http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/147396.html
Feeling it slip away
Loss deals another blow to fading playoff hopes
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:31 am PDT Saturday, March 31, 2007
There was no lack of enthusiasm in the final seconds, never mind the deficit or general sense of doom in every other part of Arco Arena on Friday night.
Three rows back of midcourt, not far from the Kings' bench, the Kings-fan-till-the-end stood with his passionate getup -- jersey, purple sweatbands, "#1 Fan" license plate swinging around his neck and a face painted purple and silver.
"Get 'em next time, Brad," he yelled as the center fell to the floor with 27 seconds left.
Next time, though, is looking very much like next season after the Clippers' 105-101 win, a matchup of Western Conference mediocrity in which the Kings' desperation wasn't enough to match a group that had momentum and a touch of good karma on its side.
Jason Hart -- who said he felt wronged while riding the Kings' bench for so much of the season before he was waived on March 1 and subsequently signed with the Clippers -- had the game he had dreamed about coming in.
He tied his season highs in points (16) and rebounds (six) while setting a season high in assists (seven), all while keeping Kings point guard Mike Bibby in check through three quarters before his teammates picked up the defensive duty.
The Kings still have a mathematical pulse, but the realist's outlook doesn't add up. They fell to 4½ games behind the eighth-place Clippers with 11 games to play, while Los Angeles maintained its 1½-game lead over Golden State and won for the sixth time in eight games.
"You could definitely tell they didn't want to give up that playoff spot," said shooting guard Kevin Martin, who had 23 points. "They had that playoff swagger, and we definitely didn't have any swagger."
They wanted not only to keep playoff pace, but to halt a losing streak at Arco Arena that spanned 17 games and dated to Nov. 7, 1997. They did it early, jumping out to a 30-19 lead after the first quarter when the Kings had no assists and shot just 26.3 percent (5 of 19). Hart had the Clippers running smoothly as he hit mid-range jumpers and found open teammates from the start.
"I thought we played those last three quarters well enough to win the game," Kings coach Eric Musselman said. "The first quarter, though, with 30 points -- 30 to 19 -- was too big of a hole to dig ourselves out of."
It was, however, nothing new. The digging has gone on for much of the season for the Kings, and it was perhaps a reflection of some sort that they were searching for motivation even as a game of such significance was ending. Between the third and fourth quarters, Miller reminded his teammates of their streak against the Clippers.
"We had to try to find something to motivate us, and we just couldn't rally around it," Kings forward Corliss Williamson said.
There was late desperation, as the Kings cut an 11-point lead with 4:59 remaining to two when Ron Artest hit a driving layup with 3:32 left. But with 33 seconds left, Artest was whistled for a foul when he was tied up with Tim Thomas in the paint. Thomas hit the layup after the call, which sent the Kings' bench into hysterics and put the Clippers up 99-93. An Artest three-pointer brought the Kings to within four with 13.3 seconds left before it was over.
Six Clippers scored in double figures, with former Kings shooting guard Cuttino Mobley finishing with 26 points and swingman Corey Maggette scoring 19. The Kings hit just 26 of 39 free throws.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Feeling it slip away
Loss deals another blow to fading playoff hopes
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:31 am PDT Saturday, March 31, 2007
There was no lack of enthusiasm in the final seconds, never mind the deficit or general sense of doom in every other part of Arco Arena on Friday night.
Three rows back of midcourt, not far from the Kings' bench, the Kings-fan-till-the-end stood with his passionate getup -- jersey, purple sweatbands, "#1 Fan" license plate swinging around his neck and a face painted purple and silver.
"Get 'em next time, Brad," he yelled as the center fell to the floor with 27 seconds left.
Next time, though, is looking very much like next season after the Clippers' 105-101 win, a matchup of Western Conference mediocrity in which the Kings' desperation wasn't enough to match a group that had momentum and a touch of good karma on its side.
Jason Hart -- who said he felt wronged while riding the Kings' bench for so much of the season before he was waived on March 1 and subsequently signed with the Clippers -- had the game he had dreamed about coming in.
He tied his season highs in points (16) and rebounds (six) while setting a season high in assists (seven), all while keeping Kings point guard Mike Bibby in check through three quarters before his teammates picked up the defensive duty.
The Kings still have a mathematical pulse, but the realist's outlook doesn't add up. They fell to 4½ games behind the eighth-place Clippers with 11 games to play, while Los Angeles maintained its 1½-game lead over Golden State and won for the sixth time in eight games.
"You could definitely tell they didn't want to give up that playoff spot," said shooting guard Kevin Martin, who had 23 points. "They had that playoff swagger, and we definitely didn't have any swagger."
They wanted not only to keep playoff pace, but to halt a losing streak at Arco Arena that spanned 17 games and dated to Nov. 7, 1997. They did it early, jumping out to a 30-19 lead after the first quarter when the Kings had no assists and shot just 26.3 percent (5 of 19). Hart had the Clippers running smoothly as he hit mid-range jumpers and found open teammates from the start.
"I thought we played those last three quarters well enough to win the game," Kings coach Eric Musselman said. "The first quarter, though, with 30 points -- 30 to 19 -- was too big of a hole to dig ourselves out of."
It was, however, nothing new. The digging has gone on for much of the season for the Kings, and it was perhaps a reflection of some sort that they were searching for motivation even as a game of such significance was ending. Between the third and fourth quarters, Miller reminded his teammates of their streak against the Clippers.
"We had to try to find something to motivate us, and we just couldn't rally around it," Kings forward Corliss Williamson said.
There was late desperation, as the Kings cut an 11-point lead with 4:59 remaining to two when Ron Artest hit a driving layup with 3:32 left. But with 33 seconds left, Artest was whistled for a foul when he was tied up with Tim Thomas in the paint. Thomas hit the layup after the call, which sent the Kings' bench into hysterics and put the Clippers up 99-93. An Artest three-pointer brought the Kings to within four with 13.3 seconds left before it was over.
Six Clippers scored in double figures, with former Kings shooting guard Cuttino Mobley finishing with 26 points and swingman Corey Maggette scoring 19. The Kings hit just 26 of 39 free throws.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
