Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 8 hours ago
On many levels, the Lakers' visit to Sacramento on Tuesday promised to be a doozy.
First, there was the miraculous transformation of the Kings supposedly wrought by the recent addition of Ron Artest. The historically soft-around-the-edges Kings were suddenly reputed to be as tough as pig iron. Could this possibly be true?
Second, the resurgent Kings and the overachieving Lakers were desperately battling to qualify for the playoffs. On a lesser level, to be sure, but the playoff atmosphere at Arco was reminiscent of the glory days of yesteryear.
Best of all was the personal confrontation between Kobe Bryant, the NBA's leading point-maker and Artest, the league's most belligerent defender. In fact, before the game Artest boldly predicted that he would "shut down" Kobe.
The Kings prevailed, 114-96, and here are the whys and wherefores:
FIRST QUARTER
As usual, the Lakers began the game by using Kobe strictly as a facilitator and employing Lamar Odom as their scorer of choice. Odom responded with 12 points in the period, and finished the game with 24, plus 7 assists and 6 turnovers.
Kobe's initial shot came after a series of ball-fakes that rocked Artest back on his heels, but his ensuing 20-footer missed — primarily because Artest waved his right hand in Bryant's face as the ball was released. An illegal action known as face-guarding. Kobe's second try — a pull-up from 20-feet — was smacked by Artest, who quite properly attacked the ball with his left hand.
A quick 3-ball misfired. As did a spinning, fading mid-range jumper. And Artest was right there chest-to-chest, and not buying any more of Bryant's fakes.
Whenever Kobe did manage to drive past Artest, he was met by a committee of defenders. To his credit, Kobe focused on trying to set up his teammates. He finished with 7 assists, but for the game he completed a dozen passes within the context of the Lakers' offense that led to fouls, baskets, and/or wide open shots.
The only bucket for Kobe was a breakaway dunker after a turnover by Mike Bibby.
For the quarter, Bryant was 1-6 and tallied only two points.
Meanwhile, the Kings weren't nearly as physical as advertised. They exhibited the same tardy transitions, silly turnovers (17 for the game), and (except for some early shot-blocking by Brad Miller, who totaled 4) inadequate defense. Their reliance on perimeter shots and back-cuts, and their eagerness to push the ball constituted the same kind of game plan that Rick Adelman has always promoted in Sac City.
In fact, the only discernable Bogarting was done by Bonzi Wells when he shoved Brian Cook as the latter tried cutting through the lane.
After the first quarter, the Lakers led 31-24.
SECOND QUARTER
Phil Jackson opted to rest Kobe as the quarter commenced, and the move backfired. Sans Bryant, the Lakers offense stalled, and the Kings went off on a 10-2 spurt. LA's only score came when Sasha Vujacic intercepted an in-bounds pass. Kobe was sent back into the action, but the Lakers' momentum was gone for good.
The Kings also changed up their defense, doubling Bryant on the wings and on all screen/rolls. On one foray into the paint, Kobe found himself surrounded by four white jerseys and, outnumbered eight hands to two, was forced to cough up the ball.
Kobe was open long enough to bag a 3-pointer only because Artest was scrabbling around in the lane trying to pick up a loose ball. Bryant registered a layup in early offense. And late in the quarter, made a typically brilliant double-crossover flying- flipper in the lane.
Otherwise, Artest was all over him. On a defensive switch, Wells took up the challenge and forced Bryant to bang the backboard with an awkward 17-footer.
For the quarter, Bryant was 3-6 and scored 7 points.
Meanwhile, Artest was also stealing Kobe's thunder at the other end of the court. Hitting treys (4-6 for the game), posting up, running isos from either wing, driving and dishing (5 assists against a single turnover), and even occasionally carrying the ball across the timeline. At the half, Artest had 19 points.
Again, Wells was the only hometown player who showed a penchant for roughhouse play by repeatedly banging with Kobe in the low-post. But Wells aggressiveness was over-the-top and he was tooted for a T.
Only Sacramento's continuing penchant for committing unforced turnovers kept the Lakers in touch.
