Wake-Up Call: How about those Kings? Barkley coming back; A-Rod overload

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First things first: If the Kings could find a way to play the first period the way they play the third, imagine where they would be now. Last night’s game, which they lost 7-6 in a shootout, is a case in point. They played horribly in the first and magnificently in the third, eventually coming back from a 6-3 deficit to tie the score with only a few seconds left. Now consider the games in which they came out sluggish, scrambled back late but lost in the end. Add this: They’ve lost 7 of 10 shootouts; imagine if that were reversed. Put this all together and their record might be 35-18-2 (or something close to that) instead of 24-22-9. And that would put them in the playoffs. If only the Kings could think -- and play as if -- every period is the third.

Chuck’s back: It was announced today that Charles Barkley will return from his leave of absence and be back on the air Thursday night during TNT’s NBA coverage. Barkley was arrested Dec. 31 in Scottsdale, Ariz., and his leave began Jan. 9. Police said the NBA Hall of Famer had a blood-alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit in Arizona. ‘From the beginning, Charles recognized that he used poor judgment. He took full responsibility and apologized for his actions,’ Turner Sports President David Levy said in a statement. Bottom line: A steep drop (38%) in ratings guaranteed Barkley would be back. And, let’s admit it, he is fun to listen to.

A-Rod all the time: Are you sick of the Alex Rodriguez coverage? Has spring training for the Yankees ever been this crazy? Isn’t it always? They are the Yankees after all. The Orlando Sentinel is covering the news conference for the L.A. Times and other Tribune papers. How many times does A-Rod have to say he’s sorry? Do we care that he’s sorry? And Selena Roberts of Sports Illustrated, who broke the story that A-Rod used steroids, was in the audience. And no doubt so was Peter Gammons, who conducted that ESPN interview with the Yankees star. Great theater in this digital age. Meanwhile, Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz calls for tougher penalties for steroid users.

Speaking of theater: This may be stranger than fiction or, in this case, truth. A play called ‘Back Back Back,’ which opened last year to so-so reviews, follows the careers of three players not-so-loosely based on Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and Walt Weiss. The Dallas Morning News’ Kevin Sherrington riffs on what if the three players in real life actually had been so introspective, particularly in light of the A-Rod controversy. The play opens in Dallas next month, proving once again that timing is everything.

-- Debbie Goffa