http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/119760.html
Fourth-quarter slumps continue for Kings
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:35 am PST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
The drought was maddening, but nothing like enduring it in person.
Kings coach Eric Musselman watched his team away from Arco Arena on Monday night, when a dominating performance against New Orleans was nearly negated by another fourth-quarter scoring drought. The Kings shot just 26.1 percent in the final quarter before pulling out their third consecutive victory.
"We got stagnant," said Musselman, who completed his two-game league suspension for driving under the influence. "The ball didn't move as much. It was the same thing that's happened for other games this year. It was good to sit back and not be emotionally involved in the game."
Good because they won, of course, with acting head coach Scott Brooks going 2-0 and the Kings coming within three games of the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Still, Musselman said the dry spells remain a concern.
"We've got to do a better job with random pick and rolls, and kind of just playing when something breaks down," he said. "The lulls are not as big as they were, and that's probably why we've been playing better basketball."
Rhythm and blues -- It's not a new quandary, even if it was a new coach.
The sporadic longtime benchings of Kevin Martin continue to frustrate the third-year shooting guard, with the previous cases coming at Musselman's discretion but the latest on Brooks' watch.
Monday, Martin spent more than 10 minutes on the bench from late in the third quarter until the 4:22 mark in the fourth. Before being replaced by John Salmons, he had hit 4 of 6 shots and had 12 points.
"I just felt Kevin did not have the rhythm, and Johnnie was doing a pretty good job," Brooks said. "He didn't have his best stuff, but his line was solid. You want to have solid games when you don't have your best stuff."
Martin -- who finished with 14 points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 29 minutes -- saw it differently.
"I was in rhythm," said Martin, who is averaging a team-best 20.7 points. "I felt fine. My shots were going down. I don't even know how to put it, but I know it's going to happen from time to time."
This season, Martin has played 29 or fewer minutes in a game 10 times.
Grading the fill-in -- The verdict from Ron Artest on how Brooks and Musselman varied at the helm?
"It's just two different personalities," he said. "Scotty Brooks is a former NBA player, a champion I (believe), too. He played for a great coach (Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich), has lots of experience, and one day he'll be a head coach somewhere. Eric is a young coach, still learning a lot, a real intense coach. It really didn't feel much different besides the personality of the coaches."
Salmons said Brooks managed the situation well.
"As far as controlling the game, knowing who to put in at the right time, knowing what plays to call at the right time, he did a good job," he said. "A couple times, when we were making a run and they were kind out of it, we ran zone (defense) to try to trick them some more. He did a good job. I give him an 'A.' "
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Fourth-quarter slumps continue for Kings
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:35 am PST Wednesday, February 7, 2007
The drought was maddening, but nothing like enduring it in person.
Kings coach Eric Musselman watched his team away from Arco Arena on Monday night, when a dominating performance against New Orleans was nearly negated by another fourth-quarter scoring drought. The Kings shot just 26.1 percent in the final quarter before pulling out their third consecutive victory.
"We got stagnant," said Musselman, who completed his two-game league suspension for driving under the influence. "The ball didn't move as much. It was the same thing that's happened for other games this year. It was good to sit back and not be emotionally involved in the game."
Good because they won, of course, with acting head coach Scott Brooks going 2-0 and the Kings coming within three games of the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Still, Musselman said the dry spells remain a concern.
"We've got to do a better job with random pick and rolls, and kind of just playing when something breaks down," he said. "The lulls are not as big as they were, and that's probably why we've been playing better basketball."
Rhythm and blues -- It's not a new quandary, even if it was a new coach.
The sporadic longtime benchings of Kevin Martin continue to frustrate the third-year shooting guard, with the previous cases coming at Musselman's discretion but the latest on Brooks' watch.
Monday, Martin spent more than 10 minutes on the bench from late in the third quarter until the 4:22 mark in the fourth. Before being replaced by John Salmons, he had hit 4 of 6 shots and had 12 points.
"I just felt Kevin did not have the rhythm, and Johnnie was doing a pretty good job," Brooks said. "He didn't have his best stuff, but his line was solid. You want to have solid games when you don't have your best stuff."
Martin -- who finished with 14 points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 29 minutes -- saw it differently.
"I was in rhythm," said Martin, who is averaging a team-best 20.7 points. "I felt fine. My shots were going down. I don't even know how to put it, but I know it's going to happen from time to time."
This season, Martin has played 29 or fewer minutes in a game 10 times.
Grading the fill-in -- The verdict from Ron Artest on how Brooks and Musselman varied at the helm?
"It's just two different personalities," he said. "Scotty Brooks is a former NBA player, a champion I (believe), too. He played for a great coach (Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich), has lots of experience, and one day he'll be a head coach somewhere. Eric is a young coach, still learning a lot, a real intense coach. It really didn't feel much different besides the personality of the coaches."
Salmons said Brooks managed the situation well.
"As far as controlling the game, knowing who to put in at the right time, knowing what plays to call at the right time, he did a good job," he said. "A couple times, when we were making a run and they were kind out of it, we ran zone (defense) to try to trick them some more. He did a good job. I give him an 'A.' "
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
My only thought is maybe its more that they don't like his defense?
