win, denying the Kings their first win of the season. The Kings held a three-point lead, 91-88, with 2:13 left to play. However, Paul tied the score at 91-91 on a three-point play with 1:16 remaining. The Kings could not convert on their next possession and the Hornets took the lead as Emeka Okafor slammed in a Paul miss for a 93-91 advantage with 43.9 seconds left. Jon Brockman was fouled and made the first of two free throw attempts. Jason Thompson, who struggled all night from the field going 4-of-16, grabbed his team-high 12th rebound on Brockman’s miss to give the Kings another chance. After the timeout, Tyreke Evans’ shot attempt was blocked by Okafor and Paul was fouled. Paul made both free throw attempts to put the Hornets up, 95-92. The Kings had one final opportunity to tie the game, but Okafor blocked Kevin Martin’s three-point attempt with 3.1 seconds left. For the first time since Nov. 28, 2006 vs. L.A. Clippers, Kevin Martin did not attempt a free throw despite playing over 23 minutes. Against the Hornets, Martin still finished with 20 points on 9-of-29 shooting from the field. Evans led the Kings with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting form the field and 7-of-8 from the line. He also recorded three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 33 minutes of action. Brockman came off the bench to grab 10 rebounds in 19 minutes and Andres Nocioni tallied 16 points off the bench. David West added 13 points and Okafor recorded a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Okafor also had four of the Hornets’ nine blocked shots, two coming in the final 10 seconds of the game.

NOTES: The Kings outrebounded the Hornets, 52-43, but were outshot from the field, 37.5 to 45.2. In the fourth quarter, the Hornets outscored (25-17) and outshot (50.0 – 25.0 FG%) the Kings. Sacramento struggled to score in the paint, shooting 15-of-42. Martin finished with 20 points without making a trip to the free throw line. The last Kings player to tally 20 points without visiting the charity stripe was Spencer Hawes who scored 21 points (10-18 FG, 1-3 3pt) versus the Lakers on April 7, 2009.

Postgame Quotes: Kings @ Hornets

Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal

On his team:
“I’m very proud of them. They proved they can compete. It’s the little things we need to learn as a team. This is a 50-win team (the Hornets) playing their home opener, and we out-rebounded them. We only had ten turnovers; we were in a position to win the game. They closed the deal and we didn’t. When we needed to execute, we executed like a young team who had never played together. When we learn how to think together, we’ll start winning these games. With the effort they gave, we deserved to win.”

On his team’s shooting:
“We shot 37% on the road and we had a chance to win it. I’m ecstatic about the things that we did to put us in that position. You shoot that terribly and have a chance to win on the road, you’re doing a lot of good things. We’ll have to tell them to make more layups.”

On the physical game:
“Our guys showed that they are not afraid of some contact. It was really nice to see.”

Kings Guard Tyreke Evans

On the game:
“We still haven’t had our breakout game yet. We missed a lot of shots. It’s going to get better. We’re just getting a feel for each other. I think we did a good job. It was better than last night. Last night we came out slow. We came out attacking and they came out attacking. That’s why it was a good game.”

Kings Guard Kevin Martin

On the play of Emeka Okafor:
“It’s good to have a seven-footer with an eight-foot-five wingspan. He played well down the stretch. We learned some things tonight. We’ll get better.”

On improving as a team tonight:
“We just realize that we’ve got to keep improving. Coach Westphal keeps that in our mind. We’re disciplined enough to do it.”

Hornets Head Coach Byron Scott:

On the game:
“We won but how we played wasn’t good enough. We allowed them to come in here and dominate. If we expect to be a good basketball team we have to be a good defensive and rebounding team and tonight we weren’t. We got lucky and got a win.”

On the team:
“We did a lot of good things on the offensive end, we missed some shots we made some shots as well. We are still working on getting the ball down to [Emeka] Okafor and [David] West. On the defensive end the guys did a better job of communicating but if we want to be a solid team we have a lot of improvements to make.”

Forward Julian Wright:

On his offense:
“I’m not really happy with my shot or anything offensive, but they want me to be a threat by being active. A couple of my shots came off of breakdown situations, trying to make something out of nothing. I have a pretty good knack for that and just try to keep it alive.”

