NBA BASKETBALL:

Theus-led Kings keep exhibition competitive

Lakers hold off Sacramento’s late rally in 94-89 win

Justin M. Bowen

The Kings’ Spencer Hawes dunks Sunday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.

By Andy Samuelson (contact)

Monday, Oct. 13, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Justin M. Bowen

Kings head coach Reggie Theus, a UNLV legend, signals instructions during an exhibition game between Sacramento and the Los Angeles Lakers at the Thomas & Mack Center.

One would have thought the loudest cheers of the night would be reserved for a UNLV legend.

Instead Kobe Bryant and his legion of purple and gold clad fans killed that notion during warm-ups.

“This is still Las Vegas, it’s still home for me,” said Kings coach Reggie Theus, who chuckled at the thought of competing with the NBA’s reigning MVP for applause.

“It’s a comfortable place for me. I have so many friends here that anytime we come to Vegas, it’s like home for me.”

But his home court has recently undergone some considerable changes as Sunday night marked the debut of a new video board and wraparound screens.

Not only was he impressed with the electronic upgrades, Theus said after talking with UNLV coach Lon Kruger he’s excited to watch the Rebels in action this fall.

“He’s done a great job,” Theus said. “Not only the team itself, but gaining back respect in the community.”

Lakers 94, Kings 89

The game, albeit a preseason one, was up for grabs Sunday night at the Thomas & Mack Center and the Los Angeles Lakers trotted out a line-up that featured Brandon Heath, Joe Crawford, Coby Karl, DJ Mbenga and C.J. Giles.

Who? Yeah, not exactly the roster that propelled the reigning Western Conference champs into the NBA Finals last season.

Then again, it’s not like the Sacramento Kings’ final five, which featured Bobby Brown, Noel Felix, Donte Green, Shelden Williams and Jason Thompson, had much more star power.

While it might have made more sense to let these two squads square off in a pick-up game at Las Vegas’ Sunset Park, the 10 young players provided plenty of last-second drama that eventually saw the Lakers escape with their first preseason win in a 94-89 victory.

“I was very encouraged in the way we played,” said Sacramento coach Reggie Theus, who said he enjoyed coming back to his alma mater of UNLV. “We’re just missing right now on the intangibles that will take us to the next place.”

The young Kings nearly pulled off the upset when they cut a 12-point deficit with five minutes to play down to 92-89 with 36 seconds remaining.

A turnover on the next trip down the floor and a missed three-pointer quickly sealed Sacramento’s fate.

“We’ve got talent. I mean, they went to the championship last year, were one of the best teams in the league, and we hung in there,” said Sacramento guard John Salmons, one of three Kings to reach double figures with 11 points.

Despite the close contest, it was clear where the loyalties lied among the announced crowd of 11,000.

“It’s good to be back here,” said a smiling Kobe Bryant, who received a loud roar each time he touched the ball. “I’ve had some great memories here.”

Bryant, who scored nine points in 25 minutes of action, was in Las Vegas each of the past two summers training with USA basketball in preparation for the gold medal the Americans won in Beijing in August.

“That journey is over and we hope to begin another,” Bryant said.

The Lakers, which fell to the rival Boston Celtics in six games last season, should get a big lift from 7-foot center Andrew Bynum — who missed the majority of last season with a knee injury that had to be surgically repaired.

On Sunday the big man scored nine points to go with three rebounds and three blocks.

“It’s the preseason, you can’t really gauge much from it. But he’s looked good in practice while games have been a little more sporadic,” Bryant said of Bynum.

The youthful Kings also looked all over the place in many instances Sunday, but first-round pick Jason Thompson promises Sacramento will be competitive as it showed down the stretch at the Thomas & Mack Center.

“You want to have situations now in the preseason where you can run plays to try and win the game,” said the forward out of Rider, who scored a game-high 15 points to go with eight rebounds.

“These guys might not be the names on ESPN every night, but a lot of people respect their game. And we’re gonna go out there and prove we can play, like we did tonight.”