Welcome to Sacramento, Samuel!

A week before the 2010 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings acquired center Samuel Dalembert from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for forward Andrés Nocioni and center Spencer Hawes.

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Kayte’s Kings Player-by-Player Breakdown

The season is over, and now we can delve deeper into what is ahead for the Kings.

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JT’s Patience is Paying Off

Heading into yet another tough matchup with a Playoff-bound team, Kings head coach Paul Westphal wanted to make it clear to players on Monday, as he sees it, all of them could be a part of the team that returns Sacramento to the postseason in the near future. Read more

Postgame Recap: Kings @ Cavs

CLEVELAND 97, SACRAMENTO 90

March 28, 2010 - At the Quicken Loans Arena, an injury-plagued Kings squad played valiantly but the duo of LeBron James (34 points) and Antawn Jamison (26 points) proved too much in Cleveland’s 97-90 win. Sacramento began the game with just eight players available, and soon lost Dominic McGuire to a right plantar fascia strain at the 7:13 mark of the first quarter. Beno Udrih recorded his first career triple-double with 18 points, a career-high 10 rebounds, and 15 assists. Cleveland led by as many as 11 points, but the Kings caught up to them, tying the score at 60-60 with 9:02 left in the third quarter. With 3:25 left in the fourth quarter, the Kings closed to within four, 94-90, but James drilled a three-pointer with 2:02 remaining, all but sealing the Cavaliers’ win. Andres Nocioni led the Kings with 21 points off the bench and Carl Landry contributed 17 points. Jason Thompson recorded a double-double with 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Jamison led the Cavaliers with nine rebounds. Zydrunas Ilgauskas made his return to the Cavaliers after being traded to Washington and having his contract bought out.

Postgame Quotes: Kings @ Cavs

SACRAMENTO HEAD COACH PAUL WESTPHAL

(On the game):
“I don’t know if Cleveland was ever thinking they were going to lose that game, but we sure thought that we played as well as we could play under the circumstances. We were trying to stay close and find a way to pull it out at the end. When LeBron (James) hit that shot from about six or seven feet behind the line with one second on the shot clock, that pretty much took care of things.”

(On the Kings):
“I was really proud of our team. You could say we turned it over a little bit too much in the first half. We were playing with one guard (Beno Udrih) and one center (Jason Thompson) and, really, seven players and I thought we got some phenomenal efforts from a lot of people, and we’re very proud of our team.”

(On the Kings bench):
“(Laughing) You mean Ime (Udoka) and (Andres) Nocioni? They were very important. Nocioni has been struggling with his shot lately. He’s a real pro and I thought when he got it going, it was nice that we could ride him. He gave us a real big lift off the bench. We had no backup for Beno, so he had to go the whole game and we had no backup for Jason Thompson and he went the whole game and (Carl) Landry played a lot. You could see it, the last few minutes, Beno was wobbly a little bit, but what a sensational game he played. He handled the ball for 48 minutes against that team and run the show the way he did, is just really a great effort.”

(On LeBron James and the problems he causes teams):
“You don’t even know where to start with him. He’s such a complete player. He doesn’t ever seem to get tired and he does it at both ends (of the court). You really just sort of hope he has an off game because there’s not much you’re going to do to make him have a bad game. You double him, he’ll pass it and they have enough good players to make you pay. He’s a great ball handler, he can pretty much pick his spots and inflict his will on the game whenever he wants to. He’s really that good.”

BENO UDRIH

(On the Kings effort with the injuries):
“I think we played great with the best team in the NBA right now. We were right there basically, we knew a couple of guys were going to have to play a lot of minutes and we were pacing ourselves and trying to get some stops. I think we were good out there. At the end, we came up short a little bit and that’s because of the guys getting hurt. It is what it is.”

(On his possible fatigue from playing the entire game):
“I paced myself. Sometimes, I run around a little bit more. This time, I had to pace myself a little bit more. I wasn’t as tired as I thought I would be. I think I was keeping my energy as much as I could.”

(On his triple-double):
“I found out I had a triple-double, Spencer (Hawes) told me so. It is what it is, it doesn’t matter at the end, we still lost. It would be much sweeter if we won.”

