NBA

Szczerbiak is Super Soph

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (AP) -- Wally Szczerbiak left the floor with a gash under his right eye and the Most Valuable Player award in the Schick Rookie Challenge.

Szczerbiak of the Minnesota Timberwolves scored 27 points to lead a team of second-year NBA players past a rookie squad 121-113 in a fast-paced, above-the-rim game featuring slams, no-look passes and alley-oops.


Phoenix's Shawn Marion soars in for one of the many acrobatic dunks of the Schick Rookie Challenge. (Andrew Bernstein/NBAE Photos)
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Momentarily irritated when Khalid El-Amin accidentally hit him across the face in the second half, Szczerbiak slammed the ball to the floor before breaking into a smile and then slapping hands with El-Amin.

Moments later Szczerbiak was forced to leave the floor with blood dripping from his cheek.

"He just caught me good right under the cheekbone. It'll be OK," said Szczerbiak, who's been bothered by a sore knee and considered not playing.

"Once I reassessed the situation and saw how important it was to the fans and the NBA and pretty much the whole game, why wouldn't I want to come and be a part of it?" he said. "I think that's how most of the guys feel."

The game was part of the All-Star Weekend festivities, with the game itself on Sunday.

Local favorite, Steve Francis, who left Maryland after his junior season, added 20 points for the Sophomores. Quentin Richardson paced the Rookies with 20.

Francis hit three straight three-pointers, delighting some of his former fans and getting the team of second-year players off and running in the first half.

Before his third trey, Francis rolled the ball on his finger to fake the shot and then moved to the corner where he dared Marc Jackson to guard him before connecting.

Szczerbiak also hit three first-half three-pointers and scored 15 points to help the Sophomores pull out to a 10-point lead. He finished with five three-pointers, while shooting 11-of-13 from the field.


Chicago's Khalid El-Amin, who scored 18 points for the Rookies, accidentally opened a gash under MVP Wally Szczerbiak's eye. (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE Photos)
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"I can't do junk like those guys," Szczerbiak said. "I had to do something in order to put on a show. A lot of guys want to high fly and dunk. What I do best is knock down the shots."

Darius Miles was 6-for-6 from the field in the first half -- all on dunks. He added a seventh in the second half and could have had an eighth in the closing seconds when the Sophomores backed off and let him fly through the lane. But he missed.

In a show of solidarity, the rookie team all sported headbands, including Mike Miller, who wore his like an ear warmer.

The game pitted teammates against teammates with Lamar Odom of the Clippers woofing at his Los Angeles buddies Richardson and Miles of the Rookie team. When the game was over, Odom gave Richardson a piggy-back ride off the floor.

"There was something of everything, just watching the highlights, the alley-oops, the friendships," said Jason Terry of the Sophomores. "That's why you come to a game like this."

The Rookies stayed close and were within six late before Phoenix's Shawn Marion took two straight passes from Baron Davis for a layin and dunk and then slammed again after Francis missed.

Slowly but surely, fans outside of Sacramento are taking notice of
Predrag Stojakovic
Pronouncing Peja
by Elise Hasbrook

At 24 years of age, Peja Stojakovic is slowly but surely becoming a household name. Imagine that. NBA fans and PA announcers alike can pronounce S-T-O-J-A-K-O-V-I-C. Although most people prefer just to call him Peja, since it rolls off the tongue a little easier.

No question, Peja is one of the purest shooters in the league, and a legitimate candidate for the 2002 NBA All-Star Team. And he should be. Its a rare day when Peja doesnt score 20 or more points as he has in 25 of 35 regular season games played this year. Kings opponents have no answer for the 6-9 forward who consistently shoots over defenders, regularly renders double-teams ineffective, and can put the ball on the floor and drive to the hoop.

True, he has not yet reached the height of his career, but even league officials are recognizing Stojakovic as an up-and-coming player. Because more and more often, Peja gets the calls. Fame and recognition all started for Stojakovic on All-Star weekend (2/10/01) when he finished second to Milwaukees Ray Allen in the 1 800 CALL ATT Shootout (three-point contest), and teamed up with the Monarchs Ruthie Bolton-Holifield to capture the America Online 2ball championship. Then, during last years playoffs, he went off against the Phoenix Suns. Peja carried the Kings to a series-clinching Game Four (5/2/01) victory with a post-season career-high of 37 points, hitting 14-14 from the line, including 4-4 in the final 25 seconds of the 89-82 win.

Starting out the 2001-02 season the way he finished the playoffs, Peja has led the team in scoring in 20 games, and has connected at the free throw line more than any other player on the Kings roster this season. Granted, hes no Shaq, the first player in the NBA to attempt over 200 free throws this year, but Peja has found his way to the charity stripe early and often in most of this seasons games. Come playoff-time, when free throws really count, it can never hurt a team to have a player who gets the chance at free points as much at Stojakovic, especially when that player shoots nearly 90 percent from the charity stripe. But Peja is not content, not yet anyway.

So how does one become one of the best shooters in the league? What any eventual All-Star would do in order to accomplish such a feat he practices. Pejas dedication outside of his practice and game-day obligations is noteworthy. No matter how sweat-soaked his gray shooting shirt is at practices end, Peja will always be one of the last players to leave the court after a two-hour practice.

Usually, he concentrates solely on perimeter shots. Some days, instead of concluding his individual workout with what has become his practice ritual, a full-court hook shot launched from the elbow, Peja goes to the line. Occasionally, hell miss a few of the early attempts, but then Peja closes his eyes and shoots free throws. Recently, hes been spotted hitting as many as seven straight (with his eyes closed) to finish up the practice session.

Its funny how each time his eyes flutter open, he still seems so surprised at his blind success. Its like he doesnt know how good he really is. But thats the definition of a pure shooter like Peja someone who plays unconsciously like his eyes are closed. Never mind the deafening crowd, never mind the defender, Pejas in the zone.

He came into the 2001-02 season fresh off of winning the European Championship with his native Yugoslavia, as well as the tournament MVP award, and he has every intention of exiting the 2001-02 season with an NBA championship. Peja has tasted the fruits of victory. Be sure that hes hungry for it again.

There may be more than 45 games until May, which means that Peja has ample opportunity to lead the Kings in scoring, have a couple of 30- or 40-plus-point games, and basically keep pushing his name east until it has nowhere else to go. Picture households across the nation knowing the name Peja Stojakovic by the time the playoffs roll around. Until then, fans will simply have to bide their time and work on their pronunciation.

Webber Named Western Conference Player of the Week
Kings forward Chris Webber today was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week upon leading the Kings to a 3-0 record, averaging 28.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.67 blocks per game. Webber recorded 21 points, a team-high 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks in a 105-91 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, January 2nd. In a 118-112 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, January 5th, he finished with a game-high tying and season-high 35 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks. Webber concluded the week by notching his first triple-double of the season with a 28-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist performance in a 115-101 win over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, January 6th.