http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14250413p-15067150c.html
Kings' adjustments prove monumental
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, May 2, 2006
SAN ANTONIO - No matter the outcome, the game has undeniably changed.
What appeared to be a game of Hangman, with the Kings being strung on a rope and the San Antonio Spurs playing the part of the flawless speller, has evolved.
The chess match has begun.
Kings coach Rick Adelman wasn't sure this first-round playoff series would even reach this point, his team surviving long enough to learn the ins and outs of its opponent with enough time left to do something about it. But as the Kings enter tonight's Game 5 at the AT&T Center even at two games apiece, they are the ones making all the right moves, and making the notion of a checkmate almost believable after coming so close to being Kinged themselves.
From defensive issues to offensive fixes, the Kings have seemingly righted their wrongs. After allowing the Spurs to hit 23 three-pointers in the first two games, San Antonio has hit just nine since the Kings made the perimeter a priority. The feared byproduct was an explosion by Spurs forward Tim Duncan. But though he's only rarely being double-covered, Duncan has scored more than 17 points just once (29 in Game 3), a credit to aggressive defense by Kenny Thomas, Brad Miller and Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
"That's what happens in a series," Adelman said. "As you get into it, you start getting used to what the other team's doing, and you start locking in on those things, and we've locked in them. ... You get tuned in. Now it's down to execution and guys doing the right thing."
After forgetting the beating they took in Game 1, the Kings seemed to remember how they won 26 of their final 40 regular-season games - with defense and, in part, with the help of Brad Miller. They gave up a combined 250 points in the first two games, only to return to the defensive ways sparked by Ron Artest and allow 177 in the last two. Then, after being pleased to learn that the Spurs have no answer for the offensive attacks of Bonzi Wells, Artest and - at times - Abdur-Rahim, Miller returned to his old self.
In truth, Miller improved on his Game 1 performance simply by keeping Spurs center Nazr Mohammed from repeating his unlikely 18-point performance in the rout. But it wasn't until Game 4 when Miller's shot improved with a 19-point outing on 8-for-11 accuracy. It was a crucial development for the Kings, who are far from stealing the series but have clearly stolen momentum.
"(Miller) hasn't shot like that thus far, and that's helped us do a variety of things as far as pick-and-roll defense," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "But when he's making that shot, it makes everything a lot tougher."
And easier for the Kings, who rely on a pick and roll with Miller and point guard Mike Bibby.
"(Bibby) and I seem to draw the double team every time now," Miller said. "Right away, they're trying to come top, come low, come little, come first dribble. That's when you've got to keep working at it. I see what they're doing, and we've gone over the counters of every way they've played it so far."
There's no better counter than Miller hitting shots to force single coverage of Bibby.
"That's what gets Mike a lot of open shots," Miller said. "I told him, 'Quit passing to me,' because he's wide open, because they were finally rotating and leaving him."
The Kings also have outrebounded the Spurs in three consecutive games, while forcing more turnovers than they have committed in the last two games.
"If we keep dominating the boards and forcing turnovers, they're going to have a hard time beating us," Bibby said. "We're hard to beat when we play like that. We know it's going to be a tough game. They have a great record (in San Antonio). If we play like we did (in Game 4), we're going to give them a tough time."
In recent years, though, this is a game played more often by the Spurs than the Kings. They are veterans of this very scenario, most recently in last season's NBA Finals. They beat Detroit in the first two games, then the Pistons won two, including a 31-point romp in Game 4 that only led to the Spurs' Game 7 victory for the title.
"It's just about righting the ship," Duncan said. "We need to keep them off the offensive glass, keep our turnovers down and defensively really find a way to contain these guys."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
Kings' adjustments prove monumental
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, May 2, 2006
SAN ANTONIO - No matter the outcome, the game has undeniably changed.
What appeared to be a game of Hangman, with the Kings being strung on a rope and the San Antonio Spurs playing the part of the flawless speller, has evolved.
The chess match has begun.
Kings coach Rick Adelman wasn't sure this first-round playoff series would even reach this point, his team surviving long enough to learn the ins and outs of its opponent with enough time left to do something about it. But as the Kings enter tonight's Game 5 at the AT&T Center even at two games apiece, they are the ones making all the right moves, and making the notion of a checkmate almost believable after coming so close to being Kinged themselves.
From defensive issues to offensive fixes, the Kings have seemingly righted their wrongs. After allowing the Spurs to hit 23 three-pointers in the first two games, San Antonio has hit just nine since the Kings made the perimeter a priority. The feared byproduct was an explosion by Spurs forward Tim Duncan. But though he's only rarely being double-covered, Duncan has scored more than 17 points just once (29 in Game 3), a credit to aggressive defense by Kenny Thomas, Brad Miller and Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
"That's what happens in a series," Adelman said. "As you get into it, you start getting used to what the other team's doing, and you start locking in on those things, and we've locked in them. ... You get tuned in. Now it's down to execution and guys doing the right thing."
After forgetting the beating they took in Game 1, the Kings seemed to remember how they won 26 of their final 40 regular-season games - with defense and, in part, with the help of Brad Miller. They gave up a combined 250 points in the first two games, only to return to the defensive ways sparked by Ron Artest and allow 177 in the last two. Then, after being pleased to learn that the Spurs have no answer for the offensive attacks of Bonzi Wells, Artest and - at times - Abdur-Rahim, Miller returned to his old self.
In truth, Miller improved on his Game 1 performance simply by keeping Spurs center Nazr Mohammed from repeating his unlikely 18-point performance in the rout. But it wasn't until Game 4 when Miller's shot improved with a 19-point outing on 8-for-11 accuracy. It was a crucial development for the Kings, who are far from stealing the series but have clearly stolen momentum.
"(Miller) hasn't shot like that thus far, and that's helped us do a variety of things as far as pick-and-roll defense," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "But when he's making that shot, it makes everything a lot tougher."
And easier for the Kings, who rely on a pick and roll with Miller and point guard Mike Bibby.
"(Bibby) and I seem to draw the double team every time now," Miller said. "Right away, they're trying to come top, come low, come little, come first dribble. That's when you've got to keep working at it. I see what they're doing, and we've gone over the counters of every way they've played it so far."
There's no better counter than Miller hitting shots to force single coverage of Bibby.
"That's what gets Mike a lot of open shots," Miller said. "I told him, 'Quit passing to me,' because he's wide open, because they were finally rotating and leaving him."
The Kings also have outrebounded the Spurs in three consecutive games, while forcing more turnovers than they have committed in the last two games.
"If we keep dominating the boards and forcing turnovers, they're going to have a hard time beating us," Bibby said. "We're hard to beat when we play like that. We know it's going to be a tough game. They have a great record (in San Antonio). If we play like we did (in Game 4), we're going to give them a tough time."
In recent years, though, this is a game played more often by the Spurs than the Kings. They are veterans of this very scenario, most recently in last season's NBA Finals. They beat Detroit in the first two games, then the Pistons won two, including a 31-point romp in Game 4 that only led to the Spurs' Game 7 victory for the title.
"It's just about righting the ship," Duncan said. "We need to keep them off the offensive glass, keep our turnovers down and defensively really find a way to contain these guys."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
