Refresh
Page last updated on Tue Mar 16 16:49:53 EDT 2010
RECAP
11/03/2009 2:07 AM EST
Martin leads Kings past Grizzlies 127-116 in OT
SACRAMENTO 127, MEMPHIS 116 (OT)

By JOSH DUBOW
AP Sports Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif.(AP) -- Paul Westphal has been involved in
hundreds of wins in the NBA as a coach and a player. That didn't
take away from his excitement after his first with the
Sacramento Kings.

Kevin Martin scored 48 points and Beno Udrih hit a game-tying
layup in the closing seconds of regulation to give the Kings a
127-116 overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in their
home opener Monday night.

"That was a special experience for our team," Westphal said.
"It's a night I'll never forget."

As ecstatic as Westphal was with his first win with the Kings,
Allen Iverson was as upset after his first game with the
Grizzlies. After missing the first three games while recovering
from a partial right hamstring tear, Iverson played only briefly
as a reserve, scoring 11 points in less than 18 minutes.

He said he had no problems with his hamstring, but had a big
problem with the playing time he got from coach Lionel Hollins.

"Go look at my resume and that will show you that I'm not a
sixth man," Iverson said. "I don't think it has anything to do
with me being selfish. It's just who I am. I don't want to
change what gave me all the success that I've had since I've
been in this league."

After starting the season with three straight losses on the
road, the Kings came through late to delight a rare sellout
crowd in Sacramento. It was a back-and-forth game down the
stretch with both teams delivering big shots on a night little
defense was played.

The two biggest for the Kings were Udrih's layup with 1.6
seconds left in regulation and Martin's career-high tying
seventh 3-pointer, that gave Sacramento a 116-112 lead with 1:45
remaining in overtime.

After Rudy Gay missed two free throws and Andres Nocioni blocked
a driving attempt from Mike Conley, Omri Casspi dunked in
transition to put the Kings up six. Nocioni's 3-pointer with 48
seconds left gave Sacramento a 121-112 lead, sending the crowd
into a frenzy.

"It wasn't a must win, but it was a much needed win," Martin
said. "We had great fan support tonight. You always want to show
what kind of team you have on opening night."

Spencer Hawes added 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Udrih scored
16 for the Kings, who struggled who gave new coach Paul Westphal
his first win with the team.

Zach Randolph had 30 points and 16 rebounds before fouling out
in overtime. Gay added 21 points and 12 rebounds and O.J. Mayo
scored 22 for the Grizzlies, who fell to 2-26 all-time in
Sacramento.

"Defensively we just broke down tonight and Kevin had a hot
night shooting the ball," Mayo said. "That happens sometimes.
That's why this is the NBA."

Randolph had given Memphis the lead with a fallaway jumper over
Kenny Thomas with 6.1 seconds left for the ninth lead change in
the final 4 minutes of regulation. But Udrih answered for the
Kings off a nice pass from Hawes.

Udrih did not play at all in the season opener but got the key
minutes in this game ahead of rookie Tyreke Evans. He scored
nine points in the fourth quarter, delivering key passes and
running the offense efficiently. Evans had three points, missing
all four shots from the field, as he struggled with a sprained
right ankle.

"He made great decisions down the stretch," Martin said. "He's a
traditional point guard. He's going to make the right plays and
find the open players and take a shot when he needs to."

The Kings gave the fans little to cheer about early, falling
behind 17-4 on a dunk by Gay midway through the first quarter as
they were outhustled for rebounds and loose balls.

Martin quickly got the Kings back into the game, hitting a
3-pointer just before the first-quarter buzzer that was part of
a 17-2 run that gave Sacramento a one-point lead early in the
second.

NOTES: Memphis was not called for its first foul until 1:31
remained in the opening quarter, prompting Westphal to exclaim,
"Finally!". ... Memphis C Marc Gasol tied a career high with 16
rebounds. ... The Kings got 67 points from their reserves, while
getting only 10 from the four starters other than Martin. ... A
few fans waved Israeli flags after each basket by Casspi, the
first player from that country to play in the NBA. He scored 15
points.