Sacramento 113, L.A. Clippers 106
Webber Returns to Lead Kings
http://www.nba.com/games/20040302/LACSAC/recap.html
SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 2 (Ticker) -- In Chris Webber's return, the
Sacramento Kings showed they can still win without him.
Peja Stojakovic scored six points in the final two minutes as the Kings
held off the Los Angeles Clippers, 113-106.
One of the best players in the game, Webber missed the first 58 games
recovering from knee surgery and serving an eight-game suspension. The
Kings hardly missed the five-time All-Star, posting a league-best 43-15
mark.
Webber was in the starting lineup and came out firing, scoring nine points
in the first quarter on short hooks and mid-range jumpers, even missing a
dunk.
"I really didn't even feel like I was playing until I missed that first
dunk and guys were telling me, 'Your lungs are burning, aren't they?'"
Webber said. "It felt good to score the first bucket in retrospect, but
when I did it, I didn't even realize it."
"Everybody just kind of played like he's been out there the whole time,"
Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "I never expected him to play like he did
tonight. ... He's an amazing athlete."
Overall, Webber played 30 minutes and made 12-of-18 shots, looking very
sharp for someone who had not played in almost 10 months.
"I saw him do good things in practice, but after 10 months to be almost
perfect on his game - whew," Kings center Vlade Divac said. "Obviously,
he's back and he's gonna help us a lot."
"I guess Webber was really rusty," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said.
"I'd hate to see him when he warms up."
Webber took a seat with 4:20 to play as two free throws by Stojakovic
gave the Kings a 101-95 lead.
"I wanted to be in there so bad," Webber said. "But at the same time,
coach has a plan for how I'm going to do. He has a belief and we all
have a belief in the players we have on the team."
"We had been playing with Brad (Miller) and Vlade down the stretch and I
told him that," Adelman said. "I'm not going to extend him. We should be
able to go out and win games with those two guys at the end, too."
However, the Clippers battled back for a 102-101 edge with 2:21 to go on
two free throws by Elton Brand, who scored 25 points.
Stojakovic made a running bank shot with two minutes to go. Marko Jaric
gave Los Angeles its last lead at 104-103 with a weaving layup at the 1:22
mark, but Stojakovic sank two free throws, then made a key steal and layup
for a 107-104 advantage with 51 seconds remaining.
Sacramento held on, making 6-of-6 free throws in the final 23 seconds for
its 12th straight home win in the series.
"That shows about this team," said Divac, who had 12 points, 10 rebounds
and eight assists. 'We're a very good team and we have a lot of different
players who can score, and coach decided to go with the team that played
the first 60 games."
Stojakovic and Miller - an All-Star relegated to a reserve role by Webber's
return - each scored 23 points for the Kings, who swept the season series
for the first time since the 1976-77 campaign, when the Kings were in Kansas
City and the Clippers were the Buffalo Braves.
Corey Maggette scored 32 points and Quentin Richardson added 17 for the
Clippers, who have lost four of five and nine of 12.
The Kings led by as many as 12 points in the first half before settling for
a 60-54 halftime advantage. Webber scored nine points in the third quarter,
but LA closed the gap to 82-78 entering the final period.
Webber's performance even impressed the Clippers.
"That's C-Webb, man," Maggette said. "He came out and did his thing. He
hasn't played for 10 months. But he's an All-Star."
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Webber return a success in Kings win over Clippers
Published 9:55 p.m. PST Tuesday, March 2, 2004
Almost nothing went according to plan in Chris Webber's first game back
from injury.
Webber was stronger, healthier and better than anybody expected - and
the Sacramento Kings eventually finished off a difficult victory without
his help.
Webber had 26 points and 12 rebounds in his season debut, helping the
Kings to a 113-106 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.
Webber was cheered from the moment he took the court for the first time
since injuring his knee in the second round of last season's playoffs.
In the interim, he underwent knee surgery, endured nine months of re-
habilitation and got an eight-game suspension for lying to a grand jury
and violating the NBA's drug policy.
But the mountain of distractions didn't affect the five-time All-Star.
Webber was outstanding, showing no rust after the longest basketball
layoff of his life.
"It feels so good to be contributing to your team instead of being a
distraction in the media or a negative for the stupid things that you've
done," Webber said. "I didn't expect to play (like that), but I did try.
It was just so much adrenaline to hear my name announced. Not nervousness
- a rush."
He wasted no time rebuilding his goodwill in Sacramento.
Webber made a short hook shot on the Kings' first possession, and he had
nine points and six rebounds in the first quarter. On three consecutive
plays in the third quarter, Webber made a hook shot, a long bank shot and
a left-handed hook.
By the time he left for good with 4:20 to play, nobody was in doubt: Webber
will be ready for a playoff run, as long as he recovers from his first game
as quickly as he expects.
"That's what we told him: He's going to have some ups and downs, and that's
OK as long as he's ready in April," said Kings coach Rick Adelman, who stuck
to his pre-set limit of 30 minutes for Webber. "This gives us a really good
idea of how he can be and what he can do. ... I never expected him to play
like he did tonight."
Sacramento swept the four-game season series with Los Angeles - but despite
Webber's play, the Kings nearly blew their 12th straight home victory over
the inspired Clippers.
Webber sat out the final 4:20 - and after Los Angeles trailed for most of
the first three quarters, Elton Brand hit two free throws with 2:21 left
to give the Clippers a 102-101 lead.
But Peja Stojakovic made two free throws moments later, then stole a pass
and drove for a layup. Vlade Divac, Brad Miller and Doug Christie added two
free throws apiece in the final 23 seconds as the Kings hung on for their
10th victory in 12 games.
Though they nearly stole their first victory in Sacramento since Nov. 7,
1997, even the Clippers were impressed by Webber's performance.
"I guess Webber was really rusty," Los Angeles coach Mike Dunleavy said.
"I'd hate to see him when he warms up."
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