TORONTO (CP) - After watching a six-point lead slip away in overtime, Sacramento Kings coach Rick Adelman had more pressing concerns than the play of newly-acquired forward Ron Artest.
"That's a tough loss," Adelman said after the Kings fell 124-123 to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. "(Artest's performance) is real secondary to what I'm thinking about right now but he played well.
"There's things we're going to be able to do, it's just going to take time, but it's very disappointing to lose that game."
The Kings went 1-5 on a six-game road trip, but saw enough from Artest to hope for a brighter future.
In his second game since being acquired for all-star Peja Stojakovic, Artest scored 24 points, including a lay-up with 3.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 108-108 and force an extra frame.
"It was a little bit better, a little bit," said Artest, who has spent much of the past six weeks on the sidelines, waiting to be traded. "I've still got a lot to work on. I'm trying to get a feel for how everybody plays and try to see where I fit in."
The Kings raised eyebrows around the league with last Wednesday's trade for Artest, a talented but erratic player whose career has been marked by missteps and misdemeanours.
The worst and most-publicized incident was a violent brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills in November 2004 when he waded into the crowd and fought with Detroit Pistons fans, earning a suspension for the balance of the season.
A star at St. John's University in his native New York before jumping to the pros after his sophomore season, Artest has struggled throughout his six-year career to keep his focus on basketball.
Before his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, he applied for a part-time job at an electronics store, hoping to swing a discount on a big-screen TV.
The former NBA defensive player of the year once told reporters he racked up steals with ease thanks to his childhood experiences as a petty thief, nabbing bags of cookies from corner stores.
He later earned a two-game suspension from the Indiana Pacers when he asked for a month off before last season, saying he wanted the time to promote the first release from his Tru Warier record label.
After enduring his 73-game suspension last year, Indiana's patience with Artest ran out on Dec. 10 when he demanded a trade. They placed him on the inactive list and looked around the league for a suitor.
The last-place Kings took the gamble and gave up Stojakovic, their franchise leader in three-pointers made.
Kings centre Brad Miller played alongside Artest with the Pacers and says there's more to his new teammate than his reputation suggests.
"He definitely brings an attitude, another guy that can really get into the game and possibly take over as he showed at times tonight," said Miller, who took it upon himself to tell the Kings what kind of player they were getting.
"I just tried to tell the guys a little bit about him, tell coach," Miller said. "I just let people know because I'm really the only one who has any experience knowing what he brings to the table.
"He's just got this determination. Winning is just like the biggest drug that he has. He brings that winning attitude. I'm expecting great things."
Adelman also has high hopes, and felt comfortable enough with his new charge to call Artest's number with the game hanging in the balance.
"He has the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket so I thought he was our best opportunity to get around people and make something happen," Adelman said.
The show of faith wasn't lost on Artest, who didn't expect the attention.
"I was surprised he did that," he said. "When you have a chance to bring a team victory, that's a good thing."