(On LeBron James in the fourth quarter of close games):
“He’s just a great player. I can’t really give him enough credit. He does everything. He rebounds, he pushes the ball, he finds his teammates. I remember him when he came to the league and he was struggling with his shot a little bit. He’s improved his shot and is much better. A lot of people, I think, still think of him like he can’t shoot. But, he knocked down some big shots and he knocked down that big three-point shot at the shot clock and that basically gave them a seven-point lead, and against teams like that, once they get a nine-point lead, you know it’s basically over. His teammates know exactly where he is and even if you double team him, somehow they will get him open and get him the ball. That’s how it is supposed to be, you have to give the ball to the main guy to make plays.”

OMRI CASSPI

(On the end of the game):
“I think, at the end of the game, you have to make shots and we came up a little bit short. LeBron made shots and sometimes you lose games by the little things.”

(On his performance):
“I felt good out there. I had an opportunity to play a little bit more and get a little rhythm. I’m just happy I could go out there and compete. “

CAVALIERS HEAD COACH MIKE BROWN

(On tonight’s win):
“It was a good win. I thought that in the fourth quarter, we stepped up our defense and that was the difference in the ballgame. The game was a little disjointed, a little ugly, but it was good to be able to get the win, especially with the way Beno Udrih played tonight. He had a big night obviously, and (so did) Landry, Thompson and Nocioni off the bench. For us to step up defensively in the fourth quarter and get this win is great. We have still got to keep trying to continue to build on that edge that we had and if we can, we will be fine going down into the playoffs.”

(On having Z back as a Cavalier):
“It’s great. This is Z’s third game that he’s played with us and it’s been terrific having him back in a Cavs uniform. He’s a great guy, his wife is terrific and he has done a lot for this organization and community.”

(On missing Anderson Varejao in the lineup):
“Andy is a big piece to what we do, so the bench doesn’t just miss him, but the whole team does. For him to be out means that others guys are going to have to step up, and I thought Leon did a terrific job, especially late in the fourth quarter, of stepping up.”

(On missing the energy Anderson brings to the floor):
“That’s what he does. He does that for us. Not to say that the other guys don’t, but he comes up with some big hustle plays and big plays around the rim. We missed that a little bit in the second half against San Antonio and we missed it a little bit tonight. I thought that Leon was big for us in that area coming up with some 50/50 balls and stuff like that, especially around the basket.”

(On the reception the fans gave Z for his first home game back):
“It was great. We have the best fans in the league and it was terrific to see them give him the reception that they did. It was definitely well-deserved.”

(On thinking about the playoffs):
“We need to just keep taking it one game at a time. There’s really nothing flashy, crazy or out of the box that we are doing right now. We have just got to keep trying to get better every day, whether it’s playing a game or practicing with contact or not practicing with contact. We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves because there are still some things that we need to try to iron out with Z back in the lineup before we get going in the playoffs.”

LEBRON JAMES

(On the fourth quarter defensively):
“They started to miss some shots and we also clamped down. The fourth quarter is winning time and we made our stamp on the game then.”

(On Z’s first home game back):
“We laughed and joked that it was the second-most anticipated comeback besides when Jordan retired. These fans and Z have something they cherish in one another and it was good to see the fans really appreciate him coming back. I was very delighted and happy to have him back as a part of this franchise.”

(On the Kings’ performance):
“Even with Tyreke out, they’ve got some good scorers. The Western Conference is very tough, but they’ve got some good pieces.”

(On Antawn Jamison playing at small forward):
“Tawn can definitely take advantage of the small three’s because he’s a natural four. His ability to post up really helps us a lot. He can guard three’s well too, which is really good for our team and we took advantage of that.”

(On balancing finishing the season strong and getting rest):
“We rest on off days and days we don’t have games. We want to close out the season playing the way we’ve been playing. We will take full advantage of our schedule (taking rest where we can) as we don’t play until Wednesday.”

(On upcoming stretch of games):
“We want to continue to play against the best, especially coming down the stretch. We look forward to (Milwaukee and Atlanta) coming into our house and then going on the road Sunday against Boston.”

ANTAWN JAMISON

(On Z coming back):
“He’s meant a lot to this community. He has been here his whole career. It seemed like it fit for him to come back here and get an opportunity to achieve something special. I’ve battled with him my whole career and now we’re teammates and it’s a good feeling. It was one of those things that was meant to happen and I’m glad that it did.”

