SACRAMENTO, California, 19 May 2004 — Peja Stojakovic’s struggles have been a big topic during Sacramento’s second-round playoff series against Minnesota.
Stojakovic, the NBA’s second-leading scorer during the regular season at 24.2 points per game, is averaging just 18.4 points in the postseason and shooting 39.2 percent (73-for-186) from the field.
He isn’t fazed.
Stojakovic seemed to return to regular-season form during Sunday’s Game 6, a 104-87 victory by the Kings that forced Game 7 today in Minneapolis.
He scored 22 points — though only made 8 of 19 shots — and swished a long 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer that gave the Kings a big lift heading into the break. He was active in the offense again, which is a key to the Kings success.
Stojakovic also missed a wide-open layin, but still could find humor in it.
“I’m just being aggressive,” Stojakovic said. “A couple of them I thought were good and they were playing around the rim. I guess I wasn’t good to the rim during the season.”
His sub-par postseason is a surprise considering he’s coming off the best season of his six-year NBA career. The All-Star forward has appeared tired at times while dealing with Trenton Hassell constantly chasing him all over the floor and fighting through screens.
“Even if the shots aren’t falling, we’ve got to do the other things,” said Stojakovic, who became the first Kings player to lead the NBA in free-throw percentage (92.7 percent) since Spudd Webb in 1994-95 (93.4).
A year ago, Stojakovic produced his best postseason. The Kings lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals in seven games.
The 26-year-old Stojakovic, the Kings’ first-round pick with the 14th overall selection in the 1996 draft, averaged 23.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists and shot 48 percent, including 45.7 percent from 3-point range.
Teammate Chris Webber believes a big 3, such as the one before halftime, should help Stojakovic’s peace of mind.
“Hopefully, it gives Peja a lot of confidence,” Webber said after practice on Monday. “The shots he’s missed have gone in and out. It tells you you’re still a great shooter. I’m glad we’re on the road. When you’re on the road, you keep shooting even if you’re missing. When you’re at home, you might have the tendency to stop shooting if the shots aren’t falling.”
“I’m not worried about Peja,” guard Mike Bibby said. “He’s a scorer. That’s what he does.”
McElhiney Becomes First Female Coach of Men’s Pro Team
In Nashville, Tennessee, Ashley McElhiney on Monday was named coach of the expansion Nashville Rhythm of the American Basketball Association, becoming the first female head coach of a men’s professional team.
McElhiney, 22, is a Tennessee native who starred as a player at nearby Vanderbilt University.
“I’ve said from day one that my goal was not only to put a competitive team on the floor but to give qualified females opportunities they are not normally afforded,” said Nashville’s Sally Anthony, one of four female owners in the 28-team league.
“Ultimately, I think the Nashville Rhythm, and the ABA as a whole, can be a stepping stone for a qualified woman to coach in the NBA.”
McElhiney played for the United States at the 2001 World University Games.
