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http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12600885p-13455225c.html
Battered Kings flop
Injuries and frustration grow as cold-shooting Sacramento loses to Golden State again.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, March 21, 2005
When Mike Bibby flapped his arms at half-court during the final seconds of the Kings' 104-94 loss to Golden State on Sunday night, he wasn't signifying the latest Kings company line of "learning on the fly."
Nor was he hailing the officials, who were the target of criticism from coach Rick Adelman afterward.
He, like the entire Kings lot, was fed up, frustrated, facing a reality that these final 14 games will be far from easy. Downright daunting is more like it.
The Kings got all the breaks they didn't want against the Warriors, who also beat them 100-97 Thursday. Just before tipoff at Arco Arena, Adelman learned he would be without guard Cuttino Mobley, who has a hairline fracture in his left fourth toe, and forward Corliss Williamson, who has a sore left elbow. The capper came in the third quarter, when center Brian Skinner - he of the much-needed toughness and shot-blocking - was sidelined after spraining his thumbs.
Williamson will undergo an MRI today, and Adelman said he's the least of the concerns.
"Cuttino's is a little scary, because it's a toe, it's sore, he couldn't even limp around," Adelman said. "At this point in the season, I don't even want to speculate, because it usually comes out worse than what I speculate, so I'm going to wait to see."
The action away from the bench wasn't much better. The Kings shot just 2 of 16 from three-point range, with forward Peja Stojakovic the worst culprit. He had 14 points on 4-for-19 shooting and was 2 for 8 from beyond the arc. Bibby had 24 points, but he was 0 for 5 from three-point range.
The Kings shot just 39.8 percent (35 of 88) and lost the rebounding battle 50-41. Most disturbing for Adelman, though, is the continual lack of ball movement. For the 10th time in the last 11 games, the Kings' opponent had more assists - 23-16.
"I want to see more resolve, more urgency when they go out to play," Adelman said. "They are not a lock for anything, and we've got to get that urgency. I think we can be OK, especially if we get people back."
With the Kings down 99-94 with one minute left, Bibby threw his arms in the air when he thought he was fouled on a three-point attempt. Not long after, he was called for a flagrant foul against Warriors forward Troy Murphy. When Bibby argued the call, official Bennett Salvatore called him for his second technical. Bibby threw his headband into the stands, ejected and dejected all at once.
Bibby's first technical came in the third quarter, when he flipped the ball from half-court (amazingly, it went in) after the play was dead and was whistled for a technical that Adelman didn't understand.
"I think the officials had the kind of game we did - bad," Adelman said of Salvatore, Monty McCutchen and Phil Robinson. "Baron (Davis) made a jumper (in the fourth quarter), after the timeout, he throws the ball, and they don't call a technical. ... What's the rationale here? The league can't tell the officials that you're going to say you can't do this anymore, then not tell us. That's the first one I've seen all year."
What's worse is that the Warriors were just as depleted as the Kings. They were without guard Jason Richardson, who flew to Michigan because his stepfather died. Richardson averaged 34.3 points against the Kings this season, including a 40-point effort Thursday. Center Adonal Foyle had the flu, and guard Calbert Cheaney has a sprained right ankle.
Murphy, who scored a game-high 29 points, needed help. Enter 6-foot-11 reserve center Zarko Cabarkapa, who took advantage of Skinner's absence to score 17 points. Rookie center Andris Biedrins had a career-high 12 points and tied his career high with 10 rebounds. "Like coach said, we needed to pick it up, but we didn't," said Kings forward Kenny Thomas, who had 18 points. "I mean this one right here was tough. We should have won that game."
Battered Kings flop
Injuries and frustration grow as cold-shooting Sacramento loses to Golden State again.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, March 21, 2005
When Mike Bibby flapped his arms at half-court during the final seconds of the Kings' 104-94 loss to Golden State on Sunday night, he wasn't signifying the latest Kings company line of "learning on the fly."
Nor was he hailing the officials, who were the target of criticism from coach Rick Adelman afterward.
He, like the entire Kings lot, was fed up, frustrated, facing a reality that these final 14 games will be far from easy. Downright daunting is more like it.
The Kings got all the breaks they didn't want against the Warriors, who also beat them 100-97 Thursday. Just before tipoff at Arco Arena, Adelman learned he would be without guard Cuttino Mobley, who has a hairline fracture in his left fourth toe, and forward Corliss Williamson, who has a sore left elbow. The capper came in the third quarter, when center Brian Skinner - he of the much-needed toughness and shot-blocking - was sidelined after spraining his thumbs.
Williamson will undergo an MRI today, and Adelman said he's the least of the concerns.
"Cuttino's is a little scary, because it's a toe, it's sore, he couldn't even limp around," Adelman said. "At this point in the season, I don't even want to speculate, because it usually comes out worse than what I speculate, so I'm going to wait to see."
The action away from the bench wasn't much better. The Kings shot just 2 of 16 from three-point range, with forward Peja Stojakovic the worst culprit. He had 14 points on 4-for-19 shooting and was 2 for 8 from beyond the arc. Bibby had 24 points, but he was 0 for 5 from three-point range.
The Kings shot just 39.8 percent (35 of 88) and lost the rebounding battle 50-41. Most disturbing for Adelman, though, is the continual lack of ball movement. For the 10th time in the last 11 games, the Kings' opponent had more assists - 23-16.
"I want to see more resolve, more urgency when they go out to play," Adelman said. "They are not a lock for anything, and we've got to get that urgency. I think we can be OK, especially if we get people back."
With the Kings down 99-94 with one minute left, Bibby threw his arms in the air when he thought he was fouled on a three-point attempt. Not long after, he was called for a flagrant foul against Warriors forward Troy Murphy. When Bibby argued the call, official Bennett Salvatore called him for his second technical. Bibby threw his headband into the stands, ejected and dejected all at once.
Bibby's first technical came in the third quarter, when he flipped the ball from half-court (amazingly, it went in) after the play was dead and was whistled for a technical that Adelman didn't understand.
"I think the officials had the kind of game we did - bad," Adelman said of Salvatore, Monty McCutchen and Phil Robinson. "Baron (Davis) made a jumper (in the fourth quarter), after the timeout, he throws the ball, and they don't call a technical. ... What's the rationale here? The league can't tell the officials that you're going to say you can't do this anymore, then not tell us. That's the first one I've seen all year."
What's worse is that the Warriors were just as depleted as the Kings. They were without guard Jason Richardson, who flew to Michigan because his stepfather died. Richardson averaged 34.3 points against the Kings this season, including a 40-point effort Thursday. Center Adonal Foyle had the flu, and guard Calbert Cheaney has a sprained right ankle.
Murphy, who scored a game-high 29 points, needed help. Enter 6-foot-11 reserve center Zarko Cabarkapa, who took advantage of Skinner's absence to score 17 points. Rookie center Andris Biedrins had a career-high 12 points and tied his career high with 10 rebounds. "Like coach said, we needed to pick it up, but we didn't," said Kings forward Kenny Thomas, who had 18 points. "I mean this one right here was tough. We should have won that game."