(On the fan’s ovation for Z):
“It speaks for itself. He has been here for the bad and now the good, and it’s unfortunate that things happen as far as the business side and getting traded, but it’s fortunate that they were able to work something out. When he was gone, fans were saying how much they missed him and how much they wanted him to come back. It’s amazing what he has meant to this organization and, more importantly, to the community and the city of Cleveland.”

(On being on the floor with Z):
“It moves me to the three a little bit more and when they post me up, it opens the floor a little bit more. He is a five that can stretch the floor and knock down a jumper. We are still trying to get everything down chemistry-wise offensively. He’s been in the system for a while, which has made it easier for me. Defensively we all have each other’s back. He has a high basketball IQ and he knows how to play the game and make the game easy.”

(On playing the three position):
“When LeBron sits down, they want me to come in and play the three. The thing about it is when I play the three, I can post up most three’s in this league, and that is what I’m successful at as far as getting on the post and using my quickness and my strength a little bit. It’s one of those things where I have been given an opportunity to put the ball in the basket. My teammates have done a good job of getting me the ball where I can be successful and I have been able to do that lately. Talking to LeBron and the coaching staff, they want me to be aggressive and do the things that I have been doing my whole career.”

ZYDRUNAS ILGAUSKAS

(On the fan’s reception):
“It was great. It was a little emotional the whole day. The crowd was awesome as they always have been for me throughout the years. It was something that I will remember for a long time. People appreciate what I have done over the years and I appreciate what they have done for me and my family for the last 14 years.”

(On his feelings before the game):
“I haven’t been nervous before a basketball game in a long time. From the time I woke up, I just wanted to get here and start playing because it’s been a long time. We got a win so it was a good day.”

(On going forward in the season):
“For myself personally, I know I have to keep working and get better. Each game I feel better and better as far as basketball goes. We have a chance to win it all and that is my only wish for this year.”

(On the team’s championship prospects):
“We have the best record in the NBA. I always thought that if you knock on the door long enough, eventually it will open and we’ve been knocking for a while and came up short a couple of times. Something feels special about this year.”

Postgame Quotes: Kings vs. Lakers

KINGS HEAD COACH PAUL WESTPHAL

“I can’t come in here and be super down about our effort against the NBA Champions. It’s really fantastic to have this building full. Even though there were too many Lakers fans for my taste, it’s a great thing to have that support. I thought we played a good basketball game in a lot of ways – solid. We need to get a few more rebounds against a team that has great size, need to knock down a few more shots and need to make a few more experienced plays that the Lakers are great at because of how long they’ve been together, their cohesiveness and how good they are. I was pleased with our team. I thought there were a lot of good things – but we have to move on to the next one.”

“I thought Tyreke (Evans) missed some lay-ups that he usually makes – I don’t think Ron (Artest) had much to do with it. I doubt if Ron would say he had much to do with it. Tyreke got where he needed to go, made great decisions – he had 25 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, one turnover. If that’s stopping (Tyreke), I’d like someone to stop him every night.”

“If you remember Parish, McHale and Bird, that was a pretty tall frontline too. You have to go to the great teams to find anybody to compare this Laker team to. They can put up a lineup out there that gives them a size mismatch at every position. They decided to play Kobe (Bryant) at point, (Ron) Artest at two with (Lamar) Odom, (Pau) Gasol and (Andrew) Bynum – that’s a very long, versatile, experienced team. They present problems for anybody with their mismatches.”

“I thought that Jason (Thompson), Omri (Casspi), Francisco (Garcia) and (Andres) Nocioni really brought a lot of energy out there off the bench and did a great job in the second quarter. We did well in the second half too. The Lakers’ bench hit some more shots in the second half – we were trying to get them to shoot outside and they finally started hitting some. That gave them a little bit of space and that was all they needed.”

“We felt that offensively we could get some good shots against their length. Our bigs are all good shooters, they have good midrange games and we were able to hurt them that way but they hurt us more inside. Gasol and Bynum were really too tall for us to stop them but when we started double-teaming them we took chances on making them miss some threes and they didn’t miss enough of them.”

Tyreke Evans

On his plan for the night
“When you are playing against the (NBA) champs, you have to be pumped. From the get go tonight my goal was to come out and attack.”

On his spin move for a layup in the 1st quarter
“I caught him (Ron Artest) off guard and he tried to cut to the left and I spun to the right.”

