Kenny Thomas

Notes and Quotes

--Peja Stojakovic sat out his second straight game with a troublesome right groin strain. The Kings forward said he can run up and down the floor, but any time he accelerates or tries to jump, he feels a twinge. He expects to be game-ready Tuesday at home against the Philadelphia 76ers. In the meantime, he sits and stews at the action that unfolds in front of him, mindful that a little rest is better than rushing things. He sat out the final three regular-season games last season to rest his groin, and had a productive playoff series against Seattle.
"On game days, when I don't play, I don't feel right (mentally) because I'd rather be playing," he said. "For every athlete, injuries are the worst. We're dependent on our bodies. Thank goodness I don't have anything serious. I'm hoping for better luck for 2006."
--Mike Bibby would prefer not to feel like he's about to cough up his left lung, thank you.
But as serious colds go, this one hasn't been completely unkind. He's still standing, for one thing.
The Kings guard put together his second straight monster game, resulting in two cherished victories to give the season some hope headed into the new year. He warded off a case of the pre-game hacking coughs and a lot of in-game hacks by Boston Celtics defenders determined to slow him down, with pressure even on in-bounds plays. Bibby scored 33 points and had 10 assists in the 116-112 victory at Arco Arena, and those totals are fresh off of his season-high 38 and 10 assists while downing the first-place Los Angeles Clippers. Bibby didn't stick around after the game, showering then hustling home for some sack time.
"Mike's setting the tempo," teammate Kenny Thomas said. "He's putting us on his back and we're following him. I have the utmost confidence in him. I know Mike is going to do whatever he has to do."
Said Boston's Ricky Davis, "Bibby played tough; he had an incredible game. He shot the lights out of the ball. We tried different rotations on him, but nothing seemed to work."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "He put us on his back and he's carried us," -- Kenny Thomas on Mike Bibby.