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A sub-Sonic performance
First team is feeble, but bench shows grit
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Wednesday, April 27, 2005
SEATTLE - Kings coach Rick Adelman said Monday that he wouldn't use 11 players Tuesday against the Seattle SuperSonics.
He was right. The Sonics dominated so thoroughly in winning 105-93 that he used all 12 of his players - including sitting all five starters for the fourth quarter.
And don't let the 12-point margin fool you. The Kings suffered a beatdown of royal proportions and return to Sacramento in an 0-2 hole in this Western Conference playoffs series.
"(The Sonics) began to change the game in the second quarter," Adelman said. "They became more physical and aggressive, and we just started messing with the referees. That's not the way you're to win this series."
The only silver lining in the Emerald City was the Kings' bench, which outscored Seattle 31-17 in the fourth quarter and whittled a 26-point lead to eight late in the game.
"The group that was on the floor in the fourth certainly showed the way we're going to have play against this team," Adelman said. "You're going to have be the aggressors."
Sonics guard Ray Allen led all scorers with 26 points, including back-to-back three-pointers in the fourth quarter that helped quell a furious Kings run featuring Bobby Jackson and Eddie House in the backcourt with Maurice Evans, Darius Songaila and Brian Skinner along the frontline.
"That's something our starters are going to have to deal with," said Jackson when asked if the Sonics outplayed the Kings starters, "because Seattle is playing harder."
Jackson played just 23 minutes but led the Kings with 17 points. Mike Bibby finished with 16 points and eight assists in 29 minutes.
"We're going to have to move the ball and share the ball," Bibby said when asked how the Kings can match Seattle's effort.
The Sonics blew the game open with a 33-18 third quarter that must have been particularly difficult for the Kings to watch/play in.
"We looked like we would take anything they'd give us," Adelman said.
Meanwhile, the Sonics and center Jerome James took whatever they liked.
Brad Miller started instead of Skinner at center. Miller, who hadn't started a game since Feb. 27 at Washington because of left leg bruise and then subsequent left fibula fracture, played the first 6:35 before being replaced by Greg Ostertag.
Skinner, who did not play during the first half, also watched Adelman turn to Corliss Williamson to play behind Miller.
Unfortunately, for the Kings, none of these options worked against James.
The former Kings center continued his fine play by making his first seven shots.
By early in the third quarter, James had moved on to abusing Kenny Thomas. He finished with 19 points and nine rebounds (four offensive).
"This is the NBA, and if you leave a man one-on-one that close to the basket, he's going to score 60 percent of the time," James said, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. "My motto this year is 'There's no food in the freezer, and I gotta eat now.' "
The Kings couldn't consistently stop the Sonics offense and trailed 70-51 with 7:13 left in the third.
Seattle received no consistent resistance on its drives to the basket. It didn't make a difference which Sonics player took the ball to the hoop, there was a path available.
The Kings fell apart totally in the third quarter and showed no true inclination to battle for their own positions on the floor, much less try to contest for those belonging to the Sonics. With 1:35 left in the third, the lead was 84-58, and the game was basically lost.
Kings forward Peja Stojakovic had a rough shooting night, going just 3 for 10 and finishing with nine points to go with 10 rebounds.
The Kings were hoping to receive improved performances from Bibby and Jackson, who had combined to shoot just 1 for 23 from the field in Game 1. Both played much better, but not nearly approaching their best against a far more active, cohesive team defense.
Bibby started slowly but began to make shots midway through the second quarter and finished seven of 14 from the field and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line in 29 minutes. Jackson, meanwhile, was one of the key substitutes on the floor when the Kings began to play their most competitive ball of the night.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12795777p-13646445c.html
First team is feeble, but bench shows grit
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Wednesday, April 27, 2005
SEATTLE - Kings coach Rick Adelman said Monday that he wouldn't use 11 players Tuesday against the Seattle SuperSonics.
He was right. The Sonics dominated so thoroughly in winning 105-93 that he used all 12 of his players - including sitting all five starters for the fourth quarter.
And don't let the 12-point margin fool you. The Kings suffered a beatdown of royal proportions and return to Sacramento in an 0-2 hole in this Western Conference playoffs series.
"(The Sonics) began to change the game in the second quarter," Adelman said. "They became more physical and aggressive, and we just started messing with the referees. That's not the way you're to win this series."
The only silver lining in the Emerald City was the Kings' bench, which outscored Seattle 31-17 in the fourth quarter and whittled a 26-point lead to eight late in the game.
"The group that was on the floor in the fourth certainly showed the way we're going to have play against this team," Adelman said. "You're going to have be the aggressors."
Sonics guard Ray Allen led all scorers with 26 points, including back-to-back three-pointers in the fourth quarter that helped quell a furious Kings run featuring Bobby Jackson and Eddie House in the backcourt with Maurice Evans, Darius Songaila and Brian Skinner along the frontline.
"That's something our starters are going to have to deal with," said Jackson when asked if the Sonics outplayed the Kings starters, "because Seattle is playing harder."
Jackson played just 23 minutes but led the Kings with 17 points. Mike Bibby finished with 16 points and eight assists in 29 minutes.
"We're going to have to move the ball and share the ball," Bibby said when asked how the Kings can match Seattle's effort.
The Sonics blew the game open with a 33-18 third quarter that must have been particularly difficult for the Kings to watch/play in.
"We looked like we would take anything they'd give us," Adelman said.
Meanwhile, the Sonics and center Jerome James took whatever they liked.
Brad Miller started instead of Skinner at center. Miller, who hadn't started a game since Feb. 27 at Washington because of left leg bruise and then subsequent left fibula fracture, played the first 6:35 before being replaced by Greg Ostertag.
Skinner, who did not play during the first half, also watched Adelman turn to Corliss Williamson to play behind Miller.
Unfortunately, for the Kings, none of these options worked against James.
The former Kings center continued his fine play by making his first seven shots.
By early in the third quarter, James had moved on to abusing Kenny Thomas. He finished with 19 points and nine rebounds (four offensive).
"This is the NBA, and if you leave a man one-on-one that close to the basket, he's going to score 60 percent of the time," James said, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. "My motto this year is 'There's no food in the freezer, and I gotta eat now.' "
The Kings couldn't consistently stop the Sonics offense and trailed 70-51 with 7:13 left in the third.
Seattle received no consistent resistance on its drives to the basket. It didn't make a difference which Sonics player took the ball to the hoop, there was a path available.
The Kings fell apart totally in the third quarter and showed no true inclination to battle for their own positions on the floor, much less try to contest for those belonging to the Sonics. With 1:35 left in the third, the lead was 84-58, and the game was basically lost.
Kings forward Peja Stojakovic had a rough shooting night, going just 3 for 10 and finishing with nine points to go with 10 rebounds.
The Kings were hoping to receive improved performances from Bibby and Jackson, who had combined to shoot just 1 for 23 from the field in Game 1. Both played much better, but not nearly approaching their best against a far more active, cohesive team defense.
Bibby started slowly but began to make shots midway through the second quarter and finished seven of 14 from the field and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line in 29 minutes. Jackson, meanwhile, was one of the key substitutes on the floor when the Kings began to play their most competitive ball of the night.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12795777p-13646445c.html