On sensing if the team is growing together
“Definitely. Coach said that we just have to put it all together. The Lakers have been together for a long time and we just all got together. We have to keep working and play as a team.”

On knowing if he was one assist shy of his second triple double
“No, I didn’t know. It would have been nice to get it, but it didn’t happen.”

On going against the Lakers
“It’s tough. Sometimes, guys like Ron Artest let you beat them, but then Andrew Bynum will get a block shot. Two big guys, it is tough to get a shot over them. I was trying to kick the ball out and find the open guy for the shots. If we would have (made) more shots and (got more) rebounds we would have won the game.”

Carl Landry

On the Lakers play tonight
“They just execute their stuff and they run their stuff well. They keep fighting. Andrew Bynum got off to a good start and was able to get second chance points down low. Pau Gasol just kept coming and kept making jump shots, a couple left handed. They just kept planning and executed their offense in the end.”

On having a full house of mostly Lakers fans
“When I came out, I was really surprised. I thought we were almost playing in the Staples Center. I have never seen anything like that before. I know we are in California, but to see all those Lakers fans out there was kind of disappointing, but at the same time it was kind of motivating knowing that if we continue to work hard and do the right things and win ball games, then those Lakers fans could be Kings fans.

On the Lakers front line
“You just have to adjust. For me that is just an advantage being shorter and playing against guys who are bigger than me, I just go right by them. That is an advantage, so I like playing against them. Obviously tonight I didn’t really show it at all and I didn’t have the game I wanted to have, but playing against bigger guys is an advantage for me. It isn’t a disadvantage at all.”

On where the Lakers are right now
“I’m not sure. I am not even worried about the Lakers, I just worry about us. I am worried about us getting better every day, every practice and every game. I don’t care what is going on over there. I could care less.”

Los Angeles Lakers Phil Jackson

Tonight’s game…
“Our second quarter was the nemesis for us again tonight. Our group went out there and went 0-for-8 (in the second quarter). Four guys went out there to play that role. It put them right back in the game, gave them some energy. Then (Lamar) Odom got the technical foul and it contributed to that energy and resurgence for them. We came out the second and played the game that we wanted to play.”

Andrew Bynum’s performance…
“I think we have a better idea what and how to use Drew. Inside he got the resurgence after he really hurt his hip and knee bruise. There were a couple of things physically that kept him from having the power that he likes to have in the post.”

Tyreke Evans’ performance…
“Tonight he almost had a triple-double. He showed a lot of capability against a strong defensive player like Ron Artest.”

Andrew Bynum, LA Lakers Center

Tonight’s game…
“We had one let up in the second quarter. If we cleaned that up …..”

Ron Artest, LA Lakers Forward

Playing in Sacramento…
“There is no feeling. It’s just mute. Right now we’re just trying to win.”

Tyreke Evans’ game…
“He’s a good player. He’s playing like he’s Rookie of the Year.”

Pau Gasol, LA Laker Forward

Comparing Tyreke Evans and Stephen Curry…
“They are different players. Obviously Curry has great ball handling and shooting skills. Tyreke plays well in the lane and uses his size really well. They have different games. They are both great players and have a bright future in front of them.”

Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers Guard

Back-to-back games…
“We’re playing the right way in terms of effort. We’re playing with the right energy to win games. That’s a big step. That’s the kind of things I want to see, playing with more urgency.”

Close games against the Sacramento Kings…
“I think we’re alert, period. I don’t think it mattered who were playing. Right now I think we are alert for sure and that kind of makes us pay more attention because we’ve had difficulties within the season.”

Playing against Curry last night and Tyreke Evans tonight…
“Tyreke is a grown man. Stephen Curry is a phenomenal player. They are completely different players so you can’t compare the two. I might be a little biased too because I’m from Philadelphia and so is Tyreke. Philly guys just have the all-around game, that’s just kind of how it is.”

Postgame Quotes: Kings vs. T-Wolves

KINGS HEAD COACH PAUL WESTPHAL

“Well that was the kind of game we look for every night. We did a great job of taking care of the ball, we ended up doing a great job rebounding, and we moved the ball. (We) got a lot of excellent performances off the bench, especially (Andres) Nocioni and Jason Thompson. It was the way we like Kings basketball to look.”

