Kings band together

They all wore headbands, just like the kind Brad Miller had worn for so many years.

But the Kings center wasn't on the floor with them, and that was really the point of it all.

His teammates who downed Portland 103-86 Friday night at Arco Arena donned the white accessories from beginning to end, in honor of the player whose season ended with a leg problem and elbow ailment that required arthroscopic surgeryFriday. The feel-good gesture transitioned into a feel-good win, with the often-stoic John Salmons - who wears a headband for every game - even chiming in with a bit of humor at the end of it all.

"I was thinking (that) if they miss a couple of shots, don't blame that on me," Salmons said.

They didn't miss many, with the Kings shooting 55.8 percent and seven players scoring in double figures as they played without Ron Artest (sprained left thumb) for the 23rd time this season. Artest's status remains as fluid as ever, and he could be done for the season or play tonight against New Orleans. Either way, Salmons was content to take his place.

The sixth-year player did what he almost always does when he's in the starting lineup, producing with an 18-point, six-rebound, four-assist outing that came on the heels of his 22-point performance at Golden State on Tuesday. It has made for a welcome ending to a season that has been both tumultuous and terrific for Salmons.

The locker room exodus in Minnesota for which he was fined $5,000 was so long ago he has been chuckling about it for some time. But that Nov. 14 incident was the beginning of his season-long story, with Salmons' frustration largely rooted in his diminished role and return to the bench. His production as a starter would never come close to translating into his role as a reserve, but Salmons said he is still pleased with his campaign. For him and for the team.

"It just felt good the last few games to be able to play, to be involved and feel like part of the system again," Salmons said. "I think it's amazing that we won 37 games with all the adversity we went through."

As a starter, Salmons took full advantage of the Artest absences that ranged from his seven-game suspension to right elbow surgery and numerous other ailments. Entering play, he had averaged 17.4 points and 37.7 minutes in those 37 games, shooting 49.8 percent overall and 42.3 percent from three-point range while so often being featured in the offense. In 40 games as a reserve, he averaged 7.4 points and 23.9 minutes, shooting 43 percent overall and 21.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Salmons - who is about to conclude the second season on the five-year deal he signed with the Kings - said he "can't worry" about Artest's future, even though it affects him so directly. Artest has said he is "not likely" to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer, meaning Salmons is likely to remain a reserve unless he or Artest is traded this summer.

Salmons, who played his first four seasons in Philadelphia, said he's more concerned about building on what he deems a season of progress all around.

"One thing I can say is that regardless of what was going on, every game if I was coming off the bench or I wasn't, I tried my best," Salmons said. "Every night I tried. I tried to not show my frustration, because I know I tend to show my frustration with my body language. I don't know. It was just one of those things."

The message remains from when Salmons arrived in 2006.

"I still feel like coming (to Sacramento) was a blessing ... like I'm here for a reason. I'm grateful for the opportunity Reggie gave me. He hadn't even really seen me play at my best, so when I was starting he could've sat me in the corner and not given me the ball, but he gave me the ball and let me play, and it turned out."

"To tell you the truth, I look at this as my third season," he said. "I look at my first year as my last year in Philly. Last year was my second year (hypothetically), and this is my third. That's how I look at it ... I still feel like coming (to Sacramento) was a blessing. I feel like I'm here for a reason."

"I'm grateful for the opportunity Reggie gave. He hadn't even really seen me play at my best, so when I was starting he could've sat me in the corner and not given me the ball, but he gave me the ball and let me play and it turned out. I'm grateful for that."