Forward James Posey:

On the game:
“We had good presence with Emeka down low. The guys helped each other out and finished the possessions off with good rebounding.

On the bench:
“We need everyone to contribute and today was an improvement.”

Forward David West

On the game:
“For the most part we made some big plays on the perimeter. Emeka is there to alter shots in the middle, it’s good for us. It was a tough game, but we still have a lot of things to correct. To be more effective, we have to work on our rebounding. We need to cut down their dribble penetration and make some defensive stops with rebounds and we’ll be alright.”

Anticipating ARCO Thunder

Happy November Kings fans!

I cannot believe the Home Opener is right around the corner. It feels like we just had Sacramento Kings Dance Team auditions and summer rehearsals. After five of us returned from Iraq, the dance team went full swing into season preparation.

We were a little behind our normal schedule, but with some hard work and discipline, we’ve remained very focused. Rehearsals have been intense including some practices lasting six hours. Rehearsal time consists of workouts, learning dance choreography, cleaning and polishing choreography, setting formations and going over business for appearances and miscellaneous dance team events. At Wednesday’s rehearsal we went over some of the Kings home opening introduction elements! It got us excited as we diligently rehearsed our piece.

With the success of the SELLOUT 2009 campaign, having sold out the first game and knowing tickets for the second game are going fast, it made for a detail-oriented rehearsal. With Mayor Kevin Johnson’s leadership and support, we’ve participated in multiple events to help with the campaign.

Last Monday we had a special appearance at the Kings Tip-Off Lunch at Memorial Auditorium. It was dedicated to businesses that purchased tickets and many of the attendees were able to rub elbows with our very own Kings players! Along with the players, coaches and Mayor Johnson, Slamson and members of Sacramento Breakers also joined us.

We had the opportunity to perform before the audience and give away some Kings merchandise including the new-look Kings paint items. The Sacramento Team Store has some great new items and gear, so be sure to check it out at ARCO Arena or online!

Now that the countdown is on until the lights go down (or shall I say up) for Monday’s Home Opener, my nerves are tense. Having experience on the SKDT dating back to 2004, I remember the roar of ARCO Thunder! The excitement of performing in front of a sellout crowd is intense!

I want Kings fans who have been a part of a sellout to know they’ve given me goose bumps while performing. Nothing compares to hearing Kings fans loud chants echo throughout the arena! I want to be able to experience that again! I want our newest members of the SKDT to have the opportunity to hear our 6th man!

I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone at Monday and Wednesday’s games. It’ll be very exciting!

Until I see you at the games, have a safe and spooky Halloween!

Now as Ralph Waldo Emerson states of inspiration, “No great man ever complains of want of opportunities.”

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Open Net: Kings at Hornets

The Kings face the Hornets tonight at 5 p.m. at the New Orleans Arena. Watch the game on CSNCA or listen to the game on Sports 1140 KHTK.

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Postgame Recap: Kings @ Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY 102, SACRAMENTO 89

October 28, 2009 – The Kings blinked first, and the Thunder made them pay with a season-opening 102-89 win at the Ford Center, spoiling Paul Westphal’s coaching debut with Sacramento. Kevin Martin tallied a game-high 27 points, but the Thunder had three players score 20 or more points, led by Kevin Durant’s 25 points. Oklahoma City opened the game with a 23-10 run en route to a 39-point first quarter and a 17-point advantage over Sacramento, 39-22. The Kings never recovered as the Thunder would maintain a double-digit lead the rest of the way and lead by as many as 23 points. Jason Thompson grabbed a team-high nine rebounds to go along with 11 points. Kings rookie Omri Casspi became the first Israeli-born player to play in the NBA, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. Fellow rookie teammate Tyreke Evans finished with 10 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Durant and Russell Westbrook recorded double-doubles, with Durant adding a game-high 11 rebounds and Westbrook tallying 14 points and 13 assists. Jeff Green added 24 points and eight rebounds while Nenad Krstic contributed 20 points.