“I thought that Donte (Greene) really had a rhythm on his shot. He had great balance, took his time, took good shots and really helped to break the game open. I thought that they tried to play a little zone there for awhile and we did a good job of getting wide open shots against that. In general, for the first three quarters for sure, we really moved the ball well and we weren’t even shooting a particularly high percentage but our defense was good enough, our rebounding was good enough, we were holding our turnovers down and it seemed like we were able to get whatever we wanted.”

“Nocioni has had a rough time lately. Sometimes he hasn’t gotten in the game and people are asking me why he didn’t play. He’s been working hard and you just can’t play everybody. He’s been working hard in practice. I think his attitude is fantastic and I have a lot of confidence in him. He’s just a tough player; he’s tough-minded.”

“I think that defense is always effort. Sometimes you can give great effort and they can make shots – (tonight) they were missing shots. We did a good job of limiting them to one shot, coming down and getting good shots on our own. It just was a continuation of how I thought we played in the first half and it just was magnified because they happened to be missing as well.”

On Tyreke Evans:
“His night was sensational. He started off kind of slow, then when we got some stops and got in the open floor he was just unbelievable attacking the rim…I didn’t think he had to do anything that he’s not capable of doing. I think he’s going to have lots and lots of triple-doubles in his career. No, he wasn’t begging to go back in. We really don’t play to pad stats and he doesn’t need it. We play to win the game and he understands that. I think that’s the way it needs to be if you’re going to build a team the way we want to have this team be built.”

“I think Donte really showed how effective he can be when he plays under control and takes what comes to him. He’s a really good shooter when he takes good shots. They were coming his way and he was knocking them down. He seemed to build on the momentum of a little success and really added to it and really put the game away – he was a big part of it.”

Tyreke Evans

“No, I knew Coach was going to take me out. He just left me in longer than what he should have. I was attacking and trying to get the triple-double.”

On if it was deliberate for half, scoring a lot of points, second-half assists
“Yeah, they knew I had a hot hand and I was penetrating. Beno (Udrih) and Francisco (Garcia) were getting their looks and Donte (Greene) was knocking shots down. That is why I got my part on the assists.”

On how nice it was to get a blow-out win
“We came out with not a lot of energy. Coach called a timeout and told us that we needed to pick up the energy. So then we came back aggressive and ‘Cisco came in and talked because he is one of the leaders on this team.”

On how this win will be good for the upcoming Lakers game
This was a big win for us because the Lakers have a good team. They won the championship last year. With Kobe (Bryant) coming here there is going to be a good crowd. We have to bring our ‘A’ game.”

Jason Thompson

“It was a great team effort. We had some energy off the bench and we got it rolling. Both teams started out a little bit sluggish. Overall though, we were limiting their shots and we were getting the rebounds. That is when we were at our best was when we rebounded and ran. We were able to get some easy points which were easier on our offense.”

On the ball movement
“I think we are a good team when we are not turning over the ball. Our assist to turnover ratio was better. Last game we turned the ball over early and it obviously didn’t work out for us. We just took care of it (tonight) and we let the game flow.”

On coming out and having a great third quarter
“Coach said that we had a very solid first half, but we can obviously play better. I think that we showed that in the third. I think it kind of looked like the third quarter we had against Toronto. It was good that we started off the second half on a good note.”

Donte Greene

“Everything was in rhythm and nothing was really forced. I am just trying to stay consistent. We tried to pick it up a little more down the stretch. I was just out there having fun. That is what I do and that is what I try to do, on and off the court. Life is too short to be too serious. I was having a lot of fun tonight.”

On the upcoming Lakers game
“We have a big game on Tuesday. We look at it as trying to keep running our stuff, stay focused and prepare for the Lakers.”

On the team right now
We are all coming together. Now we have a set core and nucleus for this team. We are just learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses and trying to get better everyday.”

Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach Kurt Rambis

On the continuous Kings’ fastbreak
“It wasn’t as much as we have given up in the past. Obviously, it is an area of major concern defense-wise. Everyone not adhering to their responsibilities and what is supposed to happen when a shot goes up. So they are not getting organized in that fashion. Turnovers hurt. Obviously, bad shots hurt. It is an area of our defense, particularly recently, that has been a nemesis of ours and has been causing problems.

