Lakers Crown the Queens

Despite a few lean years since they were contenders, the Sacramento Kings still put up a fight before succumbing to the Los Angeles Lakers 106-99 at Arco Arena. Long gone are the Doug Christie/Rick Fox confrontations, the Mike Bibby/Chris Webber/Peja Stojakovich-led offensive might, yet the fervor and the hatred for the Lakers remain. An amused Phil Jackson seemed more enthralled with the raucous Laker fans in attendance than with the squad the Kings had assembled on the floor. One must admit, they were an anonymous group, even for the dreaded Queens. It’s hard to hate someone when you don’t even recognize them. Sure, the uniforms are the same, the noise and volume are insane, but you almost feel sorry for the franchise that came within a Robert Horry three-pointer of reaching the NBA Finals. As the Kings prepare for the lottery and the Lakers try to retool themselves for a deep run into the post-season, the contest was still spirited and chippy. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 30 points and added 9 rebounds to go along with 7 assists. And tonight, Kobe was only charged with 3 turnovers. Pau Gasol (28 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 blocked shot) and Andrew Bynum (21 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocked shots) controlled inside the key in dominating fashion. The Lakers outscored the Kings 60-40 with points in the paint and also held a 50-43 rebound advantage. The Kings were led by rookie sensation, Tyreke Evans (25 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists) who fell one assist shy of a triple-double.

In a style very similar to last night’s contest against the Warriors, the Lakers broke out to an early 28-17 lead after the first period. But Sacramento came storming back in the 2nd quarter to draw within a single point, 49-48 heading into halftime. Spencer Hawes (13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 5 blocked shots) scored early and often but it was the Kings bench that buoyed the dramatic comeback. Omri Casspi (10 points, 2 rebounds) connected on a couple of three-pointers, and combined with Evans and Carl Landry (15 points, 10 rebounds) to overpower the Lakers in the second stanza. But again like last night, the Lakers retook command of the game in the third period behind a balanced attack that also saw a welcome contribution from Sasha Vujacic (6 points, 1 rebound in 12 minutes), in addition to the inside game of Gasol and Bynum. Lamar Odom (10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) drained a trey that gave the Lakers a 67-57 advantage with 4:58 left in the period. The teams would trade baskets with the Lakers holding on to a 77-68 lead after three quarters of play.

The Lakers used a 7-0 run to open the final period which gave them a 84-68 lead. Sacramento called time-out to regroup and promptly went on a 10-4 run to cut the lead back down to 10-points. But that’s when the Kings ran out of bullets in the chamber which allowed the Lakers to coast home to their 50th victory of the season. A late, frantic rally trimmed the lead but the Kings were forced to foul and tonight the Lakers converted their free throws down the stretch. The Lakers travel back home for a home game on Friday against Kurt Rambis and the Minnesota Timberwolves. But instead of taking the bus, they’ll hop onto their charter flight and fly home.