Twix
Starter
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12258018p-13122075c.html
Bad start ruins Kings
All the regulars are back, but they don't mesh soon enough against the Trail Blazers.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, February 6, 2005
PORTLAND, Ore. - Kings coach Rick Adelman said he didn't know what to expect by bringing back injured starters Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic and Cuttino Mobley into the starting lineup together. However, in the back of his mind, Adelman knew exactly what logic might suggest. Those three would struggle early, the Kings would struggle early, and the Portland Trail Blazers would kick his squad in their collective gluteus maximus.
The first two of those theories came true, but the Kings were able to hang with Portland long enough during a 114-108 defeat before 19,002 fans at the Rose Garden to make Portland coach Maurice Cheeks start muttering to himself.
http://ads.sacbee.com/RealMedia/ads...l/64313865323634663432303536373430?_RM_EMPTY_ "These guys," Cheeks said of the Kings as he wandered in front of media row during the game's final minutes. "What are they doing?"
What they were doing was reliving the vision of Friday night's comeback win against the New York Knicks that Cheeks had watched on tape.
Sacramento, which trailed by 14 in the first quarter and 18 in the second, had a chance to cut the lead to one point in the third, but Webber had a drive blocked by Portland's Theo Ratliff.
It was late in the fourth when the Trail Blazers increased their lead to 103-94 with 1:31 left on a layin by Damon Stoudamire.
The little point guard from the University of Arizona led his squad with 30 points in a duel against another little guard from Arizona, Mike Bibby, who led the Kings with 35 points on the heels of his career-high 40 Friday night against New York.
But Webber, who earned his second triple double this season and 19th of his career (20 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists before fouling out) despite missing the past four games with an injured left knee, stuck a three-pointer with 56.4 seconds left to get the Kings within 103-97. Stojakovic, Bibby and Mobley each would do the same before the Blazers iced the game by making 11 of 12 free throws in the final 38.8 seconds.
It was somewhat ludicrous the Kings even were in the game after allowing the Trail Blazers to make nine of their first 11 field goals on the way to a 55.1 percent (43 of 78) shooting night. That follows Friday night's defensive ugliness in which the Knicks, on the road, shot a season-high 61.5 percent (48 of 78).
"It's a little disturbing, huh?" Adelman said with a little smile. "We won one, and we lost one. I was surprised we were even in the game at the half with all the run-outs and penetration we allowed."
Webber and Brad Miller, along with some unusually good offensive rebounding, helped keep the Kings within 59-51 at the half. That and the fact that Bibby was allowed to clearly travel out in the open before sticking a three-pointer with 0.1 seconds left in the second quarter.
That basket got Bibby to only seven points, but he continued to make a serious case for himself as an all-star reserve by scoring 28 points in the second half. Afterward, Bibby sat in the locker room with a big bag of ice wrapped around his right ankle.
"They jumped out on us, and then we'd make a little run, and they'd make a little run," said Bibby, who made 13 of 23 field goals overall (4 of 9 three-pointers) and 5 of 6 free throws. "We couldn't ever catch them."
The best news of the night for the Kings was that none of their returnees reported being any worse for wear after the contest.
"I felt good. I didn't expect to get back into rhythm immediately," said Stojakovic, who had missed the past six games with back spasms. He scored 15 points on 4-of-13 field-goal shooting.
Mobley didn't score until the final minute of the game but said he paced himself too much.
"I wasn't aggressive enough," he said after scoring just three points in 26 minutes after missing two games with back spasms. "Only taking seven shots, that's not me."
Bad start ruins Kings
All the regulars are back, but they don't mesh soon enough against the Trail Blazers.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, February 6, 2005
PORTLAND, Ore. - Kings coach Rick Adelman said he didn't know what to expect by bringing back injured starters Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic and Cuttino Mobley into the starting lineup together. However, in the back of his mind, Adelman knew exactly what logic might suggest. Those three would struggle early, the Kings would struggle early, and the Portland Trail Blazers would kick his squad in their collective gluteus maximus.
The first two of those theories came true, but the Kings were able to hang with Portland long enough during a 114-108 defeat before 19,002 fans at the Rose Garden to make Portland coach Maurice Cheeks start muttering to himself.
http://ads.sacbee.com/RealMedia/ads...l/64313865323634663432303536373430?_RM_EMPTY_ "These guys," Cheeks said of the Kings as he wandered in front of media row during the game's final minutes. "What are they doing?"
What they were doing was reliving the vision of Friday night's comeback win against the New York Knicks that Cheeks had watched on tape.
Sacramento, which trailed by 14 in the first quarter and 18 in the second, had a chance to cut the lead to one point in the third, but Webber had a drive blocked by Portland's Theo Ratliff.
It was late in the fourth when the Trail Blazers increased their lead to 103-94 with 1:31 left on a layin by Damon Stoudamire.
The little point guard from the University of Arizona led his squad with 30 points in a duel against another little guard from Arizona, Mike Bibby, who led the Kings with 35 points on the heels of his career-high 40 Friday night against New York.
But Webber, who earned his second triple double this season and 19th of his career (20 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists before fouling out) despite missing the past four games with an injured left knee, stuck a three-pointer with 56.4 seconds left to get the Kings within 103-97. Stojakovic, Bibby and Mobley each would do the same before the Blazers iced the game by making 11 of 12 free throws in the final 38.8 seconds.
It was somewhat ludicrous the Kings even were in the game after allowing the Trail Blazers to make nine of their first 11 field goals on the way to a 55.1 percent (43 of 78) shooting night. That follows Friday night's defensive ugliness in which the Knicks, on the road, shot a season-high 61.5 percent (48 of 78).
"It's a little disturbing, huh?" Adelman said with a little smile. "We won one, and we lost one. I was surprised we were even in the game at the half with all the run-outs and penetration we allowed."
Webber and Brad Miller, along with some unusually good offensive rebounding, helped keep the Kings within 59-51 at the half. That and the fact that Bibby was allowed to clearly travel out in the open before sticking a three-pointer with 0.1 seconds left in the second quarter.
That basket got Bibby to only seven points, but he continued to make a serious case for himself as an all-star reserve by scoring 28 points in the second half. Afterward, Bibby sat in the locker room with a big bag of ice wrapped around his right ankle.
"They jumped out on us, and then we'd make a little run, and they'd make a little run," said Bibby, who made 13 of 23 field goals overall (4 of 9 three-pointers) and 5 of 6 free throws. "We couldn't ever catch them."
The best news of the night for the Kings was that none of their returnees reported being any worse for wear after the contest.
"I felt good. I didn't expect to get back into rhythm immediately," said Stojakovic, who had missed the past six games with back spasms. He scored 15 points on 4-of-13 field-goal shooting.
Mobley didn't score until the final minute of the game but said he paced himself too much.
"I wasn't aggressive enough," he said after scoring just three points in 26 minutes after missing two games with back spasms. "Only taking seven shots, that's not me."
But I'm sure tomorrow (Monday), they'll have tons of practice. Hopefully Cat will finally get to practice with the all the Starters!