On adjusting to the late scratch
“With Darko (Milicic) being a last minute scratch like that certainly hurts. Players mentally prepare and Ryan Hollins was expecting to not start and then had to gear up mentally to start. That is just an excuse. We still have to come out and play hard. I don’t think we played hard except for a few people out there. I like what Damien Wilkens did out there. I like what Ramon (Sessions) did out there. Ryan Gomes did out there. I like what Wayne Ellington did out there. I thought those guys played hard, continued to fight and tried to do the right things out there.”

On Darko’s late scratch
“He was just feeling ill. Dizziness and upset stomach. I’m not sure what his fever situation is but he just started feeling really bad.”

On defending Tyreke Evans
“I thought Wayne did a good job. He was the one individual in particular that, conceptually, understood how we wanted to defend him. So he got a handle on it and what we wanted to do with our defensive game plan more than anyone else.”

On keeping the players motivated
“We work hard in practice; we work on the individual skills to try to get them better. Keep them focused on learning more about the NBA. But really, most of that comes from within. There is no rule or law that says you have a right to anything in this league. No one is going to hand you wins or opportunities. No one is going to roll over if you give 50 percent effort.”

Minnesota Timberwolves Guard Wayne Ellington

On Guarding Tyreke Evans
“He is so tough to play. He can handle the ball and play with his back to the basket. He can get in the lane and I just try to contest his jumper and stay in front of him. That is the best you can do really. I’ve know Tyreke since he was a freshman back in high school. So I know his game a little bit. He is quick. He is a big, strong, athletic guy. It is tough to stay in front of him.”

Postgame Quotes: Kings vs. Blazers

KINGS HEAD COACH PAUL WESTPHAL

“Well I can’t say that was the greatest game the Kings have played this year by a long shot. There was a lot that showed our youth and inexperience. I thought that the Blazers’ defense was very aggressive and took away a lot of our first options. We responded like a team that’s been together for 12 games, which is what we are. They forced us into 20 turnovers. When we’ve been playing well these past eight games, we’ve only had one real bad turnover half – that was the second half in Dallas. We had a bad turnover game today. It takes away any other good things that might happen when you constantly are not getting good shots. Not only that, you’re starting the other team’s fastbreak with your turnovers. So that was a big negative for us. When you look at the stat sheet and the rebounds are relatively even, we shoot 50.6 percent and aren’t even close, that tells you a lot about the importance of these turnovers and just how tough the Blazers were – obviously, Brandon Roy in the first half and throughout the game and then in the second half (LaMarcus) Aldridge. They just picked us apart offensively. They look like a team that’s heading for the playoffs and we look like a team that’s barely been together long. So we need to get better from this game, learn from it, cut down our turnovers and bring more energy for the entire game. I thought that they played with much more energy than we did tonight too which is a really disappointing thing to say – I haven’t said that about our team very often this year – but I thought we looked like we let them be the aggressor tonight.”

“They looked like they were playing the first game of the week and we looked like we were on the second game of a back-to-back, didn’t we? I thought Roy, in the first half particularly, we couldn’t stop him. We did a pretty decent job on the rest of the guys at least numbers-wise but he took whatever he needed to take and it seemed like he never missed.”

“We didn’t do a very good job of getting dribble penetration. I think that we have to space the floor better. We looked at our last game and thought we spaced the floor pretty well against Toronto but tonight looked like we had nowhere to go. We did not space (the floor); we did not attack well. I give the Blazers a lot of credit.”

“(Andres) Nocioni is a good player. He’s proven what he can do in this league. Like everybody else on this team, if somebody’s playing, somebody has to be sitting. It’s nothing against him. We have a lot of players that play that position and it’s hard to give them all as much time as they would like to have. Other times in this year, Andres was playing a lot and I would get questions about why Donte Greene wasn’t playing. Then sometimes Donte and Andres would be playing and people would want to know why Omri Casspi wasn’t playing. We have a lot of good players in that position and we try to give players a fair look for long periods of time but it doesn’t always work that all of them can get as many minutes as they’d like. Right now it happens to be that Andres is left out but he’s a good player and that’s just the way our team is right now.”

Tyreke Evans

On what happened tonight
“They ran plays and we fell apart. We had too many turnovers. I think we had at least 20 turnovers. They also rebounded and got second shots. It looked like they didn’t even play last night.”

On the Trail Blazers’ play
“They have been together for a long time. They just continue to run their offense. Brandon Roy got hot and once he hit they all just started hitting. Rudy (Fernandez) also starting hitting and then we just fell apart.”

