The Kings continue to search high and low for silver linings to their disastrous season. Yet they missed out on yet another potential positive on Wednesday, when the league announced the participants of the All-Star Weekend Rookie Challenge and no Kings players were among them. The rosters are chosen by the league's assistant coaches, and the Kings were hoping rookie forward Jason Thompson and/or second-year big man Spencer Hawes would be chosen.
But the bigger picture is even more revealing, as the absence of any Kings on the All-Star team or any of the weekend's events means there will be no Kings' presence for the fifth straight year. Not since Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic made the All-Star team in 2004 have the Kings been represented in any fashion. The closest thing to a Kings' appearance during the stretch came in 2007, when Kings co-owners and Palms Casino owners Joe and Gavin Maloof played a large part in planning the Las Vegas All-Star Weekend. CELTICS 119, KINGS 100: The Kings had little trouble with Boston's "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Eddie House, however, was another story.
The former Kings guard and Celtics reserve buried a career-high eight three-pointers in nine attempts en route to scoring 28 points at TD Banknorth Garden. While Allen, Garnett and Pierce combined for 34 points, Boston point guard Rajon Rondo was masterful in scoring 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting to go with nine assists. The Kings led 30-28 after the first quarter, but a 40-19 Boston edge in the second sparked the mild blowout.
