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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Kayte’s Watching NBA Stars In the Making

It’s very easy to look at things in the context of the short term. We do it all the time in our daily lives.

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Is Landry NBA’s Most Improved?

Entering his first campaign with the Sacramento Kings, Paul Westphal wanted to see the team compete to the best of its ability each night and see constant improvement from the young, talented players. He also wanted to see the Kings, whose rebounding ranked 29th in the League in 2008-09, improve their effort on the glass.

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Udrih, Evans Lead Kings into Final Stretch

For the first time in 13 days, the Kings practiced in Sacramento on Friday.

Hit hard by the injury bug in recent days, the Kings began practice with 11 players. Read more

Postgame Recap: Kings @ Pacers

INDIANA 102, SACRAMENTO 95

March 30, 2010 - At Conseco Fieldhouse, Tyreke Evans returned to the Kings’ lineup after missing the last five game and recorded 17 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, and four steals, but Danny Granger tallied 25 of his game-high 33 points in the second half to give Indiana a 102-95 win. Sacramento led by nine, 58-49, to start the third quarter, but the Pacers used a 20-2 run for a 69-60 advantage with 4:14 left in the quarter. The Kings closed to within three, 79-76, at the 9:56 mark of the fourth quarter, but Indiana used a 10-2 run to build a 14-point lead, 92-78, with 6:16 remaining. Sacramento could not get closer than seven points the rest of the way. Beno Udrih and Jason Thompson led the Kings in scoring with 18 points. Evans, Thompson (18 points, a team-high 11 rebounds), and Carl Landry (17 points, 10 rebounds) recorded double-doubles. Troy Murphy also recorded a double-double with 19 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Jon Brockman returned to the Kings lineup after missing the last 20 games, but the Kings played without the services of Omri Casspi (virus), Francisco Garcia (sore right wrist), Sean May (bruised right knee), Dominic McGuire (torn right plantar fascia) and lost Spencer Hawes in the fourth quarter to a left hamstring contusion. Sacramento outrebounded Indiana, 49-35. Granger and Murphy combined for seven of the Pacers’ 12 three-pointers.

Evans, Brockman Likely to Play Tuesday

Led by Beno Udrih’s first career triple-double, a spirited yet injury-riddled Kings team gave all it could muster against the League-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

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Postgame Recap: Kings @ Celtics

BOSTON 94, SACRAMENTO 86

March 26, 2010 - At the TD Garden, Paul Pierce tallied 22 points and Ray Allen added 20 as the Celtics clinched the Atlantic Division with a 94-86 win over the Kings. The Celtics led by as many as 24 points in the third quarter, but the Kings fought back despite playing without Tyreke Evans (concussion) and losing the services of Francisco Garcia (sore right wrist) and Spencer Hawes (lower back strain) during the game. Boston led, 80-64, with 9:32 left in the fourth quarter before the Kings outscored them, 17-7, to cut the lead down to six, 87-81, with 3:12 remaining. The Kings’ bid for a comeback ended after the Celtics scored five straight points, punctuated by a Kevin Garnett slam dunk that gave the Celtics a 92-81 lead with 1:39 left. Carl Landry scored a game-high 30 points, one point shy of career high. Beno Udrih recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 assists. Donte Greene grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Garnett recorded a double-double with 18 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Rajon Rondo became the Celtics’ all-time leader in steals and finished with six points, four rebounds, 18 assists, and three steals.

Postgame Quotes: Kings @ Celtics

Sacramento Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal

How the game unfolded
“It was two different games for us. I thought the second half we really got it going. We played the way we think were supposed to play and we made it interesting. We couldn’t come all the way back because the first half was too much of a whole but I liked what I saw the second half. I was really worried about our ball handling going into this game because Francisco’s wrist has been bothering him on the hand that he broke. Obviously Tyreke’s out and Beno was our only ballhandler. To play Rondo and the Celtics, as aggressive as they are and as good as their defense is, we figured the turnovers would be a problem and they were. But we controlled those a lot better in the second half as well. We played some decent defense and the Celtics were missing as well and we got ourselves back into the game. We got a lot of good performances. Carl showed why we’re so high on him. Jason Thompson got it going in the second half. Sean May was ready to play when Spencer went out with his back. Donte’ Greene did a nice job. I thought Dominic McGuire in the starting role was very solid. So we lost to a great team.”

