BLOG UPDATE (4:22 p.m.): I chatted with ESPN's Kamenetzky Bros today about tomorrow's Kings-Lakers matchup. The interview can be found by clicking here.
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Much to the chagrin of Kings fans and surely to the delight of the Lakers, Tyreke Evans is doubtful for Friday's game in Los Angeles.
The Kings rookie continues to deal with right ankle soreness from his lingering sprain, and he and the team are clearly taking a cautious approach with the injury. Yet after Evans missed the last two games (Denver, Philadelphia), it's worth noting that the allure of facing off Kobe Bryant can sometimes be a natural numbing-agent for his hungriest of colleagues.
No one knows that better than current teammate and former King Ron Artest, who would often rest his bumps and bruises against other teams but show up to take on the Black Mamba. The Kings obviously showed they can hang with the reigning champs on Saturday, taking them to double-overtime (and blowing a seven-point lead in the first overtime) with Evans at Arco Arena.
Yet for the time being, it's looking like they'll be taking on that challenge without him this time around.
Speaking of Artest, he remains out after suffering a Christmas night concussion at his home and missing a string of three games that began in Sacramento on Saturday. He is not expected to play tomorrow as well, and the incident is being deemed a mysterious distraction by some LA media.
As I wrote on the day he was supposed to arrive in Sacramento, everything had been going well for Artest in LaLa land to that point. - Sam Amick
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