SACRAMENTO, Calif. ? Maybe Sacramento's Chris Webber was in shock after watching tape of the Mavericks' sweep of Minnesota in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.

Maybe Webber was trying to nudge his teammates into realizing what they did in the opening round against Utah will not do this time.

For whatever reason, Webber attempted on Wednesday to set a different storyline for the Western Conference semifinal series against the Mavericks. Instead of trash-talking, Webber resorted to poormouthing.

The poor, pitiful Kings are the underdogs, he said.

"I'm looking forward to playing in a series where we're not expected to win," Webber said. "All the experts and everybody's opinions are that Dallas will win. I'm looking forward to playing."

Webber did not say who made these predictions. His suggestion took on a life of its own.