NOTES: Martin made all of his 14 free throw attempts in the first half, falling just one made free throw shy of the Sacramento era record for most free throws made in a half. The record is shared by Martin and Reggie Theus. Five of Thompson’s nine rebounds came on the offensive end. Sacramento was outrebounded, 42-36. The Kings bench outscored the Thunder’s, 33-11.

Postgame Quotes: Kings @ Thunder

KINGS HEAD COACH PAUL WESTPHAL:

On tonight’s game:
“We just didn’t show enough urgency defensively or on the boards at all. What should have been just a little run for them (Thunder) turned into an avalanche; 39 points in the first quarter. We were trying to dig our way out the rest of the game. It was a great performance for them (Thunder) and not very encouraging for us.”

“The Thunder were hitting their 3’s, they were getting to the rim and if they ever missed they got a second shot. It was a complete defensive breakdown for us as well as a good performance by them.”

When asked which was more lacking, the offense or the defensive:

“Defense, definitely. I wouldn’t say dedication was our problem and I wouldn’t even say it was effort. I think it’s just more of knowing what it’s like out there — it was just knowing how to ramp up your intensity.”

KINGS FORWARD SPENCER HAWES:

On the loss:
“We have made some pretty definitive improvement throughout the preseason and we know we have been playing a lot better. I think it has been showing, but not tonight and how they started off getting 39 points in the first quarter. It’s not a step back, but a counter from how we have been playing.”

On the team’s chemistry:
“The key to chemistry with us is we have a lot of guys that get along on and off the court. It is easier when you can have a level of trust with guys. I don’t think it is something that is going to take a lot of time. We have to continue playing together and keep meshing – it will come. It doesn’t happen over night.”

KINGS GUARD KEVIN MARTIN:

On the loss:
“Tonight isn’t the basketball we have seen in the preseason with us. They killed us on the boards in the first half. Hopefully next game we improve and guys can be more active.

On allowing 68 first half points to the Thunder:
“I kind of expected us to get a little down tonight at first but we stayed with it and guys didn’t quit. It seemed like we got down about 17 and it stayed right around there the whole game. On a positive note, once we got past the first rush by their fans I think we did alright, especially in the second half. We didn’t do enough tonight and we didn’t get the win.”

THUNDER HEAD COACH SCOTT BROOKS:

On tonight’s win:
“It was a good start. I thought we played some pretty good basketball. We did a good job of sharing the ball early and throughout the game I thought we did a good job of passing the ball. We defended well tonight. You know, we played them the last exhibition game and we wanted to make sure they didn’t get a lot of back door cuts. They got 12 of them last game and they hit a bunch of three’s on us. I though tonight we did a good job of staying focused. The four or five days of practice that we had, we had some carryover tonight, which was great to see.”

On tonight’s defensive effort:
“Well I thought when we defend, which we have to defend, we should be able to score off of our defense by creating opportunities in transition, utilize our long athletic players on the wings. I thought we did a good job of staying engaged on the defensive end.”

On Russell Westbrook:
“Well, I said it last year; Russell will get better every month. There’s no difference. He’s a point guard that’s going to improve over the next 10 years. He had a good game and I expect him to keep working and watch film on it and learn from this game. He wasn’t perfect but he did a really good job of distributing the basketball tonight and we have to continue to focus on that. But he is a scorer, also. We don’t want to take that away from him. I thought he did a good job of mixing it tonight and he needs to continue to work on that. There’s a fine line of attacking for yourself and your teammates.”

THUNDER FORWARD JEFF GREEN:

On tonight’s win:
“We remembered how they played us last time so we came out very aggressive. We remembered how they got a lot of easy looks and back doors so we tighten our defense up tonight.”

On the team’s depth:
“We got a lot of depth on this team a lot of guys that can come in and contribute. Every good team has a good bench that can come out and contribute when needed.”

THUNDER FORWARD RUSSELL WESTBROOK:

On the game tonight:
“I have to give it up to my team mates tonight they did a great job. We just came out and tried to get something established early. Its always good to get your first shot out of the way.”

On setting career-high assists (13):
“If that’s what I have to do to help my team win that’s what I am going to do. I would rather my team mates get involved before I get myself going. I think its all a learning process. I am happy about tonight .”

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