AP News, January 24th, 2008
Chris Kaman added another benchmark to his breakout season with 21 rebounds and 20 points, and rookie Al Thornton scored 23 to help the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Sacramento Kings 111-85 Wednesday night.
It was the fifth time in Kaman's five NBA seasons the 7-foot center had at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game. The only other time the teams met this season on Dec. 7 at Sacramento, Kaman tied a career-high with 26 points and had 12 boards in a 97-87 win.
Mike Bibby scored 16 points for the Kings, who committed 22 turnovers and fell to 0-9 on the road this season against Western Conference teams. Brad Miller added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Corey Maggette scored 11 of his 21 points during a 5:05 span of the third quarter, including a 3-pointer that capped a 19-6 run and gave Los Angeles a 69-57 lead. The Clippers extended the margin to 87-67 with 8:35 to play, as Thornton converted a three-point play and Tim Thomas followed with a layup and a dunk 28 seconds apart.
Kaman had 11 rebounds and eight points in the first quarter, including a buzzer-beating 22-foot turnaround jumper he hit over ex-Clippers teammate Mikki Moore after getting a long inbounds pass from Thornton. Kaman's first nine rebounds came during a 5:11 stretch in which Sacramento missed seven of 12 shots, along with a free throw on Moore's second attempt.
Before the game, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy told reporters that he and owner Donald Sterling "are on the same page," following their two-day war of words in the Los Angeles Times.
"We're both frustrated about the losses and we both spoke out of frustration," Dunleavy said. "I had a good conversation with him today, and overall I think I made him feel comfortable and he made me feel comfortable. I know he committed and wants to do whatever it takes to win, and I'm certainly committed. Basically, he said he's a long-term guy, he believes in me and he's got confidence in me, and I feel the same way about him. That's why I took the job."
Notes:@ Kaman's 11 rebounds in the first was two off the franchise record for one quarter, which is shared by Michael Cage and Lorenzen Wright. ... Kaman's career high in rebounds is 23, against Minnesota on March 13, 2006 in a 95-87 win at Staples Center — the same night Dunleavy got his 500th regular-season victory as an NBA coach. ... ... Kings F John Salmons who sat out the final three quarters of Tuesday's 128-94 win over New Jersey with a sprained left ankle, was the first player off the Sacramento bench and had eight points in 22 minutes on 3-for-8 shooting. ... Dunleavy's career coaching record was eight games over .500 when he took the Clippers job. It is now 28 under .500 (563-591). ... Clippers swingman Quinton Ross was 0-for-6 from the field and has missed his last 19 attempts overall.