“Well I was worried about it. We only had two ballhandlers and I’ve been wanting to give Dominic a chance and it’s been hard. But I figure with Pierce, Lebron James and Granger coming up we’ll give him a chance.”

Dominic McGuire

Looking forward to getting chance against Pierce, Lebron and Granger coming up
“Definitely. Those were my assignments last year when I was starting so I’m real familiar with those guys, looking forward to the challenge. Just trying to help this team win moving forward.”

How did you feel about the way the game went
“I’m glad we stuck with it, came back and made it a game. It was a tough first half but we battled back and that’s all you can ask playing against a team like that. They’re a great team, they’re competing for a championship. For a young team like this, this is what you gotta measure yourself against. So it was big for us.”

Carl Landry

Making it a close game second half
“Well we just kept fighting. That’s been our story pretty much all year. Well, not all year, but since I’ve been on the team, just to keep fighting. It’s a 48 minute game and we didn’t give up. This game is played in spurts and runs and things like that. We made a run, they made a run, we just kept fighting.”

Coming off New Jersey game with big game tonight
“I just wanted to be aggressive. Bll wasn’t falling in New Jersey and we really didn’t play well as a team. To lose to one of the worst teams in NBA history is tough. We just wanted to come out and be aggressive tonight and unfortunately we didn’t come up with the win. But we kept fighting and that’s what we want at the end.”

Getting comfortable with the offense
“I’m getting better every game, every practice everyday, every film session. I’m getting more comfortable with the offense, getting more comfortable with my teammates. I’m getting more comfortable with the coaching staff. It will come, it’s only going to get better. I’m still a young player, it’s only my third year in the league and it’s only going to get better.”

Boston Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers

Losing most of a 20-point lead:
“I thought we stopped playing. You know, I wasn’t real happy with it. It was really difficult for me to put the starters back in. I was just going to – but I did. So, it wasn’t the bench’s fault either. And I told the starters that. I thought – I think it was 24, I don’t even know what it was – but I thought before they went out it was 18 and I thought that was the difference. They had a chance. We had the ball three or four or five times with the 24 lead, had a chance to get it to 30, and I thought we didn’t because of the way we started playing. And that allowed them to get to 18. Without Nate, putting Tony in at the point, I just thought it was – now their margin of error was a four-point swing and they had to come out. So I didn’t think it was fair to the bench. It looked like it was the bench’s fault, and it really was not. But we won the game, and t hat’s what you’re trying to do. The only thing is we’re trying to, you know, become a 48-minute team and we were not. But there was – I told them, I’m not going to let that cloud how well we played for two and a half quarters. That was terrific basketball. We were getting stops, the ball was moving. And everything was great. So overall when I watch the film, I’ll watch that.”

Was he upset with Glen Davis:
“Yeah. You don’t get a tech in that situation. When you’re up 18 points, clearly again your team’s struggling, you’re not Garnett or one of those guys. You don’t get the liberty to talk anyway to the officials. I don’t know, clearly he earned it, I guess. But you just don’t get it. And he wasn’t playing well anyway at that point. So, but I thought he was playing like the score and I just told him he’s not at that point yet in his life where he can turn it on or off. And we need him to be an every-possession player. And didn’t think he was that tonight.”

Winning the Atlantic Division for the third year in a row:
“Well, I didn’t know. I guess I didn’t know that. So I guess that’s good. It’s obviously not what we’re trying to do. I mean, it’s nice. Twenty years from now when I’m bragging to my grandkids and lying…but I don’t think…You know, obviously when you have a team with your goals so high, you don’t really focus on it.”

Success at start of the game:
“Just getting stops. I thought we were getting great shots. I thought the first couple actually we took quick shots. But then after that we were getting wide-open shots and guys would make them. It doesn’t ever bother me. The thing I do like about that is a month ago we would’ve been down 10 or 15 and now our team is starting to find – get that old feeling that we’re a defensive team. And if we have a bad stretch offensively, let our defense do the talking. And I think that stretch did that for us.”

