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**Peja Vu** · 03-03-2008, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Kings coach Reggie Theus fined small forward Ron Artest $5,000 for comments he made after Sunday's win over Miami, according to a source close to the team.

On Sunday, Artest questioned Theus for how he coached the Kings' loss at Miami last Tuesday, wondered if the coaching staff shared his desire to make the playoffs.

Theus declined to discuss the fine, but said making comments in the media that are deemed "detrimental" to the team violates his team policy.

"We don't make comments about other players and staff in the (news)paper," Theus said. "We don't do it. Not (comments) that would be deemed detrimental."

**Peja Vu** · 03-03-2008, 07:08 PM

What Artest said:

Quote:

"Beno (Udrih) came out (of the game) with (one) minute to go in the first quarter, and then he sat out for like seven more minutes after that," Artest said. "So we knew when he got back in the game that we'd have a chance to win, (but) we were just wondering when was coach going to make that decision to put him back in the game? Sometimes we had a bad lineup out there too today. We're out there with Q (Quincy Douby), Beno, and Kev (Martin) - some of our worst defenders out there playing against some of the best players in the league, and that don't work.

"We got down 20 (points), and you wonder why we're down 20. But we got back in it as a team. The players decided to play. We're trying to make the playoffs. And once we get the coaches believing that we can make the playoffs, we'll be fine."

....

Quote:

"I'm glad coach didn't give up like he did in Miami," Artest said. "In Miami we were down 14, (and) he pulled me out. We got down 26, and he put me back in the game. But (Sunday) we were down 20, and he let us play. He told us, 'You only have five minutes to get it right,' or he was going to put the young guys in. Sometimes in this league, you're going to get down 20. It happens ... . As long as we keep fighting, we'll get it back."

In a reversal of sorts, Artest questioned the coaching staff's desire after the victory.

"We're trying to make the playoffs," he said. "Once we get the coaches believing that we can make the playoffs, we'll be fine."

**Basel57** · 03-03-2008, 07:52 PM

Wow...surprised he came out and said that publicly about those players.

**Peja Vu** · 03-04-2008, 12:14 AM

Quote:

"Ron has gone after every coach he has played for," said Theus, responding after Monday's practice. "I truly believe his intentions are that he wants to win, and I think sometimes he has trouble expressing that. (But) what Ron has to focus on is that this team needs to finish strong, and he needs to finish strong, and incident-free."

Interestingly, and despite their apparent disconnect, Theus and Artest are in agreement on the pivotal point; both are intent on winning as many games as possible. Theus, it should be noted, continues to play the veterans extensive minutes while Petrie quietly presses for more sightings of Spencer Hawes, Quincy Douby, Shelden Williams and Francisco García.

In some respects, this latest dance can be reduced to the simple fact that the ultra-competitive Artest is increasingly frustrated about the Kings' postseason prospects.

"I want to get into these playoffs really, really bad," he continued, "and there are a couple guys that want the same thing. I'm a sore loser. It's never crossed my mind that we're not going to get into the playoffs. The only thing I support is winning. It's more important to me than anything."

Yet as so often occurs with the Kings' best player, Artest's mannerisms revealed more than his words. Though polite and accommodating while seated in a chair after practice, he was chippy, agitated. He was in continual motion, his legs swaying rhythmically, his massive hands gripping the sides of the chair. Uncharacteristically, he avoided eye contact.

Artest, it should be remembered, has more serious concerns than wins and losses. His 4-year-old daughter is still recovering from cancer surgery. He can become a free agent this summer, and given the Kings' reluctance to offer a long-term deal, is contemplating another move, another team, another coach.

"He plays so damn hard," Theus said. "You can't jump on him every time. Sometimes it gets heated. Now when it goes beyond that, I have to deal with it."

http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/758034.html

**Yao Mania** · 03-04-2008, 09:42 AM

well good to see that cooler heads prevailed in this situation, even though you can hardly use "cooler head" to describe Artest... it's the attitude that all teams should have though - even if you're not gonna make the playoffs, you play to try to win every game. Miami's still playing Wade despite him not being at 100%, and its good to see you guys are still giving it all. It's really unfair sometimes, when the playoff races are close and some teams luck out by playing losing teams that want to tank to end out the season...

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