http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/11985175p-12859832c.html
Going down on the Bay-eww
After Atlanta escape, an OT loss to the NBA-worst Hornets
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, January 9, 2005
NEW ORLEANS - After some of their lackluster performances this season, the Kings have been lucky to leave the gym with a victory.
Saturday night, the Kings got the lackluster part down.
The New Orleans Hornets defeated the Kings 121-117 in overtime - just their third victory of the season - before a wild and satisfied crowd of 14,635.
The Hornets (3-29) received a magnificent performance from point guard Baron Davis, who recorded his first triple double of the season with 26 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high-tying 17 assists.
His wasn't the only primetime performance for former Kings assistant and current Hornets head coach Byron Scott. Rookie shooting guard J.R. Smith scored a career-high-tying 23 points, and forward Bostjan Nachbar had a career-high 14 points.
And New Orleans, the league's worst three-point-shooting team entering the game at 28.2 percent, hit 13 of 26 (50 percent), including 8 of their final 12 three-pointers.
The Kings had beaten the Hornets twice this season, but Davis didn't play in either game.
"I knew it was going a tougher game," Kings coach Rick Adelman said after his team helped the Hornets end a 10-game losing streak. "Before they got (Rodney) Rogers and Davis back, they had a tough time scoring. You see what Baron Davis can do when he's healthy. He really gives them a lift."
The Kings gave Davis a lift by not attacking and taking the ball out of his hands. Their man-to-man defense was so passive it appeared to be a zone.
Sacramento attempted to lure Davis into seams of its defense, but he either ventured into them successfully or made plays to set up Smith or former Kings draft choice Dan Dickau (15 points), Nachbar or Rogers.
Then again, the season stats said those guys weren't supposed to make shots.
But they made the shots Saturday, and now the Kings come home with a 2-2 record from a road trip in which they were capable of winning all four games.
Point guard Mike Bibby had a terrible shooting night most of the game, but he hit a three-pointer with 2.5 seconds left in regulation to make it 102-102 and send the game to overtime.
The Kings scored the first five points of overtime, and it looked as if they were on their way to another of their four or five undeserved victories this season.
But it wasn't to be.
P.J. Brown sank two free throws with 4:04 left to pull the Hornets within 107-104. Davis stroked a three-pointer from the left wing to tie the score 107-107 after Webber (6 of 22 from the field) missed a jump shot.
Then Davis dug deeper into this bag of tricks, stripping Peja Stojakovic (season-high 37 points) and feeding Dickau for a layup with 3:20 left to give New Orleans a 109-107 lead.
"We got up five in the overtime, and I thought at that time we should have taken control of the game," Adelman said. "Then they scored seven points in less than a minute."
Actually, 44 seconds.
Bibby, who made just 6 of 20 shots but scored 20 points, said, "This was a game we definitely weren't supposed to lose."
Perhaps he was remembering how the Kings also had led 70-60 in the third quarter, only to give up a 21-6 run.
Said Webber: "You know these things can't happen, but they still do."
Next game
Tuesday vs. Nuggests
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: CSN
The Bee's Martin McNeal can be reached at mmcneal@sacbee.com.
Going down on the Bay-eww
After Atlanta escape, an OT loss to the NBA-worst Hornets
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, January 9, 2005
NEW ORLEANS - After some of their lackluster performances this season, the Kings have been lucky to leave the gym with a victory.
Saturday night, the Kings got the lackluster part down.
The New Orleans Hornets defeated the Kings 121-117 in overtime - just their third victory of the season - before a wild and satisfied crowd of 14,635.
The Hornets (3-29) received a magnificent performance from point guard Baron Davis, who recorded his first triple double of the season with 26 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high-tying 17 assists.
His wasn't the only primetime performance for former Kings assistant and current Hornets head coach Byron Scott. Rookie shooting guard J.R. Smith scored a career-high-tying 23 points, and forward Bostjan Nachbar had a career-high 14 points.
And New Orleans, the league's worst three-point-shooting team entering the game at 28.2 percent, hit 13 of 26 (50 percent), including 8 of their final 12 three-pointers.
The Kings had beaten the Hornets twice this season, but Davis didn't play in either game.
"I knew it was going a tougher game," Kings coach Rick Adelman said after his team helped the Hornets end a 10-game losing streak. "Before they got (Rodney) Rogers and Davis back, they had a tough time scoring. You see what Baron Davis can do when he's healthy. He really gives them a lift."
The Kings gave Davis a lift by not attacking and taking the ball out of his hands. Their man-to-man defense was so passive it appeared to be a zone.
Sacramento attempted to lure Davis into seams of its defense, but he either ventured into them successfully or made plays to set up Smith or former Kings draft choice Dan Dickau (15 points), Nachbar or Rogers.
Then again, the season stats said those guys weren't supposed to make shots.
But they made the shots Saturday, and now the Kings come home with a 2-2 record from a road trip in which they were capable of winning all four games.
Point guard Mike Bibby had a terrible shooting night most of the game, but he hit a three-pointer with 2.5 seconds left in regulation to make it 102-102 and send the game to overtime.
The Kings scored the first five points of overtime, and it looked as if they were on their way to another of their four or five undeserved victories this season.
But it wasn't to be.
P.J. Brown sank two free throws with 4:04 left to pull the Hornets within 107-104. Davis stroked a three-pointer from the left wing to tie the score 107-107 after Webber (6 of 22 from the field) missed a jump shot.
Then Davis dug deeper into this bag of tricks, stripping Peja Stojakovic (season-high 37 points) and feeding Dickau for a layup with 3:20 left to give New Orleans a 109-107 lead.
"We got up five in the overtime, and I thought at that time we should have taken control of the game," Adelman said. "Then they scored seven points in less than a minute."
Actually, 44 seconds.
Bibby, who made just 6 of 20 shots but scored 20 points, said, "This was a game we definitely weren't supposed to lose."
Perhaps he was remembering how the Kings also had led 70-60 in the third quarter, only to give up a 21-6 run.
Said Webber: "You know these things can't happen, but they still do."
Next game
Tuesday vs. Nuggests
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: CSN
The Bee's Martin McNeal can be reached at mmcneal@sacbee.com.