Kings Flashback - Dallas at Kings

With the new Kings season about to begin, I was reminded that I never finished posting the last of my 2000/2001 Kings game recaps. I started re-posting these last summer on this blog...and "re-posted" isn't quite the word, because these sports write-ups had never been seen anywhere before. An ambitious and fanatical Kings fan, I was putting together my own Kings fan web page, and planned to do my own reports on each and every game of the season. Nice idea, but it didn't last too long, thanks to me having a job and everything (come home late from work, watch the entire game, then sit down and write about it? Worked for a few days, at least...). I wrote a total of nine of them, and seven of them I've already put up here, leaving two entries left of my brief foray into sports writing.

These serve as a nice reminder of how good we had it in the golden days of Kings basketball. This was the season when the big run really started to happen. Already getting famous for our dazzling (if not reckless) offense, this was the year we found ourselves a defense thanks to the addition of Bobby Jackson and Doug Christie. This was also the rookie year for our Turkish newbie, one Hedo Turkoglu. It was the year with the cloud hanging over it, as our big star Chris Webber's contract was up and we didn't know if he'd be staying after the end of the season. And it was another year of the unbelievable Jason Williams causing jaws to drop around the globe with his Houdini floor skills. Times were good. For the team, and for what Sports Illustrated voted as the best fans in the NBA - those cowbell-clanging Kings fans.

For me, these write-ups are a reminder of just how obsessed I was with the Kings, and with basketball, during my time living in San Diego (watching every game via League Pass on cable, and watching them with my roommate and fellow King freak Aaron), and how completely annoying I must have been to everyone around me, because I don't think I talked of much else. Had I been living in Sac, that would have been no problem. In San Diego, land of the Laker fans? Well, there was no one in my life there that didn't know who my team was. Or how I felt about the Lakers...

Those golden days are remembered with bittersweet longing now, but we've still got a team, and our new boys (most of them ARE still boys...) deserve their chance to prove themselves and try for their own piece of NBA history. But as we prepare to cheer them on and dare to dream once more, I thought we'd take moment, the night before the 2009/2010 season officially begins for our Kings, to remember those guys who took us from obscurity (I'm being kind choosing that word) and made our team one that no one in sports could ignore...or ever forget.

Travel with me, if you will, to November of the year 2000, and to another sold-out, floor-shaking night at Arco Arena...


Dallas at Kings
11/12/00


Home sweet home.

The Kings continue to pour it on, holding virtual basketball clinics at Arco (and abroad, when you take the Oaktown trip into account) and dishing out mind-boggling (for being the Kings!) defense, tonight rousting the Mavericks in a stunning 109-84 win.

Once again, it was everyone’s game on the Kings side, with masterful (and show-stopping) passing and highlight-making feeds and jams. I should note that Aaron pulled another one on me tonight, as he was apt to last season. Thanks to our schedules, Aaron often ends up watching the games before I get home to watch the tape, and it’s always tricky business, I’m sure, trying to keep from giving anything away. I checked my cell phone voicemail from work, and there was a message from Aaron, telling me he was cooking up some stir fry, so there’d be leftovers, and mentioning, in an unenthusiastic tone, that he was sort of half-watching the game. Leading me to believe, of course, that the two-game trouncing of Golden State was followed up by a little dose of reality for Sac-Town.

Sneaky SOB.

Dallas was looking good for the first couple of minutes. And that’s all they got. It was all Kings after that. Peja got his stroke back in a big way, tacking up 28 points and shooting 4 of 4 for free throws (finally). There was a great moment when he made his first free throw (which we didn’t really get to see, because all cameras were on coach Don Nelson as he dealt with his technical, trying hard to push the ref into bouncing him), and he got some good-hearted heckling from the bench for finally making one. Peja burst into a goofy laugh, and went on to make his next (thanks, Don!). Peja was everywhere again, looking BEAUTIFUL under the net, receiving some great unselfish passing from his teammates. And no slouch from range, of course, Stojk sunk 4 3-pointers to bring the Arco crowd to its feet again and again.

