http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/101092.html
A royal rout
Kings get payback for two losses to Warriors
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:15 am PST Sunday, December 31, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
So this is what the Warriors look like from the front.
The Kings, after two earlier trips to Oakland and two games of leaving with tire tracks across their chests, finally got Golden State on their own turf Saturday night. And got their revenge.
The 119-96 victory was also an accomplishment for the Kings.
Playing the team that had already twice run them out of the gym, with the increased degree of difficulty on the second night of a back-to-back, they finally proved capable of staying with the Warriors, then kept going all the way until they reached dominating at Arco Arena.
With coach Eric Musselman mixing his lineups and relying heavily on his bench early, the Kings scored 74 points before intermission, nine more than any half in the first 27 games of the season and 10 away from the Sacramento-era record set against Philadelphia almost 14 years ago, on Jan. 2, 1993. That generated a 36-point lead, at 74-38, with 55 seconds remaining before the break, an overwhelming showing made all the more dramatic because of what had come before.
When the teams met Nov. 16 in Oakland, the Warriors shot 56.6 percent and steamed to 117 points and a 12-point win. A little less than a month later, on Dec. 12, they went for 53.1 percent, 126 points and a 13-point margin of victory, again leaving the Kings squinting into the distance to track the latest fast-break basket.
Entering play Saturday, Golden State was No. 4 in the league in scoring, and Sacramento was No. 20 in scoring defense and also without flu-ridden Kenny Thomas, so it seemed like a good night to take the over. It proved to be, too, only with the roof falling on the Warriors this time while being outscored 39-18 in the second quarter and watching the Kings reach 101 points by the end of the third period.
"Coach told us to use that as motivation," rookie Quincy Douby said after scoring 21 points in his breakout game. " 'Just play hard. We can't keep losing to those guys like that.' "
Making sure they wouldn't, the Kings led by 10 after the first quarter, 31 at halftime and by 38 early in the third period, 82-44. Golden State didn't get closer than 22 the rest of the way, and that took Sacramento shooting 35.9 percent and committing 13 turnovers in the second half that turned out to be 24 minutes of garbage time.
"It was definitely good to get a win in that fashion," said John Salmons, who replaced Thomas in the starting lineup. "Especially the way they beat us down in Golden State. I think it was good for our confidence to know we can beat them."
The damage reports are still coming in for the Warriors. Not merely losing the game big, they lost Jason Richardson to a fractured right hand, the physical injury of the first half. Coach Don Nelson said he expects the starting swingman to miss six to eight weeks, although a more-definitive timeline might come after Richardson is examined by the Golden State medical staff, probably today.
The Kings had only the slight concern of Mike Bibby leaving late in the third quarter with a sprained right ankle, an injury that is not believed to be serious. Otherwise, they partied, with Kevin Martin scoring a game-high 25 points and Douby making 9 of 13 shots to lead a major contribution from the reserves.
"Their best came to play tonight, and they played really well," said Golden State's Matt Barnes, the Del Campo High product who had 17 points and six rebounds. "They put us out of the game early. We didn't come to play tonight. When you do that on the road, you're going to get killed like we did."
Said Nelson: "They were good and we were bad."
This time. And, for the Kings, about time.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@ sacbee.com.
A royal rout
Kings get payback for two losses to Warriors
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:15 am PST Sunday, December 31, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
So this is what the Warriors look like from the front.
The Kings, after two earlier trips to Oakland and two games of leaving with tire tracks across their chests, finally got Golden State on their own turf Saturday night. And got their revenge.
The 119-96 victory was also an accomplishment for the Kings.
Playing the team that had already twice run them out of the gym, with the increased degree of difficulty on the second night of a back-to-back, they finally proved capable of staying with the Warriors, then kept going all the way until they reached dominating at Arco Arena.
With coach Eric Musselman mixing his lineups and relying heavily on his bench early, the Kings scored 74 points before intermission, nine more than any half in the first 27 games of the season and 10 away from the Sacramento-era record set against Philadelphia almost 14 years ago, on Jan. 2, 1993. That generated a 36-point lead, at 74-38, with 55 seconds remaining before the break, an overwhelming showing made all the more dramatic because of what had come before.
When the teams met Nov. 16 in Oakland, the Warriors shot 56.6 percent and steamed to 117 points and a 12-point win. A little less than a month later, on Dec. 12, they went for 53.1 percent, 126 points and a 13-point margin of victory, again leaving the Kings squinting into the distance to track the latest fast-break basket.
Entering play Saturday, Golden State was No. 4 in the league in scoring, and Sacramento was No. 20 in scoring defense and also without flu-ridden Kenny Thomas, so it seemed like a good night to take the over. It proved to be, too, only with the roof falling on the Warriors this time while being outscored 39-18 in the second quarter and watching the Kings reach 101 points by the end of the third period.
"Coach told us to use that as motivation," rookie Quincy Douby said after scoring 21 points in his breakout game. " 'Just play hard. We can't keep losing to those guys like that.' "
Making sure they wouldn't, the Kings led by 10 after the first quarter, 31 at halftime and by 38 early in the third period, 82-44. Golden State didn't get closer than 22 the rest of the way, and that took Sacramento shooting 35.9 percent and committing 13 turnovers in the second half that turned out to be 24 minutes of garbage time.
"It was definitely good to get a win in that fashion," said John Salmons, who replaced Thomas in the starting lineup. "Especially the way they beat us down in Golden State. I think it was good for our confidence to know we can beat them."
The damage reports are still coming in for the Warriors. Not merely losing the game big, they lost Jason Richardson to a fractured right hand, the physical injury of the first half. Coach Don Nelson said he expects the starting swingman to miss six to eight weeks, although a more-definitive timeline might come after Richardson is examined by the Golden State medical staff, probably today.
The Kings had only the slight concern of Mike Bibby leaving late in the third quarter with a sprained right ankle, an injury that is not believed to be serious. Otherwise, they partied, with Kevin Martin scoring a game-high 25 points and Douby making 9 of 13 shots to lead a major contribution from the reserves.
"Their best came to play tonight, and they played really well," said Golden State's Matt Barnes, the Del Campo High product who had 17 points and six rebounds. "They put us out of the game early. We didn't come to play tonight. When you do that on the road, you're going to get killed like we did."
Said Nelson: "They were good and we were bad."
This time. And, for the Kings, about time.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard-cooper@ sacbee.com.
