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**Peja Vu** · 11-21-2007, 01:36 AM

Kings still don't have a road win. Maybe Artest being back can be the remedy to that?

From Sactown royalty, real ugly:

Quote:

Place   W   L    PF   PA   +/-    SOS* 
Home    4   1   523  497   +26   .334 

Road    0   5   468  548   -80   .640

**Weasel** · 11-21-2007, 07:08 PM

Looks like Artest will miss tonights game due to personal reasons.

**Peja Vu** · 11-22-2007, 01:17 AM

Yeah, I guess his daughter is sick or something? Udrih was also out.

Kings left behind by streaking Suns

Quote:

Before the Kings would take the long walk out to the US Airways Center floor, coach Reggie Theus was discussing his starting lineup inside the locker room.

Point guard Beno Udrih, Theus informed reporters, would be out with a sore right quadriceps and replaced by Francisco García. And the small forward spot held by Ron Artest, who scored 33 points against Phoenix on Tuesday but would miss the rematch to tend to his family, would go to ...

"Eddie Johnson!" Theus hollered.

Theus' teammate from the inaugural days in Sacramento had stopped by, taking time out from his gig as a Suns television commentator to visit. The press corps laughed hysterically, asking, "You're starting Eddie Johnson?"

The Kings could have used him.

The Suns ran past the Johnson-less, Artest-less, Udrih-less Kings on Wednesday night, using a dominant 80-point first half en route to a 127-111 rout. It was the highest total in an NBA half since Feb. 29, 1996, when Dallas scored 81 against Denver.

Point guard Steve Nash scored 12 points of his 18 points in the first quarter, at the end of which Phoenix led 47-38. He had 12 of his 15 assists by the end of the half, when the Suns led 80-63.

The 47 first-quarter points were an NBA season high – for this season and last – as the Suns hit 18 of 24 shots (75 percent) and the Kings played catch-up despite shooting 63.6 percent.

The damage was minimized late, as Phoenix led by 30 points in the third quarter. García, who scored a career-high 31 points that were mostly rendered irrelevant, had it just about right.

"They were just making everything," García said. "You know, we played good, but they didn't miss."

**Peja Vu** · 11-22-2007, 01:39 AM

Kings notes: Artest tends to family matter

Quote:

As if the Kings' 2-5 record without Ron Artest to start the season didn't show his worth enough, there was the immediate history to prove the point just as well.

Artest was on top of his offensive game Tuesday against Phoenix, scoring 33 points as the Suns escaped Arco Arena with a 100-98 win. A day later, the Kings had neither the home-court edge nor their small forward's services against the Suns at the US Airways Center.

After flying with the team to Phoenix, Artest left to attend to a family matter in Indiana. According to Kings coach Reggie Theus, one of Artest's two daughters underwent a kidney-related procedure.

"He talked to me about it (Tuesday night), told me that it was possible, that if this (medical situation) came back that he was going to have to go be with his family," Theus said. "And of course I said, 'You've got to go take care of your family first.' "

Theus said he hopes to have Artest back for Friday's game at Portland.

"He was very concerned, but continuously talking about getting back," Theus said. "Basically, he was apologetic in some ways. I said, 'You don't have to apologize – you have to be with your family, your kids.' "

Beno banged up – Kings point guard Beno Udrih said he's optimistic he will play Friday after sitting out Wednesday.

Udrih suffered a right quadriceps contusion in the second quarter of Tuesday's game.

"It wasn't that bad, but it just got tighter and tighter," Udrih said. "I iced it in the second half, but I was getting slower, I couldn't push off, and I was slowing down my teammates."

With Artest and Udrih out of the starting lineup, Theus expressed concern that the lack of ball movement that was so apparent before Udrih's debut on Nov. 10 would return. Theus inserted Francisco García at the point and John Salmons at small forward.

"It makes it tough because now I've got three or four guys on the floor who all need to put it on the floor to play," Theus said.

**Peja Vu** · 11-23-2007, 03:03 AM

Kings Game Plan vs. Portland

Quote:

Head to head: A Kings victory over Portland on Nov. 6, 2000, started an era of relative parity in this series, as the Kings lead 16-11 since then. The Trail Blazers, though, won 11 consecutive times until that point.

Trail Blazers update: The Greg Oden era began with Joel Przybilla starting at center for three games before he was replaced by offseason acquisition Channing Frye. The Blazers are 4-1 at the Rose Garden, with the first defeat coming Wednesday against New Jersey.

By the numbers: The Kings' 0-6 road record is their worst start away from Arco Arena since the 1993-94 team began the season 0-9 on the road.

Trail Blazers injuries: SF James Jones (left knee, out); SF Darius Miles (right knee, out); C Greg Oden (right knee, out).

Kings injuries: PG Mike Bibby (torn ligament, left thumb, out); PG Beno Udrih (right quadriceps contusion, questionable).

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

Kings

No. Player Pos.

14 Beno Udrih PG

23 Kevin Martin SG

93 Ron Artest SF

33 Mikki Moore PF

52 Brad Miller C

Trail Blazers

No. Player Pos.

2 Steve Blake PG

7 Brandon Roy SG

8 Martell Webster SF

12 LaMarcus Aldridge PF

44 Channing Frye C

**Peja Vu** · 11-23-2007, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Udrih and Artest are questionable. Artest, who left the team Wednesday from Phoenix to be with his daughter, who underwent a kidney-related procedure, has not yet rejoined the team. It is not known if he will return for tonight's game.

sacbee.

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