On Brandon Roy
“He came out and was able to get to the line. He hit a couple of shots and then he was on from there. He played at his own pace so he was able to find the shots he wanted. He is an All-Star and that is what he is going to do.”

On Andre Miller
“He is a veteran, so he is a smart player. He makes some smart plays and will try to cut you off and stuff. He has been in the league for a long time, so he knows more things than half the players on the team.”

Carl Landry

On what went wrong tonight
“Turnovers were the problem. You can look at the box score and see that. It is plain and simple like that.”

On all the calls by the refs
“That is a part of the game (all the whistle blowing by refs). We missed seven free throws. The rebound war was pretty much the same, but it was our turnovers. That is what killed us. We gave them about 15-20 points just off turnovers.”

On if their back-to-back had anything to do with their play
“It wasn’t them (tonight), it was us. I am not going to give any team in the league credit, we can compete with anyone. They are a good ball team and a playoff team, but tonight it had nothing to do with them playing a back-to-back, it was us.”

On if they are starting to have cohesion
“We are getting better as a team. Obviously it didn’t look like it tonight, but we are. We have practice tomorrow and we are going to go back to the drawing board. We will try to correct some of the mistakes that we had in tonight’s game and the last couple games. We have to just have to try to keep getting better every day.”

Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Nate McMillan

On tonight’s game
“I’m really pleased with these guys. To face the Kings and Golden State, games we really needed, our guys came out with a business-like approach. They played the game from start to finish in a back-to-back. Sometimes letdown is written all over a game like this. We knew they (the Kings) play better in this building and we had to come out and play better than last night. The challenge was to take the fourth quarter (from last night) and take it into tonight’s game.”

On the recent play of Brandon Roy
“It has taken a while to figure out how to use him with this group. Pick-and-rolls, which he has been really good at, teams have been double teaming and trapping. Now we are isolating him and just allowing him to go one-on-one and play from one side of the floor and the middle of the floor. It has taken a little while to adjust with the group that we have and figure out plays and take advantage of his skill. The last two games, he has just taken advantage of that and made good plays.”

On their strategy defending Tyreke Evans
“Nicolas (Batum). Get some length on him. Square your shoulders and try to shadow him in transition because he is really good going coast-to-coast. Just trying to square your shoulders and keep him in front of you and don’t allow him to get into the paint.”

Portland Trail Blazers Guard Brandon Roy

On his recent play
“I was in a great rhythm before my hamstring. I felt like, offensively, I was playing at a high level. And it is coming back. I kind of judge my game between how I’m playing my in-between game, my midrange. When I feel like that rhythm is going, then I am tough to guard. I feel like I am starting to get in a groove and just feeling confident out on the floor.”

On how he approached the game
“Tonight, I wanted to come out and be aggressive. Coming off a back-to-back, I wanted to come out and play hard and let the team know that that was last night and this is another game. Second half, late in the third quarter, I wanted to be patient and get guys involved. The fourth quarter, I wanted to finish the game and took what the defense gave me and continue to be aggressive. Even if that means to pass, just put pressure on the defense.”

On where they fit in the playoff race
“We know we are in eighth place, but we want to move up. It may be tough, but our biggest thing is to try to continue to move up in the standings. I feel like if we look behind us, we may put too much pressure on ourselves. Why settle? Let’s move up as high as we can. I try to look at the teams ahead of us like what the Spurs do, what is Phoenix doing and Oklahoma City. Those are teams that we feel like are close enough that, if they slip, we can catch them.”

On the expectations on the team for this season
“Expectations, those things change. That is why the NBA is 82 games and we have had our share of injuries. It also says how tough the West is. We may win 50 games and who is saying that is a failure. We put the expectations behind us a while ago. I think we are just trying our best to make the most of the team we have now. We have (Marcus) Camby here and he is getting in his flow and helping us a lot. I feel like I am getting my rhythm back from sitting out so long with that hamstring. We feel like we have a pretty good team.”

