http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/93183.html
Hot Jazz finishes put Kings out cold
Weak stretch efforts and injuries have marked two of Sacramento's most recent meetings with Utah.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:19 am PST Friday, December 15, 2006
When the third quarter concludes tonight at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, the Kings might want to petition for extra time between periods.
They could convene in the visitor's locker room, discussing the importance of the upcoming 12 minutes and -- who knows? -- avoid losing to Utah in blueprint fashion for a third time.
The script goes as follows: The Kings outplay the Jazz in the first three quarters and hold a double-digit lead entering the fourth. From there they go down in a heap of missed shots and banged-up players en route to not only defeat, but the kind that comes with more humility than most.
While the Kings squeezed out a win at Utah in between their last two losses to the Jazz, the similarities of the defeats -- Feb. 3 of last season and Nov. 22 of this one -- are striking. In both games, small forward Ron Artest played hurt, eventually waving the white flag before the end because the pain was too much to bear.
Meanwhile, the Kings lost touch with their shot when it counted both times, too. In their 89-79 loss at the Delta Center last season, there was the infamous 0-for-20 shooting fourth quarter. When the Kings blew a 21-point third-quarter lead at Arco Arena last month, their 7-for-21 shooting effort in the fourth certainly didn't help matters, nor did a left thigh contusion that took out Mike Bibby. And there's this: Kevin Martin, whose individual play has so often reflected the collective state of the team, was 0 for 5 in the fourth quarters of both games.
The coincidence, Kings coach Eric Musselman said, isn't really one at all. Jerry Sloan has taught the same gritty, never-say-die principles in Utah since 1988. The team has won five games this season after trailing through three quarters.
"Against the Jazz, you've got to play for 48 minutes," Musselman said. "You can't play for 32 or 36 (minutes), because they keep coming at you."
The Kings have lost six of seven games and have won just twice in nine road games. And with some of the league's best on the docket -- the Jazz, followed by Phoenix on Saturday and Dallas on Monday -- there is an inherent conflict with their 3-9 record against teams that entered Thursday with a .500-plus record.
If they are to break the trend, they must improve on the interior defense that gave Utah 73 points in the paint without Andrei Kirilenko. The lengthy, shotblocking Jazz forward is back from a sprained ankle that kept him out of five games.
"They do a good job of emphasizing the layup game, points in the paint," Musselman said. "That's their philosophy.... They've always done a good job of cutting for layups, so you've got to be physical on their cuts."
And, Musselman said, ignore the imposing frontline of Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and Kirilenko en route to the rim on the other end.
"You have to attack the rim, because they're one of the top fouling teams in the league," he said. "The stats don't lie. They will foul you."
The latest loss to the Jazz was symbolic of the Kings' season -- flirtations with formidability followed by fallout. Then, like now, the Jazz boasted the league's best record, making for a ready-or-not challenge that is back again.
"That was a crazy game," forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim said of the first game. "It was just one of those games. We had put ourselves in a situation to win that game. And if anything, you look back and it kind of burns you because we thought we had them."
Martin, who is coming off a 32-point outing Tuesday night against Golden State, said it's as simple as the Kings remembering to finish what they started.
"We've got to do to them what we did those first three quarters at home," Martin said. "But this time execute a little better, box them out and stop some points in the paint in the fourth quarter."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Hot Jazz finishes put Kings out cold
Weak stretch efforts and injuries have marked two of Sacramento's most recent meetings with Utah.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:19 am PST Friday, December 15, 2006
When the third quarter concludes tonight at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, the Kings might want to petition for extra time between periods.
They could convene in the visitor's locker room, discussing the importance of the upcoming 12 minutes and -- who knows? -- avoid losing to Utah in blueprint fashion for a third time.
The script goes as follows: The Kings outplay the Jazz in the first three quarters and hold a double-digit lead entering the fourth. From there they go down in a heap of missed shots and banged-up players en route to not only defeat, but the kind that comes with more humility than most.
While the Kings squeezed out a win at Utah in between their last two losses to the Jazz, the similarities of the defeats -- Feb. 3 of last season and Nov. 22 of this one -- are striking. In both games, small forward Ron Artest played hurt, eventually waving the white flag before the end because the pain was too much to bear.
Meanwhile, the Kings lost touch with their shot when it counted both times, too. In their 89-79 loss at the Delta Center last season, there was the infamous 0-for-20 shooting fourth quarter. When the Kings blew a 21-point third-quarter lead at Arco Arena last month, their 7-for-21 shooting effort in the fourth certainly didn't help matters, nor did a left thigh contusion that took out Mike Bibby. And there's this: Kevin Martin, whose individual play has so often reflected the collective state of the team, was 0 for 5 in the fourth quarters of both games.
The coincidence, Kings coach Eric Musselman said, isn't really one at all. Jerry Sloan has taught the same gritty, never-say-die principles in Utah since 1988. The team has won five games this season after trailing through three quarters.
"Against the Jazz, you've got to play for 48 minutes," Musselman said. "You can't play for 32 or 36 (minutes), because they keep coming at you."
The Kings have lost six of seven games and have won just twice in nine road games. And with some of the league's best on the docket -- the Jazz, followed by Phoenix on Saturday and Dallas on Monday -- there is an inherent conflict with their 3-9 record against teams that entered Thursday with a .500-plus record.
If they are to break the trend, they must improve on the interior defense that gave Utah 73 points in the paint without Andrei Kirilenko. The lengthy, shotblocking Jazz forward is back from a sprained ankle that kept him out of five games.
"They do a good job of emphasizing the layup game, points in the paint," Musselman said. "That's their philosophy.... They've always done a good job of cutting for layups, so you've got to be physical on their cuts."
And, Musselman said, ignore the imposing frontline of Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and Kirilenko en route to the rim on the other end.
"You have to attack the rim, because they're one of the top fouling teams in the league," he said. "The stats don't lie. They will foul you."
The latest loss to the Jazz was symbolic of the Kings' season -- flirtations with formidability followed by fallout. Then, like now, the Jazz boasted the league's best record, making for a ready-or-not challenge that is back again.
"That was a crazy game," forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim said of the first game. "It was just one of those games. We had put ourselves in a situation to win that game. And if anything, you look back and it kind of burns you because we thought we had them."
Martin, who is coming off a 32-point outing Tuesday night against Golden State, said it's as simple as the Kings remembering to finish what they started.
"We've got to do to them what we did those first three quarters at home," Martin said. "But this time execute a little better, box them out and stop some points in the paint in the fourth quarter."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