And it was good news/potential frightening news for Webber. Webber was looking fantastic, with more poster slams and slick moves, leading his team to glory as ever. There was one moment of sheer Kings joy, where Chris missed a free throw, which was pulled down by Vlade, and Vlade—with two Mavs on his back—tossed a slick behind-the-back pass to Webb, who leapt up and slammed down with authority. He put up 23 points and 12 rebounds…

…Before we suddenly saw him, out of nowhere, writhing on the floor in agony.

Webber managed to twist his right ankle badly in the middle of a rebound struggle, and fans were deafened by the sounds of a pin dropping somewhere up in the rafters as Sacramento held its breath. This is absolutely the last thing Sac fans ever want to see, especially in the middle of such a joyous game, and in the middle of such a great season-starting run. Chris was helped to his feet and was able to gingerly walk his way to the locker room. Which is good news. As of tonight, Chris’s status is day-by-day, and we’ll need to wait and see if he’s able to come back for Orlando Tuesday…and, more importantly, for the all-important home game against the Lakers on Thursday.

But let’s look at the bright side. Now, mind you, many fans wouldn’t see a bright side in this, but then many fans aren’t the big Funderburke freak that I am. We all know that with Webb down, Lawrence has to step up and fill his all-star shoes. And me, I see this is a golden opportunity for Fundy to really show his stuff. Not that I want Chris out! Even for one game! But if it has to happen, and with how great Larry’s looking this year, we could really see some great stuff off our oft-overlooked bench gem. If Chris needs a break to heal—and frankly, if it has to happen, it could come at a worse time, as once we get past these next two games, we’ve got six whole nights off for him to rehab—I expect to see number 51 step in and really shock some nay-saying sports writers who would be unanimously predicting a Kings slide without our big star. I think they’re in for a big fecal burger, and if they’d look back on last year, they’d maybe remember that the Kings really lit it up during Chris’s injury period last season. Chris is one of the major components to this team—but it’s still a team, and if anything good can come of something like this, it’s a little reminder to the NBA of just how good the Kings as a whole can be, and how deep our bench is when the call goes out. If Chris is parking in the blue spaces for a bit, keep an eye on Lawrence Funderburke, folks. A star could be born.

Obviously Chris and Peja were the big stars of the game, but if I had to pick a player of the game, my vote would go to Doug Christie. The man who’s leading our born-again defense (eight games in, we’ve still held every team we’ve played to under 50% shooting) was on fire tonight, doing it all. Defense. Passing. Offense. It was a big 13 points for Dougie tonight, and the crowd loved it, believe you me. And his 3 steals kept the slaughter going all through four quarters of Big Kings Love. Did I mention how perfect he fits into the Kings style of basketball? I swear, it’s like he’s been there all along. He was heroic tonight, with a couple of his buckets being beautiful, wild fallaways that had no prayer of going in. Ah, but our resident good Catholic boy has prayer on his side. Glad to have you with us, Doug.

Bobby got some minutes, and 9 points of them, and reminded me again what I love about this guy—his hunger. He’s hungry to play, and the love of the game is written all over his face, and in every charge for a loose ball, and in every made shuffle to stick to his man like glue (like Turko-Glue? New, from Romco!). He got a rest, and Rick gave Derek some time, but not enough to make any real contribution. Vlade may have only had 3 points, but his fingerprints were all over this win, with 7—count ‘em!—assists. His court awareness and teammate-reading resulted in a few of tonight’s big highlights. Give it up for the Flopmaster! Speaking of 7 assists, let’s give a shout out to Jason for living up to his reputation, and continuing his masterful late-start season. 12 points for J-Will, kicking it in with the turbos and making the Mavs look like they were standing still. Pollard was large and in effect again, moshing under the boards for 8 big rebounds and a bucket. Jon Barry got his time, and gave up some glory to help teammates look good (like the picture perfect pass to Lawrence for a big jam), managing a fan-pleasing 3 to further coffin-nail Dallas to the Arco floor. And we talked Funderburke? With Webb back in the locker room, Lawrence gave us what may have been a little preview of the Orlando game, chalking up 14 points in his 16 minutes, shooting 4 of 6 and dead perfect for 6 big free-throw points. Rick put in the rookie again for a few, and Turkoglu brought the bench to their feet with his MIGHTY slam in the 4th.

