Turkoglu got the boost of confidence

When offered another shot at halftime, Divac declined, saying he was just fine on adrenaline alone.

Turkoglu got the boost of confidence he’s been seeking since, oh, maybe training camp, and Divac injected just enough will, guts and guile in his tuckered teammates to help pound out a 99-83 Game 4 triumph over Dallas.

“Those two were big,” Kings guard Bobby Jackson said. “We needed them.”

A night after Turkoglu started in place of injured Chris Webber, he seemed to pucker more than produce, which was hard to do considering the 137 points his club scored. The swingman from Turkey hit 1 of 8 field-goal attempts and 3 of 4 free throws for five points. It was a far cry from the 20 points and 13 rebounds Turkoglu dropped on Dallas in the deciding Game 5 a year ago.

On Sunday, Turkoglu scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, collected four rebounds, made two steals and had two assists. It wasn’t exactly Webber-esque, but it was plenty.

Not that every semi-interested basketball junkie in Turkey didn’t notice. Turkoglu said he felt as if he let his countrymen down with limited play this season, and the flat-lined performance in Game 3 on Saturday.

“People back home, they get up at 4 in the morning to watch me play on TV,” Turkoglu said before Game 4. “They stand the whole time.”

Turkoglu was a late arrival to the Kings’ dressing room after Game 4, having been tied up on the phone with calls to family and friends.

“I was a little bit more comfortable tonight,” Turkoglu said. “I just needed my time. I was in the rotation for a long time, so I just wanted to take my time and use the opportunity to get going.

“I know when I get on the court, I can get comfortable, and I can get hot. Today, I was making my shots, you know. I’m happy, and I hope I continue like this.”

Divac came out of the shower and slumped in his chair, an ice pack practically glued to his elbow. He was weary after Game 3 and exhausted again Sunday. Divac had decent totals in Game 3 with 20 points and 10 rebounds, but his six missed free throws (6 of 12) and wounded wing surely helped Dallas escape with a double-overtime triumph.

His arm held up enough for him to make 6 of 9 shots from the floor, 4 of 6 from the line for 16 points. It feels like jelly, or like Bobby Jackson’s face, which is still numb from his Game 2 run-in with Raef LaFrentz.

All told, the Kings pounded the soft Mavericks interior for 52 points, with Turkoglu and Divac following suit.

“We lost Game 3, but we didn’t lose our confidence,” Divac said. “We knew what we had to do. I feel fine. I’m tired, and my elbow bothers me, but I’m OK. It feels much better now that we’ve won.”

Divac said he knew what Turkoglu could provide.

“He was a lot more confident, and he played like it,” Divac said.