| Udrih has 20 pts with career-high 17 assists |
he key acquisition by the Sacramento Kings at last month's trade deadline was especially beneficial Sunday in a 102-89 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.
And the contributions by Carl Landry couldn't have come at a better time.
Landry had his best game as a member of the Kings, scoring 24 points to help offset the absence of rookie sensation Tyreke Evans, who stayed in Sacramento after suffering a slight concussion and facial injuries Friday in a double-overtime loss to the visiting Milwaukee Bucks.
Landry, acquired from Houston on Feb. 18 in a multi-player deal that sent starting guard Kevin Martin to the Rockets, shot 11-for-14 from the floor and collected six rebounds. He has scored in double figures in every game since coming over from Houston, where he was usually the first player off the bench.
"He's a great player and great addition to our team," said Sacramento point guard Beno Udrih.
Udrih, who has seen his playing time increase since the departure of Martin, scored 20 points and dished out a career-high 17 assists while committing just one turnover in 39 minutes. Udrih said he and Landry have quickly developed on-court chemistry.
"We have learned how to play together," he said. "[Landry] has taught me where the open shots will be and where he likes to put the ball. Today, we really worked well together."
Udrih, who has been especially tough on the two NBA teams based in Los Angeles, nearly signed with the Clippers during the summer of 2008. Instead, he opted for a longer deal to remain in Sacramento, where he was the then-backup to Mike Bibby. The Clippers then signed Baron Davis at about twice the cost.
A 27-year-old from Slovenia, Udrih scored a career-high 30 points against the Clippers at Staples Center in November 2008. He has also performed well against the Los Angeles Lakers this season, totaling 19 points and his previous career high of 13 assists on Jan. 1 at Staples Center. He had 23 points and six assists against the visiting Lakers on Dec. 26.
Udrih, who was coming off a season-high 26 points in Friday's loss to Milwaukee, scored 16 points in the first half as the Kings built a 56-47 lead.
The Clippers (26-44) got as close as 81-74 with 9:14 remaining in the game, but Sacramento reserve Andres Nocioni scored eight points in just under three minutes to extend the lead back to 12.
"We had great performances from our team," said Sacramento coach Paul Westphal. "They showed a lot of heart. To come out and play hard, in a game that isn't going to get you in the playoffs, shows character. A lot of teams are in cruise control and our team has not relaxed one bit."
Without Evans, who is averaging 20.3 points, Sacramento (24-46) was forced to go with its 27th different lineup this season by inserting Francisco Garcia. The fifth-year player, who missed the first 52 games this season after breaking his right forearm in early October when a medicine ball burst while he was lifting weights, scored 16 points, one shy of his season high.
Evans is expected to be re-evaluated on Monday, the team said.
X-rays and a CT scan performed Friday night were negative.
"We lose a lot when he is not in our lineup," Westphal said. "We want him back as soon as possible. He's a mismatch no matter what position he plays."
Eric Gordon was one of the few highlights for the Clippers, scoring 23 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Davis, his starting backcourt mate, scored 13 points, but the veteran point guard was limited to two assists, the eighth time in the last nine games he has been held to single digits in that category. Chris Kaman was the only other Clipper in double figures, scoring 12.
"There's no explanation for our performance," Davis said. "It was just a lack of effort....On a given night, not everyone is always going to have it offensively, but I think there are other things that can be done on the court."
Clippers coach Kim Hughes concurred.
"It was a very poor game for us," he said. "It felt like some of our guys never even got a wake-up call. What bothers me is the effort."
Used courtesy of: NBA.COM |
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