After the second quarter, the Kings lead was 54-50.
THIRD QUARTER
During the intermission, Jackson made a major adjustment — spreading the offense is such a way that double-teamers had to cover too much ground to get in Kobe's way. Bryant responded with three consecutive hoops on two pulls and a shake, as well as a tricky drive that drew a foul. Add a couple of forced shots that missed and a late quarter baseline drive-and-pull for Bryant.
For the quarter, Kobe was 4-6 for 10 points.
Meanwhile, Brad Miller and Kenny Thomas set a number of solid screens. Artest bulled his way toward the basket against Odom--trying to obtain optimum position before he received an entry pass — and wound up with a pair of free throws. Artest then busted through a double-team and dropped a dime on Miller, who was alone under the ring.
But the Kings' stepped up aggression was once again undermined by too many turnovers, especially when Bibby was taking a blow. Young Kevin Martin doesn't make the grade as a backup point, and this is a trouble spot for the Kings. Actually, the team's most effective replacement for Bibby was Artest.
With Chris Mihm out indefinitely with a severely sprained ankle, the Lakers' interior defense was non-existent. (Bryant had the team's solitary block.) Nor were their offense-to-defense transitions any better. Luke Walton, Vujacic, and Odom were absolute chumps and softies on dee. Kwame Brown played okay defense in the paint, but was lost whenever he had to deal with a sturdy screen. It was Brown, however, who provided the only muscle flexed by the entire team when he earnestly fouled Wells and then Miller, and sent them sprawling to the hardwood.
Rick Adelman gave Artest his first bench-time of the game with only 59 seconds remaining in the period. And the Lakers capitalized with a 5-0 run that moved them right back in the game.
After the third quarter, the Kings' margin was 83-78.
FOURTH QUARTER
Here's where Kobe has historically pulled many a game out of the fire with spectacular shots, steals, passes, and even rebounds. To try to enable Kobe's heroics, Jackson had another trick up his sleeve: Kobe began several possessions opposite the ball on the left box. The ball was then reversed and Kobe zipped up to the wing to receive a pass. Still, Artest held his ground — and whenever Kobe managed to turn the corner, he was greeted with another double-team.
An errant jumper. A quick 3-ball that missed. A spinner in the lane that missed. Then came a critical play: Bryant dribbled laterally to escape still another double-team, but threw a weak pass to the opposite wing that was intercepted by Wells. Kobe chased Bonzi downcourt and caught him just in time to commit a foul just as Wells was sinking a layup. The 3-point play was the pivot upon which the entire game was ultimately decided.
Sure, Kobe sank a 3-pointer against Wells, and an airball was followed by a pair of meaningless treys in garbage time.
For the fourth quarter, Kobe was 4-10 for 11 points. His numbers for the game totaled 12-28 and 30 points (only 17 of which were scored in direct man-to-man contentions against Artest.)
Meanwhile, Miller and Bibby found the range. Artest was the best player on the court — finishing with 8-15 and 28 points.
For the visitors, both point guards — Smush Parker and Vujacic — routinely made horrendous decisions with the ball. Brown demonstrated that the only shots he can convert are dunkers and an occasional free throw. Odom scored his 24 points on drives left and 2-3 from beyond the arc — but, for the most part, seemed confused unless he was put in one-on-one situations.
In truth, the Kings are indeed slightly more physical than they have been in recent seasons. But perhaps not as rough-and-tough as they'll need to be to advance past the first round come the playoffs. They still depend on outside shooting, on Miller's passing from the high-post, and on getting out and running.
Did Artest succeed in his pre-game boast? Absolutely. Under the constant pressure of Artest's stubborn defense, Bryant was never able to create and sustain any kind of offensive rhythm.
Trouble is, if Artest gives the Kings a bona fide stopper, there's only one of him. The fact that none of his teammates can play a lick of defense will ultimately abbreviate the Kings' season.
Charley Rosen is FOXSports.com's NBA analyst and author of 13 books about hoops, the current one being "The pivotal season — How the 1971-72 L.A. Lakers changed the NBA."
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