The Sacramento Kings could not stop the firestorm the Miami Heat lit and were defeated 104-83 in front of a nearly sold-out raucous crowd at Arco Arena. Sacramento has lost nine of its last 10 games and has only won three games at home so far this season. Miami increased its winning streak to eight games and has won each of those games by double digits and each of its wins this season were by nine points or more. The Heat have made a turnaround since Nov. 27 after a mediocre 9-8 start this season. There were 16,396 screaming fans in attendance, cheering on their Kings to pull off an upset victory and jeering the controversial forward LeBron James. The waves of boos heard each time he he

Tyreke Evans is the 2010 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year, a very different award than when Kings Vice President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie and coach Paul Westphal played in the '70s. "It was the can and string Rookie of the Year when we played," Westphal said. Yes, the world is different. The basketball world is different, but the game remains very much the same.  Petrie actually won the award (sharing it in 1970 with Boston's Dave Cowens) when there was no marketing arm attached to such things. Both Petrie and Cowens progressed to have solid NBA careers, although Petrie's career was cut short by knee problems. The level of hype with winning the award then is nothing like i

As the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year, Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans was presented the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy in an afternoon press conference today at Arco Arena. The press room was jam-packed with local and national media and applause for Evans' achievement. He received 491 points, with 67 first-place votes worth five points each, 50 second-place votes worth three points and six third place votes worth one point. A panel of 123 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada cast their ballots, and Evans came out on top. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry finished in second place with 391 points, Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings finished in th

After a historic season averaging 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game, Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans will be named the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year (ROY). The 20-year-old Chester, Pa. native became the first Kings player to win a postseason award since Bobby Jackson won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2003 and the fifth rookie in franchise history to win the ROY award. Maurice Stokes of the Rochester Royals, Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas of the Cincinnati Royals and Phil Ford of the Kansas City Kings were the first four. Evans is the first of to win the award in the Sacramento era. He also became the fourth rookie to average 20 points, five rebound

 It's Tuesday, April 27 and I don't know if Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans has been voted the 2009-10 Rookie of the Year. And I don't care. The announcement likely will come within the next few days. And then what? The state is no longer bankrupt? Thieves no longer will steal? The Kings no longer finished with 25 victories in 82 games? I don't think so. It's an individual award in a team game. It's so so-what. Yes, Tyreke Evans deserves the Rookie of the Year in my opinion. He's a bad boy who will turn 21 Sept. 19. That means he'll likely improve immeasurably over the next few years. So check him out four years from now when he matures into a 25-year old man. Imagine this young fella

During an NBA season in which the positives for the Kings are more innate than tangible, rookie guard Tyreke Evans Monday night ensured his first professional season statistically will rank among the best in league history. That it came during a 117-107 defeat by the Houston Rockets and former Kings guard Kevin Martin before a supportive crowd of 14,549 at Arco Arena clearly had become a secondary issue before the game ended. Most of the fans came to cheer one of the few things enjoyable about the team's 25-56 mark with a season-ending game tonight in Los Angeles against the Lakers. Evans struggled through fatigue and nerves, but eventually scored 24 points to assure season game average

At the end of every season, the NBA Rookie of the Year (ROY) Award is awarded to the best rookie of the season. Don Meineke was the first to win the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy in the 1952-53 season. Of the 56 ROYs, 21 basketball hall-of-famers, from Oscar Robertson to Michael Jordan, have emerged. More than 53 percent of retired ROYs were voted into the hall of fame. The next trophy could be coming to Sacramento as Kings guard Tyreke Evans tries to make history becoming the fourth rookie to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists for a season. The first three were Robertson, Jordan and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James. Portland Trail Blazers Television Analyst Mike Rice kn

The Kings currently have a 25-54 record and had won their first game since March 21 last night at Arco. At first you would think this is a negative – which for the present it is, and nobody likes for their team to lose – but if you are looking at the future, this should be seen as a positive. Last month was a great time for Kings fans and basketball fans alike. We were able to watch the NCAA tournament. If you watched enough games, you would have been able to see that there are two great prospects coming out. The consensus is that John Wall of Kentucky and Evan Turner of Ohio State are two difference makers who will be leaving college and entering the 2010 draft. If you are unaware of

After sitting out five games, Sacramento Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans could play today against the Indiana Pacers. After sustaining a concussion when the Milwaukee Bucks' Ersan Ilyasova inadvertently hit him with an elbow, he sat out for three games before practicing last Thursday in Boston. When Evans complained of a headache at practice, the team ruled him out for the next two games. The Kings (24-50) have not done well since Evans' injury, compiling a 1-4 record since then. After beating the Los Angeles Clippers in L.A., the Kings lost at home against the Memphis Grizzlies the next night. The team left for a five-game road trip and lost to a then seven-win New Jersey Nets team, th

