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Firing on all cylinders
Kings mimic Detroit's style of hustle and tough defense to halt a skid
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, March 7, 2005
Gavin Maloof didn't mean to delay his coach's news conference, but he was holding his own informal roundtable Sunday after the Kings' unexpectedly easy 100-85 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Like the noisy kid in the back of the classroom, the Kings owner couldn't stop gushing over his new-look team in its first home game since the Chris Webber trade.
"That was a symphony," Maloof said. "What a great game, a great effort. We're not playing New Orleans. (Detroit) is the world champion, and we beat them without (two) of our guys. When does that happen? Hustling, playing defense, contesting every shot, rebounding."
A media relations employee asked the owner to pipe down, and Kings coach Rick Adelman invited Maloof to the speaker's podium.
"You can answer these questions," Adelman said.
No reason to. The Kings answered plenty of their own.
With unknowns trailing the revamped team like a shadow, it looked capable of keeping the Sacramento status quo - win, win, win - just like before.
Playing without injured guard Cuttino Mobley and center Brad Miller, the Kings never trailed against the Pistons, using the visitors' formula of defense and hustle to give Detroit its third straight loss and stop their own three-game skid.
The new wrinkle came with two new players. Brian Skinner and Kenny Thomas, both 11-day-old Kings, posted double doubles while longtime starters Mike Bibby and Peja Stojakovic struggled to shoot a combined 11 of 32 from the field.
Thomas and Skinner brought a bit of everything - scoring spurts, defensive stops and crucial rebounds. Skinner finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. The other 6-foot-9 post presence - vaunted Pistons shot-blocker Ben Wallace - had just one swat.
"This is what people should expect from us," said Skinner, who called it "a must (win) game" after the Kings lost to the Charlotte Bobcats, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat to finish the road trip. "We'll play like this consistently. This team already has scorers, but we respect the defensive side a lot more. We'll hustle, get rebounds, and we did that tonight."
Thomas had 19 points and 10 rebounds, the athletic 6-7 forward displaying his outside range and slashing skills. Late in the first half, Thomas scored eight straight points on three jumpers and a layup that secured a 55-46 Kings lead at halftime.
"(Bibby) has been telling me the last three or four games to shoot," Thomas said. "That shows he has a lot of confidence in me.
"That was exciting, the way the fans really got into the game. I've heard (the crowd) before, but being on the right side this time really felt good."
In a true role reversal, the Kings, not the Pistons, were the ones swarming, contesting every shot and gathering loose balls. Detroit shot just 39.1 percent from the field, including a combined 9 of 25 (36 percent) from Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups.
It was the first time the Kings held an opponent to less than 90 points since a Jan. 30 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Pistons - who hit just 11 of 24 free throws (45.8 percent) - hadn't scored 85 points or less since Feb. 5.
Together, Thomas and Skinner helped stymie an Adelman fear from being realized, a scenario in which Bibby and Stojakovic go cold with Mobley and Miller already on the bench. The result: a disappearing offense. But it never happened. Forward Darius Songaila did his best Webber impression to help out, hitting mostly outside jumpers as he scored 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Maurice Evans, starting in place of Mobley, had 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Kings' defense, however, was like none seen at Arco in some time. And coupled with a sluggish Pistons squad playing its sixth road game in 10 days, the Kings led by as many as 16 points during the first half. Detroit opened the fourth quarter on a 9-2 run, cutting the Kings' lead to 76-72. But the Kings responded with a 9-2 run of their own. Skinner received his first Sacramento standing ovation shortly thereafter. And for the present, things looked pleasant - to Maloof and a few thousand others.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12523772p-13379230c.html
Kings mimic Detroit's style of hustle and tough defense to halt a skid
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, March 7, 2005
Gavin Maloof didn't mean to delay his coach's news conference, but he was holding his own informal roundtable Sunday after the Kings' unexpectedly easy 100-85 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Like the noisy kid in the back of the classroom, the Kings owner couldn't stop gushing over his new-look team in its first home game since the Chris Webber trade.
"That was a symphony," Maloof said. "What a great game, a great effort. We're not playing New Orleans. (Detroit) is the world champion, and we beat them without (two) of our guys. When does that happen? Hustling, playing defense, contesting every shot, rebounding."
A media relations employee asked the owner to pipe down, and Kings coach Rick Adelman invited Maloof to the speaker's podium.
"You can answer these questions," Adelman said.
No reason to. The Kings answered plenty of their own.
With unknowns trailing the revamped team like a shadow, it looked capable of keeping the Sacramento status quo - win, win, win - just like before.
Playing without injured guard Cuttino Mobley and center Brad Miller, the Kings never trailed against the Pistons, using the visitors' formula of defense and hustle to give Detroit its third straight loss and stop their own three-game skid.
The new wrinkle came with two new players. Brian Skinner and Kenny Thomas, both 11-day-old Kings, posted double doubles while longtime starters Mike Bibby and Peja Stojakovic struggled to shoot a combined 11 of 32 from the field.
Thomas and Skinner brought a bit of everything - scoring spurts, defensive stops and crucial rebounds. Skinner finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. The other 6-foot-9 post presence - vaunted Pistons shot-blocker Ben Wallace - had just one swat.
"This is what people should expect from us," said Skinner, who called it "a must (win) game" after the Kings lost to the Charlotte Bobcats, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat to finish the road trip. "We'll play like this consistently. This team already has scorers, but we respect the defensive side a lot more. We'll hustle, get rebounds, and we did that tonight."
Thomas had 19 points and 10 rebounds, the athletic 6-7 forward displaying his outside range and slashing skills. Late in the first half, Thomas scored eight straight points on three jumpers and a layup that secured a 55-46 Kings lead at halftime.
"(Bibby) has been telling me the last three or four games to shoot," Thomas said. "That shows he has a lot of confidence in me.
"That was exciting, the way the fans really got into the game. I've heard (the crowd) before, but being on the right side this time really felt good."
In a true role reversal, the Kings, not the Pistons, were the ones swarming, contesting every shot and gathering loose balls. Detroit shot just 39.1 percent from the field, including a combined 9 of 25 (36 percent) from Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups.
It was the first time the Kings held an opponent to less than 90 points since a Jan. 30 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Pistons - who hit just 11 of 24 free throws (45.8 percent) - hadn't scored 85 points or less since Feb. 5.
Together, Thomas and Skinner helped stymie an Adelman fear from being realized, a scenario in which Bibby and Stojakovic go cold with Mobley and Miller already on the bench. The result: a disappearing offense. But it never happened. Forward Darius Songaila did his best Webber impression to help out, hitting mostly outside jumpers as he scored 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Maurice Evans, starting in place of Mobley, had 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Kings' defense, however, was like none seen at Arco in some time. And coupled with a sluggish Pistons squad playing its sixth road game in 10 days, the Kings led by as many as 16 points during the first half. Detroit opened the fourth quarter on a 9-2 run, cutting the Kings' lead to 76-72. But the Kings responded with a 9-2 run of their own. Skinner received his first Sacramento standing ovation shortly thereafter. And for the present, things looked pleasant - to Maloof and a few thousand others.
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12523772p-13379230c.html