This was a team effort all the way, and Globetrotter-style crowd-wowing. “Unselfish” was the buzz word tonight. They’re going to be showing the 4-main jet pass sequence on SportsCenter, I guarantee you, a textbook (if the Kings were to write the book) example of fastbreak perfection that left Dallas looking like “Hollywood” in Top Gun (“I said where’d he go? Hollywood said “where’d who goooo?”). The boys are in the ZONE, playing Kings ball like the fans want it, and making it count with the newly-found defensive fire that’s giving us the big “W’s” that didn’t always come after a big performance last year.

And then there’s Nick. This really pains me. He pained me last year, because I so wanted him to be part of the team, and he went cold more times than not. This year, things are almost worse, because he has to come off the bench, and he does so, more often than not, desperate, in my opinion. Our bench goes deep, as I said, and a 1st-round draft pick and former superstar like Nick Anderson shouldn’t be the man in the rotation that can’t make it happen, leaving the rookies and non-stars out-performing him. In his 4 minutes (is that all a star rates?), Nick did pick up 3 rebounds, I’ll admit, but for the most part, he just looked sloppy, picking up a foul and giving away an embarrassing turnover. More and more, Nick is looking like the one man who just doesn’t belong on this team. And I’ll say it again…it pains me. I cheer for him when he steps up, hoping the old Nick from his Orlando glory days will awaken, and will join this journey to victory that we’ve set ourselves on. It hasn’t happened yet. And if something doesn’t happen soon, he’s going to see even more bench time, and will be trying to start over next year on another team. I really don’t want to see that happen. I really want Nick to come along for the ride and be a part of the magic. I’ll keep cheering him. I’ll keep hoping. I’ll keep remembering that amazing 25 point game in the early season last year when he shook off his 2- to 4-point games and finally came into his own again. And I’ll keeping waiting to see that happen again. Plenty of games left in the year, Nick. Let’s make something happen.

Dallas, Dallas, Dallas. Don’t know what was up with them tonight, but they have a lot to think about on their way home. Way too much clunk and little if any defense. I’m a huge Finley fan and always love to watch him play, but his 12 points went almost unnoticed tonight. Irk Nowitzki (a little tag from Aaron’s friend Jody, by the way. “Irk”…as in, no “D”) was about the only one bringing any fear with his big 16 (and “big” describes him in just about every way). Laettner (I forgot about his move to Dallas…) made a pretty good showing, tying Finley’s 12. Their bench was actually pretty impressive, outperforming ours and putting a little fear of Texas in us for a while, mainly from Davis and Buckner (11 and 10, respectively). But it was too little, and really much too late. The Kings owned the Mavs tonight, as they have most the last few games against this franchise, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. We need these home games to buff up our record before any of the big road runs upcoming. Home is where we’re going to have to shine if we’re going to improve our standing in the playoffs this year, and so far, we’re off to an amazing start. Arco regulars and long-distance digital League-Passers alike are getting their money’s worth with interest, and we can only hope this stretch can continue, and be indicative of what we’ve got to offer in the months to come.

Now we all start checking the web reports on the Webb, and wait anxiously to see what our hero, maybe our hero for the last season, can do to recoup and get back in game. Godspeed, Webb. The Lakers are waiting for you. And you know how I hate to disappoint a Team of Destiny ™.

Hey, and some NBA news, by the way. Philly’s now 7-0 on the season, and looking like the team to fear. Atlanta, meanwhile, is balancing them nicely at 0-7. You’d think they were playing football in San Diego or something. Cleveland’s looking solid, too, at 5-1. Byron Scott’s New Jersey Nets just beat the living CRAP out of the struggling Sonics last night, 126 to 91. San Antonio—the team tied for my coveted “2nd favorite NBA Team” award with the Suns—dropped one to Dallas a couple of nights back, but are still looking great at 5-2. Did I say Suns? Guess who’s leading the Pacific Division at 6-1 (oddly, losing their only game this year to Golden State), just one game ahead of YOUR Sacramento Kings. The Pacific’s going to be the division to watch again this year. Let’s see if the 3-3 Lakers can wake up and smell the destiny and get back in the race.