http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/116890.html
A close one finally goes Kings' way
After three tough losses on trip, victory over T-wolves provides relief
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:32 am PST Thursday, February 1, 2007
MINNEAPOLIS-It was Kings dreams come true, a night of imagination played out real time.
Kevin Martin said later he just knew Randy Foye would charge him and try to swat the three-pointer, so Martin gave a pump fake to ditch the defender, stepped in and knocked down a two for the go-ahead basket.
John Salmons said later he just knew from watching the previous minutes from the bench that Foye would drive aggressively on the ensuing possession, putting Salmons in position to strip the ball in the lane for the key defensive play.
Plans finally became actual. The Kings beat the demons of the road and beat the Timberwolves of Minnesota, finishing what had been a hellish four-game trip with a 100-98 victory Wednesday night at Target Center. The outcome was worthwhile in the standings but invaluable for the emotions.
Or as point guard Mike Bibby said: "It's one we definitely needed."
Before this, the Kings were done in by a poor offense and lost by four at New Orleans, played well and lost by two at Dallas and reverted and were gutted on defense and lost by seven at Memphis. So, of course, the fate of what could have become the team's worst trip in nearly nine years would have to be decided in another fourth-quarter test of pride and composure.
There was even the opportunity for an identical bruised heart. Minnesota trailed by 10 points at the start of the fourth quarter, just like the Grizzlies two nights earlier, and grabbed a late lead, just like the Grizzlies.
In this city, it was at 96-95 with 26 seconds remaining on Kevin Garnett's turnaround jumper.
With a greater chance to be tired in the last game of the trip and the potential for increased frustration from another game slipping away, the Kings finally pushed back. Martin watched Foye guess wrong and fly past, calmly stepped in and hit a shot with 16.6 seconds left. Salmons, inserted in the lineup moments before to help protect the 97-96 lead Martin had delivered, made the steal that led to the free throws that clinched the victory.
"Our team has been close in so many games," coach Eric Musselman said. " ... But obviously we needed a win, and this was a big win for us."
Surviving the month would have been good enough news in itself for the Kings. Their January had been a path complicated by playing nine of the last 12 games outside Arco Arena, and that was made worse by the decision to play them all.
By the time the Kings left Memphis late Monday/early Tuesday and practiced in Minneapolis on Tuesday, readying for a last stand to salvage something from the trip, the road losing streak had reached four. It actually had been worse than that with the perspective of poor play against poor opponents. Either way, a setback to the Timberwolves would have meant Sacramento's longest skid away from home since seven in a row Feb. 4 to March 2, 2000.
Those kind of wincing numbers were everywhere. The Kings were down to 24th in the league in shooting defense as they bused through the snow flurries and single-digit temperatures to reach Target Center. They also faced the colder realization that a loss would mean the first sweep of a trip of at least four games since March 1998. In the bigger calendar, a 4-12 January would have been the fewest victories in a full month of a regular season since going 2-12 in that same March of '98.
The response was unselfish play and sharp passing that resulted in 10 assists against just one turnover in the first half and 22 and eight in all, respectively. Center Brad Miller had a season-high nine assists to go with nine rebounds and nine points.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard- cooper@sacbee.com.
A close one finally goes Kings' way
After three tough losses on trip, victory over T-wolves provides relief
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:32 am PST Thursday, February 1, 2007
MINNEAPOLIS-It was Kings dreams come true, a night of imagination played out real time.
Kevin Martin said later he just knew Randy Foye would charge him and try to swat the three-pointer, so Martin gave a pump fake to ditch the defender, stepped in and knocked down a two for the go-ahead basket.
John Salmons said later he just knew from watching the previous minutes from the bench that Foye would drive aggressively on the ensuing possession, putting Salmons in position to strip the ball in the lane for the key defensive play.
Plans finally became actual. The Kings beat the demons of the road and beat the Timberwolves of Minnesota, finishing what had been a hellish four-game trip with a 100-98 victory Wednesday night at Target Center. The outcome was worthwhile in the standings but invaluable for the emotions.
Or as point guard Mike Bibby said: "It's one we definitely needed."
Before this, the Kings were done in by a poor offense and lost by four at New Orleans, played well and lost by two at Dallas and reverted and were gutted on defense and lost by seven at Memphis. So, of course, the fate of what could have become the team's worst trip in nearly nine years would have to be decided in another fourth-quarter test of pride and composure.
There was even the opportunity for an identical bruised heart. Minnesota trailed by 10 points at the start of the fourth quarter, just like the Grizzlies two nights earlier, and grabbed a late lead, just like the Grizzlies.
In this city, it was at 96-95 with 26 seconds remaining on Kevin Garnett's turnaround jumper.
With a greater chance to be tired in the last game of the trip and the potential for increased frustration from another game slipping away, the Kings finally pushed back. Martin watched Foye guess wrong and fly past, calmly stepped in and hit a shot with 16.6 seconds left. Salmons, inserted in the lineup moments before to help protect the 97-96 lead Martin had delivered, made the steal that led to the free throws that clinched the victory.
"Our team has been close in so many games," coach Eric Musselman said. " ... But obviously we needed a win, and this was a big win for us."
Surviving the month would have been good enough news in itself for the Kings. Their January had been a path complicated by playing nine of the last 12 games outside Arco Arena, and that was made worse by the decision to play them all.
By the time the Kings left Memphis late Monday/early Tuesday and practiced in Minneapolis on Tuesday, readying for a last stand to salvage something from the trip, the road losing streak had reached four. It actually had been worse than that with the perspective of poor play against poor opponents. Either way, a setback to the Timberwolves would have meant Sacramento's longest skid away from home since seven in a row Feb. 4 to March 2, 2000.
Those kind of wincing numbers were everywhere. The Kings were down to 24th in the league in shooting defense as they bused through the snow flurries and single-digit temperatures to reach Target Center. They also faced the colder realization that a loss would mean the first sweep of a trip of at least four games since March 1998. In the bigger calendar, a 4-12 January would have been the fewest victories in a full month of a regular season since going 2-12 in that same March of '98.
The response was unselfish play and sharp passing that resulted in 10 assists against just one turnover in the first half and 22 and eight in all, respectively. Center Brad Miller had a season-high nine assists to go with nine rebounds and nine points.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard- cooper@sacbee.com.
