http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14054339p-14885608c.html
Hoosier hammerin'
Indiana's Jackson goes for 31 points against the lethargic Kings, who suffer their 11th home loss.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, January 9, 2006
Jermaine O'Neal wasn't quite himself, struck with a pneumonia bug that had taken him out of three games.
Ron Artest, of course, is eternally missing, placed on Indiana's inactive list since his trade request in early December.
But the Pacers didn't need much more than Stephen Jackson, whose 31 points in a 108-83 win over the Kings demoralized a team seemingly on the rise and brought the boo birds out at Arco Arena for the first time in weeks.
Maybe the Kings fans knew the historical significance. With the loss, the Kings tied their number of home losses for last season, the 11th coming nearly three months earlier this time than the last (April 3, 2005). It took a late surge from the reserves to avoid even more history in defeat, as the Kings cut a late fourth-quarter, 35-point deficit to 25 by the time the buzzer sounded and nearly half the sellout crowd had headed for the exits.
By the time Kings coach Rick Adelman arrived at his postgame news conference, with Kings employees and fans glumly leaving the building, there were more questions than answers.
"I'm at a loss in that one, so ask your questions," Adelman began the session.
They came - inquiries about a blatant lack of passion; a sluggish offense that shot 39.5 percent and received five points from Mike Bibby (1 of 10 shooting), a combined 24 from Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic; and two points in 21 minutes from Kevin Martin. Questions were posed about the defense that was two steps slow throughout, allowing the Pacers to set an opponents' season high for three-pointers (13) and losing the rebounding battle 51-37.
"We didn't compete," Adelman said. "It's hard for me to understand. As the (second) half went on, they started imposing their will, and we just backed down and moved out of the way. I don't know how you could do that."
It was, Adelman had said, the same message afterward as it had been at halftime (the Kings down 60-39), with no response from his players.
"Everybody in that room is going to have to look at themselves and try to figure out what's going on and think about why we're so up and down. This wasn't just being down - this is about as bad as it gets."
In conclusion, Adelman asked, "You guys got anything else? I got nothing else."
Jackson had plenty.
Early in the third quarter, as both teams scored at will in the opening three minutes, a Pacers player hollered to his defensive-minded colleagues, "Stop trading baskets. Let's go!" And there Jackson went, setting up his shots shop on the right side of the three-point arc. His first came with 8:37 left.
The second came some 30 seconds later, then a third after less than another minute passed, and a fourth 20 seconds later to blow the lead open to 80-47. When his fifth came with 1:31 left to put the Pacers up 91-59, Jackson tied the Arco Arena and Kings' opponent record for threes in a quarter.
All the while, Stojakovic couldn't fight around screens to contest, and a zone employed by Adelman didn't do much better. Adelman pulled Stojakovic and Bibby from the game before Jackson was done in the third, never to return.
"We just have to be more focused on the guys who are hot, (and) talk on the defensive end," Stojakovic said. "It's disappointing. It's up to us."
It was a night in which the adversity excuse would not cut it. No team has faced as much as the Pacers in the last season, distractions far greater than being short-handed as the Kings are without injured starters Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bonzi Wells.
"Look at teams like Charlotte," backup point guard Jason Hart said. "They're not even one of the top teams; they lose all their starters, and they beat good teams. Shareef and Bonzi have been hurt. It's not like they just got hurt. We just needed more energy, and that just goes with effort. We didn't give ourselves a chance."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
Note: Follow the link to the article and there are some audio clips from Rick Adelman, Jason Hart and Peja Stojakovic.--VF
Hoosier hammerin'
Indiana's Jackson goes for 31 points against the lethargic Kings, who suffer their 11th home loss.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, January 9, 2006
Jermaine O'Neal wasn't quite himself, struck with a pneumonia bug that had taken him out of three games.
Ron Artest, of course, is eternally missing, placed on Indiana's inactive list since his trade request in early December.
But the Pacers didn't need much more than Stephen Jackson, whose 31 points in a 108-83 win over the Kings demoralized a team seemingly on the rise and brought the boo birds out at Arco Arena for the first time in weeks.
Maybe the Kings fans knew the historical significance. With the loss, the Kings tied their number of home losses for last season, the 11th coming nearly three months earlier this time than the last (April 3, 2005). It took a late surge from the reserves to avoid even more history in defeat, as the Kings cut a late fourth-quarter, 35-point deficit to 25 by the time the buzzer sounded and nearly half the sellout crowd had headed for the exits.
By the time Kings coach Rick Adelman arrived at his postgame news conference, with Kings employees and fans glumly leaving the building, there were more questions than answers.
"I'm at a loss in that one, so ask your questions," Adelman began the session.
They came - inquiries about a blatant lack of passion; a sluggish offense that shot 39.5 percent and received five points from Mike Bibby (1 of 10 shooting), a combined 24 from Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic; and two points in 21 minutes from Kevin Martin. Questions were posed about the defense that was two steps slow throughout, allowing the Pacers to set an opponents' season high for three-pointers (13) and losing the rebounding battle 51-37.
"We didn't compete," Adelman said. "It's hard for me to understand. As the (second) half went on, they started imposing their will, and we just backed down and moved out of the way. I don't know how you could do that."
It was, Adelman had said, the same message afterward as it had been at halftime (the Kings down 60-39), with no response from his players.
"Everybody in that room is going to have to look at themselves and try to figure out what's going on and think about why we're so up and down. This wasn't just being down - this is about as bad as it gets."
In conclusion, Adelman asked, "You guys got anything else? I got nothing else."
Jackson had plenty.
Early in the third quarter, as both teams scored at will in the opening three minutes, a Pacers player hollered to his defensive-minded colleagues, "Stop trading baskets. Let's go!" And there Jackson went, setting up his shots shop on the right side of the three-point arc. His first came with 8:37 left.
The second came some 30 seconds later, then a third after less than another minute passed, and a fourth 20 seconds later to blow the lead open to 80-47. When his fifth came with 1:31 left to put the Pacers up 91-59, Jackson tied the Arco Arena and Kings' opponent record for threes in a quarter.
All the while, Stojakovic couldn't fight around screens to contest, and a zone employed by Adelman didn't do much better. Adelman pulled Stojakovic and Bibby from the game before Jackson was done in the third, never to return.
"We just have to be more focused on the guys who are hot, (and) talk on the defensive end," Stojakovic said. "It's disappointing. It's up to us."
It was a night in which the adversity excuse would not cut it. No team has faced as much as the Pacers in the last season, distractions far greater than being short-handed as the Kings are without injured starters Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bonzi Wells.
"Look at teams like Charlotte," backup point guard Jason Hart said. "They're not even one of the top teams; they lose all their starters, and they beat good teams. Shareef and Bonzi have been hurt. It's not like they just got hurt. We just needed more energy, and that just goes with effort. We didn't give ourselves a chance."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
Note: Follow the link to the article and there are some audio clips from Rick Adelman, Jason Hart and Peja Stojakovic.--VF