The Sacramento Kings unveiled a new ticket package centering around rookie its phenom Tyreke Evans. The "Chasing History Ticket Package" is based on Evans trying to reach the milestone of becoming the fourth rookie in NBA history to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in a season. The first three were current NBA superstar LeBron James and basketball hall-of-famers Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson. When a ticket worth $40.50 or higher is purchased, it will also include a Tyreke Chasing History 20-5-5 T-shirt. The package is available for only three games: April 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers, April 6 against the San Antonio Spurs and April 8 against the Los Angeles

Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans was playing the best basketball of his rookie season, but his it took a bad turn during last Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Late in the fourth quarter, Evans was hit by Ersan Ilyasova while he was swinging his elbows. As a result, Evans sustained a slight concussion, a bruised jaw and two cracked teeth. A fractured jaw was feared to be the diagnosis, and it would have been a horrible end to his spectacular first season in the NBA. He'll miss at least a week, which includes games against the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Jersey Nets and possibly the Boston Celtics. In the last two games played until his injury, Evans chalked up 2

Without a doubt, this has been the best basketball Tyreke Evans has played in his rookie season for the Sacramento Kings The Kings’ 20-year-old guard has averaged 19 points, 8.75 rebounds, 7.75 assists and 0.75 steals per game since March 9.  Since then, the Kings have played the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland and home games against the Toronto Raptors, the Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. In that span the team has a 2-2 record. Evans posted 18 points, six rebounds, six assists and a steal in the 88-81 loss in Portland.  The Kings were within three points of the Blazers late in the game, but the experience of the Blazers overtook the Kings – the least-experienced team in the N

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson – a three-time NBA all-star point guard for the Phoenix Suns – shared his thoughts on Sacramento Kings Rookie of the Year candidate Tyreke Evans Tuesday morning at a press conference. Johnson officially endorsed Evans last week, and came before tonight’s rally to support Evans. "He's doing some amazing things," Johnson said about Evans' performance this season. "He's on pace to do something only three other (rookies) in the history of the NBA have done in the past – averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists (per game)." The three players who Johnson talked about are LeBron James and hall-of-famers Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan. Currently, Evans is

With four games played in March, Sacramento Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans is still producing, despite his team losing three of the last four games to playoff-bound teams. Evans put up 17.5 points, 4.75 rebounds, 5.75 assists and 1.75 steals per game since March 2. He had had a team-high 27 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that has the sixth-best record in the Western Conference.  The Thunder's defense tightened up late in the game, securing a 113-107 home win over the Kings. Oklahoma City's top two players, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, combined for 69 points. The next night, the Kings were in Houston to play the Rocket

The Sacramento Kings (13-15) may have lost to an eastern conference power in the Cleveland Cavaliers (23-8) on Wednesday night, but the team's rookie guard Tyreke Evans impressed all-stars LeBron James and Mo Williams. Evans posted 28 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, a steal and a block in an 117-104 overtime loss to the Cavaliers. "He's a terrific young player," Williams said, who defended Evans for much of the night. "Six-foot-six-inch point guard who can handle the ball...has a quick first-step. You know he's a match-up problem waiting to happen." James always steps up to defend the opposing team's best player down the stretch, and Evans was no exception. "Tyreke's going to be a great

 It wouldn’t have been miraculous for the Kings to get past the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday at Arco Arena. But it would take more maturity and togetherness under fire than Sacramento could manage. The Kings took the more experienced Cavs into overtime before missing all seven of their field-goal attempts. They lost 117-104 before an excited crowd of 16,407. Cleveland improved its record to 22-8 behind the expected dominance of all-star LeBron James, who fashioned his second triple-double with game-highs of 34 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. James was ably assisted by guard Mo Williams’ 27 points and received a surprising season-high 25 points off the bench from veteran center Zydr

 Cleveland Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal has dealt with the obvious.  "I'm doing good," O'Neal said Wednesday morning following Cleveland's shootaround at Arco Arena."I'm getting old."  O'Neal, 38 in March, will team with LeBron James to lead the Cavs against the Kings tonight.  Of course age is relative, but 38 for a professional basketball player is darned near ancient.  It's even older when time inevitably erodes a player's physical skills. Gone are the days when O'Neal could jump to the top of the square on the backboard or exhibit the exceptionally quick feet he combined with brute force to dominate the opposition. He's still a force to be reckoned with. However, there's less