There is a bigger story going on here as it pertains to Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin, but this is not the time nor the place to go into every last detail.
So the morning after he strangely played just 15 seconds of the fourth quarter in the loss to Boston at Arco Arena, we will focus on how and why that went down as well as why it matters. As for the latter, it matters because it looks as if he'll be on this team beyond the Thursday trade deadline - even if the Celtics and their most well-known fan wish that wasn't the case. And when a player who is working on a five-year, $55 million deal doesn't play when it matters most, that's just not normal. It's not new, either, as there have been a number of odd instances relating to Martin since he returned.
Again, however, we're in hyperfocus mode in this blog post so let's stay there. In the interest of accuracy, I tracked Martin down today to explain how it all went down. He bolted very quickly after last night's game, leaving Kings coach Paul Westphal to discuss the situation (story here and transcript of postgame quotes here). Let the opinion forming begin...
"At the six minute mark, coach said 'Go in,'" Martin informed me. "I walk up to the scorer's table and then head back because (there) was a timeout coming up. On the way back, I said to coach, 'Hey they're playing well. (Do) you want to let them play it out? He said, 'I want you in.' I said, 'OK.' So I was ready to go in at the timeout, then the timeout happened at 3:37 and he looked at me and said, 'Let's just let them play it out.' And I said, 'OK, that's fine.'"
From The Bee
'Free throw woes costly in loss to Celtics,' By Sam Amick
'Garcia finally makes his season debut,' By Jason Jones
From The Contra Costa Times
'Stephen Curry goes cold as Warriors fall to short-handed Lakers,' By Marcus Thompson II
'For Warriors, trade deadline will probably come and go,' By Marcus Thompson II
From The San Francisco Chronicle
'Curry has 'nightmare,' even with solid stats,' By Rusty Simmons
'Will (Corey) Maggette be dealt?' By Rusty Simmons
TONIGHT'S GAME
Kings (18-35) at Warriors (14-38)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland.
TV: CSNCA.
Radio: KHTK (1140 AM); KNBR (680 AM).
Kings update: Last month's game in Oakland showcased all that can go right and wrong with Sacramento. Thanks to crisp and efficient execution, the Kings built an 18-point lead midway through the third quarter. Then their offense and defense tanked, and the Warriors rallied for a 108-101 win. The Kings have won their past two road games, and another win would give them their first three-game road winning streak this season.
Warriors update: As Thursday's trade deadline looms, rumors abound as to which Warrior might be made available. One player that won't be dealt is Stephen Curry. The rookie is emerging as a candidate for Rookie of the Year, and has more freedom lately with Monta Ellis missing time with a knee injury. The Warriors have relied on NBA Development League call-ups lately because of all of their injuries.
Probable starters
KINGS
No. Player Pos.
13 Tyreke Evans PG
23 Kevin Martin SG
18 Omri Casspi SF
20 Donté Greene PF
31 Spencer Hawes C
WARRIORS
No. Player Pos.
30 Stephen Curry PG
22 Anthony Morrow SG
50 Corey Maggette SF
44 Anthony Tolliver PF
15 Andris Biedrins C
- Jason Jones
