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By any measure, home rule continues
Martin and Williamson lead way vs. Detroit
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:10 am PST Thursday, November 9, 2006
If the basketball gods had their way, Arco Arena would stay.
Finances aside, it has been a safe haven for the Kings for what seems an eternity, the point being proven once again just one day after the Sacramento ballot measure to build a new arena failed miserably at the polls.
As for the team? No failures there, just a campaign pitching homeland security that passed in the form of a 99-86 victory over Detroit that improved the Kings' home record to 2-0.
There was no shortage of election winners, either, with a possible term renewal for veteran Corliss Williamson (15 points on 6-for-10 shooting) and continued support for third-year shooting guard Kevin Martin (a career-high-tying 30 points).
In all, the well-run operation held the Pistons to 28-for-71 shooting (39.4 percent), with small forward Ron Artest and power forward Kenny Thomas holding Pistons forwards Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace to a combined 3-for-22 shooting.
It was a night when the old got back to old ways and the new learned lessons anew. Never mind that Williamson was playing his old team, the one with which he had won the Sixth Man of the Year Award during the 2001-02 season and hadn't beaten since leaving the Motor City. The more concerning part from his seat was a grand total of 37 games played last season and 13 minutes played in the first four games this season.
Then as if on cue for the fan who yelled his insulting nickname, "Hey, 'Scoreless'!" he expanded a 63-61 Kings lead in the third quarter with a one-man six-point scoring streak. Post moves, short jumpers and putbacks were the method. Corliss of old was the mode.
"People haven't seen me play in a while, but I've always felt like I could be effective," Williamson said. "I only play one way, and that's hard. ... I definitely want to try and earn my minutes. Hopefully, tonight will help my case."
Minutes are no concern of Martin's. But in the first quarter, the ire of Kings coach Eric Musselman was. Martin missed his first four shots, looking out of sorts like he hadn't in some time. Three quarters later, he had used a run of nine consecutive baskets and a 10-for-16 shooting night to spark an offense that was without fire.
"I was playing horrible, like when I was a rookie," Martin said.
Kings point guard Mike Bibby had 23 points on 6-for-13 shooting, surpassing the 10,000-point mark for his career. Thomas had 15 rebounds for the Kings, who won the battle of the boards 50-35 against a Pistons team no longer boasting Ben Wallace, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year gone through free agency.
The Pistons lacked offensive punch early, scoring only four points in the first 9:35 and hitting only one of their first 11 shots to fall behind 18-4. The teams shot a combined 11 for 42 in the first quarter, though Detroit finished the quarter on a 7-0 run and trailed 18-11.
After hitting six of their first 26 shots, the Pistons broke out four minutes into the second quarter, putting together a 16-2 run to tie the score 29-29. It was 39-39 at halftime, with Prince and Wallace going a combined 0 for 11.
The Kings finished the third quarter on an 8-2 run to lead 71-64, then led by double digits for most of the fourth quarter.
"We couldn't be prouder of our defense," Musselman said. "And the last two games offensively we've done a much better job of playing at a tempo that we need to score some easy baskets."
By any measure, home rule continues
Martin and Williamson lead way vs. Detroit
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:10 am PST Thursday, November 9, 2006
If the basketball gods had their way, Arco Arena would stay.
Finances aside, it has been a safe haven for the Kings for what seems an eternity, the point being proven once again just one day after the Sacramento ballot measure to build a new arena failed miserably at the polls.
As for the team? No failures there, just a campaign pitching homeland security that passed in the form of a 99-86 victory over Detroit that improved the Kings' home record to 2-0.
There was no shortage of election winners, either, with a possible term renewal for veteran Corliss Williamson (15 points on 6-for-10 shooting) and continued support for third-year shooting guard Kevin Martin (a career-high-tying 30 points).
In all, the well-run operation held the Pistons to 28-for-71 shooting (39.4 percent), with small forward Ron Artest and power forward Kenny Thomas holding Pistons forwards Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace to a combined 3-for-22 shooting.
It was a night when the old got back to old ways and the new learned lessons anew. Never mind that Williamson was playing his old team, the one with which he had won the Sixth Man of the Year Award during the 2001-02 season and hadn't beaten since leaving the Motor City. The more concerning part from his seat was a grand total of 37 games played last season and 13 minutes played in the first four games this season.
Then as if on cue for the fan who yelled his insulting nickname, "Hey, 'Scoreless'!" he expanded a 63-61 Kings lead in the third quarter with a one-man six-point scoring streak. Post moves, short jumpers and putbacks were the method. Corliss of old was the mode.
"People haven't seen me play in a while, but I've always felt like I could be effective," Williamson said. "I only play one way, and that's hard. ... I definitely want to try and earn my minutes. Hopefully, tonight will help my case."
Minutes are no concern of Martin's. But in the first quarter, the ire of Kings coach Eric Musselman was. Martin missed his first four shots, looking out of sorts like he hadn't in some time. Three quarters later, he had used a run of nine consecutive baskets and a 10-for-16 shooting night to spark an offense that was without fire.
"I was playing horrible, like when I was a rookie," Martin said.
Kings point guard Mike Bibby had 23 points on 6-for-13 shooting, surpassing the 10,000-point mark for his career. Thomas had 15 rebounds for the Kings, who won the battle of the boards 50-35 against a Pistons team no longer boasting Ben Wallace, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year gone through free agency.
The Pistons lacked offensive punch early, scoring only four points in the first 9:35 and hitting only one of their first 11 shots to fall behind 18-4. The teams shot a combined 11 for 42 in the first quarter, though Detroit finished the quarter on a 7-0 run and trailed 18-11.
After hitting six of their first 26 shots, the Pistons broke out four minutes into the second quarter, putting together a 16-2 run to tie the score 29-29. It was 39-39 at halftime, with Prince and Wallace going a combined 0 for 11.
The Kings finished the third quarter on an 8-2 run to lead 71-64, then led by double digits for most of the fourth quarter.
"We couldn't be prouder of our defense," Musselman said. "And the last two games offensively we've done a much better job of playing at a tempo that we need to score some easy baskets."