Perkins’ knee:
“It’s tendonitis. You know I guess it’s been bothering him for a while, but I didn’t know to how bad it was. And (Trainer) Eddie (Lacerte) right after the game the other night came to me and said, ‘Hey you’ve got to talk Perk into sitting down because it’s not working with me.’ So we just had a little conversation and you know even like Nate wanted to come back in in the second half; his ankle was huge. And you know you just got to get our guys to understand that it’s about being healthy. And right. And that was the conversation I had with Perk.”

Kevin Garnett

Was the team disappointed that they had to come back in the forth.
“No, I mean we were set up right there, to blow the game open, and I mean we didn’t do a really good job at finishing the game off, but I thought that we came out with pretty decent energy. But, for the most part, we didn’t feel over all that we didn’t give the bench enough room for error, if you will, to come in and play and make mistakes and all of the that, you we are down a couple of guys and all of that other stuff. We know we can play better, we will play better, but we never mind playing, you don’t want to get that messed up, or misconstrue anything like that.
You know when you play, you play to open up the lead, and get a certain margin so that you have the freedom to sit down, but anytime you have to come in the game, that’s cool either way. I feel like at that same time, what we were trying to do, was open the game up.”

What is it like to win the division title three games in a row.
“I wasn’t even aware of that. I don’t think that anybody in the locker room said anything like that. I think tonight we were more appreciative of Rondo, and his accomplishments. Anytime you get any kind of record in this organization on a team like what we have, is a huge thing. We are just of appreciative of being in the moment, being here, being apart of it. It is a very special moment, and no one even talked about the division title tonight. Tonight was Rondo’s night.”

How impressive was Rondo’s record.
“Any time you get any record, whether it be assists or steals, or rebounds. Records don’t just fall in your lap. A great effort, and anticipation. I have never been no where near steals and all of that. The anticipation is a gamble at times, but you know we understand Rondo’s game and we all do different things. We know that nine out of ten times he is solid. He does gamble, eight out of ten times he is right. The two we have to make up for, but at the same time when we mess up, he is there to help us, so it eases its self out at the end of the day. It’s a great accomplishment and a big pat on the back for him.”

Rajon Rondo

What is your perspective on your record and more records down the road.
“It may mean more to me one I retire or I am away from here. I am just focused on winning. It is a great accomplishment. This organization has won so many championships and has had some great players come through; so many all-stars have set records here, hopefully down the line another record. At the end of the day I am just trying to focus on getting wins and as an individual accomplishment, they come in the path of doing great things for the team.”

Talk about your 18 assists tonight.
“The best out is just getting shots. Kevin made a lot of shots, Ray made shots as well. The team made shots. I just try and give them the ball. Easy position as possible, but what I was proud about was the turn over, the turn over ratio. I was just trying to keep taking care of the ball. At times I turned down a couple of shots because I was trying to pass it, but other than that, I was just happy taking care of the ball and keeping the turn overs down.”

Ray Allen

Difference in first and second half
“I just think down the stretch we didn’t make shots. They didn’t do anything great, we had a lot of great looks we just didn’t knock them down.”

Establishing home momentum
“Every day is a new day. Its great to be able to get a win and create that momentum going forward, but we have San Antonio Sunday and we want to have a great start and a great finish then too.”

Rondo breaking steals record
“He just creates uncertainty. Point guards just don’t know exactly what to expect, making them so uncomfortable out there on the floor. He’s just so quick, has long arms, before you know it the ball’s going in the other direction.”

Paul and Ray staying aggressive despite age
“Well I believe that even in practice you have to work on the small little things with your explosiveness, not settling for the trey ball, trying to get into the gaps. The mid range shot is so important as we get older, but then you see those gaps, you have to go right after it and attack the bigs. Both of us, we try not to settle. Just seeing the game and what the defense is giving us.”

Rondo’s passing tonight and play of late.
“He is, and its important that we get the ball out. Get it out, if the team scores a lot we have to get it up the floor, and that’s where we are most dangerous.”

Timeout With Truck Robinson

Before the Kings departed for their five-game, nine-day road trip, Kings.com took a two-minute timeout to get to know a little more about how assistant coach Truck Robinson has helped Spencer Hawes continue to develop his game this season. Read more

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