http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/11878202p-12765105c.html
Dumped like holiday leftovers
Golden State stops 11-game Arco skid as the Kings miss foul shots late
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, December 27, 2004
For almost seven years, the Golden State Warriors slogged through games at Arco Arena as if they had hitchhiked from the East Bay.
Entering Sunday night, they had lost 11 straight games in Sacramento since March 9, 1998, and 20 of their last 21. But two Kings antagonists from yesteryear - and perhaps a new one - did their part to end the slide. Jason Richardson scored 26 points, all in the second half, and Derek Fisher and Eduardo Najera combined for 10 during a fourth-quarter run that gave the Warriors a 16-point lead with 4:55 left. The Kings then missed four free-throw attempts in the closing minutes to throw a post-holiday ribbon on the Warriors' 98-94 triumph.
It was the most significant victory of the season for Golden State, which staggered into the game with an 8-18 record and as the poorest-shooting NBA team. For the Kings, it was as frustrating a setback as there has been, particularly since all their bad habits came surfaced.
The Kings lost because they allowed the Warriors to wake up during the second half. They lost because they were outshot 46.5 percent to 45.7, outrebounded 45-40 and generally outhustled. They were undone by unforced second-half turnovers - wrap-around passes that got away, alley-oops that resulted in only oops and zip passes that zipped out of bounds.
"We got what we deserved," Kings coach Rick Adelman said of his team, which ended the five-game homestand at 2-3 and lost back-to-back home contests for just the second time in the last five seasons. "We talked about it at halftime (when the Kings led 46-36) that, 'We need to come out strong in the third. Don't let them back in it. Don't give them a chance.' We let them back in it, and it cost us."
What cost them is that they couldn't handle Richardson.
Scoreless in the first half after shooting 0 of 6 from the field, the Golden State forward sizzled during the second, hitting 9 of 13. He also won a duel with the fast-emerging Maurice Evans, a suddenly reliable Kings reserve whose minutes have gone up considerably since Bobby Jackson was sidelined because of a wrist injury. Although Evans scored a career-high 13 points, including three dunks and an arcing baseline jumper to beat the third-quarter buzzer, he couldn't keep up with Richardson, known to be so streaky he can shoot his team into double-digit deficits.
Not this time. Richardson hit four three-pointers during the second half, and he pretty much iced the Warriors' victory with a 23-foot fadeaway that made the score 93-88 with 31.8 seconds remaining.
Chris Webber, who finished with a team-high 28 points, gave the Kings a glimmer of hope with two late jumpers, but Golden State hit its free throws.
Last Dec. 26, the Warriors beat the Kings in Oakland to stop a 15-game losing streak to Sacramento. Then, Fisher and Najera were with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, respectively, but both enjoyed their visit to Arco on Sunday.
Fisher offered a sheepish grin when a fan snarled and yelled, "Always a Laker, Fisher!" Fisher scored 10 points after missing the Warriors' previous seven games because of a sore right knee. He was gracious enough to ignore the boos and do a postgame radio interview.
"I knew I'd get booed here," Fisher said. "It's still fun. I loved it. I don't try to egg it on, but I feed off of it.
"A lot of times, when people boo, it's really out of respect. I feel as confident here now as I did playing in all those playoffs (with the Lakers). I'm used to it here."
Next - Friday at Utah, 5 p.m. TV-10
The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at (916)321-1280 or jdavidson@sacbee.com
Dumped like holiday leftovers
Golden State stops 11-game Arco skid as the Kings miss foul shots late
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, December 27, 2004
For almost seven years, the Golden State Warriors slogged through games at Arco Arena as if they had hitchhiked from the East Bay.
Entering Sunday night, they had lost 11 straight games in Sacramento since March 9, 1998, and 20 of their last 21. But two Kings antagonists from yesteryear - and perhaps a new one - did their part to end the slide. Jason Richardson scored 26 points, all in the second half, and Derek Fisher and Eduardo Najera combined for 10 during a fourth-quarter run that gave the Warriors a 16-point lead with 4:55 left. The Kings then missed four free-throw attempts in the closing minutes to throw a post-holiday ribbon on the Warriors' 98-94 triumph.
It was the most significant victory of the season for Golden State, which staggered into the game with an 8-18 record and as the poorest-shooting NBA team. For the Kings, it was as frustrating a setback as there has been, particularly since all their bad habits came surfaced.
The Kings lost because they allowed the Warriors to wake up during the second half. They lost because they were outshot 46.5 percent to 45.7, outrebounded 45-40 and generally outhustled. They were undone by unforced second-half turnovers - wrap-around passes that got away, alley-oops that resulted in only oops and zip passes that zipped out of bounds.
"We got what we deserved," Kings coach Rick Adelman said of his team, which ended the five-game homestand at 2-3 and lost back-to-back home contests for just the second time in the last five seasons. "We talked about it at halftime (when the Kings led 46-36) that, 'We need to come out strong in the third. Don't let them back in it. Don't give them a chance.' We let them back in it, and it cost us."
What cost them is that they couldn't handle Richardson.
Scoreless in the first half after shooting 0 of 6 from the field, the Golden State forward sizzled during the second, hitting 9 of 13. He also won a duel with the fast-emerging Maurice Evans, a suddenly reliable Kings reserve whose minutes have gone up considerably since Bobby Jackson was sidelined because of a wrist injury. Although Evans scored a career-high 13 points, including three dunks and an arcing baseline jumper to beat the third-quarter buzzer, he couldn't keep up with Richardson, known to be so streaky he can shoot his team into double-digit deficits.
Not this time. Richardson hit four three-pointers during the second half, and he pretty much iced the Warriors' victory with a 23-foot fadeaway that made the score 93-88 with 31.8 seconds remaining.
Chris Webber, who finished with a team-high 28 points, gave the Kings a glimmer of hope with two late jumpers, but Golden State hit its free throws.
Last Dec. 26, the Warriors beat the Kings in Oakland to stop a 15-game losing streak to Sacramento. Then, Fisher and Najera were with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, respectively, but both enjoyed their visit to Arco on Sunday.
Fisher offered a sheepish grin when a fan snarled and yelled, "Always a Laker, Fisher!" Fisher scored 10 points after missing the Warriors' previous seven games because of a sore right knee. He was gracious enough to ignore the boos and do a postgame radio interview.
"I knew I'd get booed here," Fisher said. "It's still fun. I loved it. I don't try to egg it on, but I feed off of it.
"A lot of times, when people boo, it's really out of respect. I feel as confident here now as I did playing in all those playoffs (with the Lakers). I'm used to it here."
Next - Friday at Utah, 5 p.m. TV-10
The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at (916)321-1280 or jdavidson@sacbee.com