Postgame Recap: Kings @ Pistons

SACRAMENTO 103, DETROIT 97

February 10, 2010 - At the Palace of Auburn Hills, Kevin Martin tallied a game-high 26 points and Beno Udrih added 22 off the bench to help the Kings secure a 103-97 win over the Pistons. With the win, the Kings surpassed last season’s win total while becoming the first Kings’ team since the 2003-04 season to win back-to-back road contests heading into the NBA All-Star Weekend. The Kings took the lead for good after Martin made two free throws for an 87-85 lead with 6:35 left in the fourth quarter. Each time the Pistons inched closer, the Kings had an answer. Tyreke Evans scored seven of his 13 points in the fourth quarter and Martin tallied nine points, hitting 3-of-4 from the field and all three of his free throw attempts. Sacramento’s defense in the fourth blocked six Pistons’ shots and limited Detroit to 30.4 percent shooting from the field. Andres Nocioni tallied 13 points off the bench and Spencer Hawes grabbed a team-high 11 boards. Tayshaun Prince scored a season-high 23 points to lead Detroit. Rodney Stuckey added 17 points and Ben Wallace grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

Postgame Quotes: Kings @ Pistons

SACRAMENTO KINGS HEAD COACH PAUL WESTPHAL

On back-to-back road wins before the break
“I’m very happy, our team is getting better and one of our problems has been that we let go of leads and two nights in a row we did just the opposite. Tonight our defense really stiffened up and we actually got some stops which is what we needed to do if you want to win road games in this league. So, we are learning and we are getting good performances from different people and we hate to have this break happen right now. However, it’s a good time for it and it is good to take two road wins into the break.”

On bench stepping up
“We were having a hard time playing with any energy at the beginning of the ball game and then Nocioni and Beno (Udrih) came into the game and were just very aggressive and changed the tone of the game for us. Jason Thompson then came in and did a good job on the boards as well. Then when the starters came back in there later, they took the cue from Beno and Andres. It was definitely a group effort in all ways tonight.”

SACRAMENTO KINGS GUARD KEVIN MARTIN

On back-to-back wins on road
“It was huge, especially for our confidence since we were struggling with that coming in to this road trip and we just wanted to get a couple of wins and we did. We just knew what we were up against tonight with the All-Star break here. Sometimes guys mentality is to pack it in early, but we didn’t do that tonight.”

On finishing strong
“We did, we just wanted to execute better down the stretch because when you have guys out there like Rip and Tayshaun who has been through everything in this league, they know how to execute down the stretch and we just wanted to do the same. We hit shots and they didn’t down the stretch.”

On bench help
“Beno (Udrih) and Nocioni came in and gave us a spark and that is what we needed. Sometimes, especially on back-to-backs, with the game that we had in overtime last night in New York, guys played a lot of minutes. So, tonight Beno and Nocioni came in and gave us a big lift and they got everyone else going.”

DETROIT PISTONS HEAD COACH JOHN KUESTER

On the game
“I know our thought process going into this thing was in the right way. In the beginning, we just kept trading baskets back and fourth in the first and second quarter and we couldn’t come up with stops. As good as we were defensively at times last night, we weren’t as good tonight. Going into the fourth quarter, you’re tied up - our execution wasn’t as crisp as it was the night before.”

On Nocioni and Udrih
“Well, Udrih lit us up. He goes from five minutes versus New York and then comes in and lights us up. That hurt and Nocioni came in and hurt us. You have to go into this thing knowing that these guys are in the NBA for a reason and you have to play them straight up.”

On gaining some momentum before the All-Star break
“Going into it, we really had that mindset, looking forward to that next game and recognizing that, ‘Hey, listen, we’re headed in the right direction.’ We took one step forward and two steps backwards. This game can be very unkind to you at times especially if you don’t do things the right way and we didn’t do things the right way defensively or offensively.”

On the team’s consistency
“It seemed like we weren’t as poised as we were the night before. We go from being so poised to not being as in control as we had been. It seemed like we were rushing things. These guys wanted to win so badly tonight but sometimes when you want something so badly you end up rushing as opposed to doing things like you did the night before.”

DETROIT PISTONS FORWARD CHARLIE VILLANUEVA

On the disappointing loss
“It’s very disappointing. We let that that one slip away. We gave them this game. We will spend a couple days off, get away from basketball and be focused on Monday.”

On the game
“I think we were playing well, and then they made a run. We kind of got away from what we were doing at the first half. I think that during first half we were playing very well.”

On the All-Star break
“A lot of things change during an All-Star break when guys come back. Hopefully, we will be one of those teams that can make a push.”

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