http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/137739.html
Kings can't capitalize
They lose third successive game as Cavs roll minus ailing James
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, March 14, 2007
CLEVELAND -- With LeBron James watching in street clothes, the opportunity was there for Kevin Martin to finally win the Mr. Basketball award Tuesday night.
The two Ohio products had gone head to head in the voting for the state's best prep player in 2001, with James winning as a sophomore and Martin taking fourth in the voting as a senior.
But the honor went to Yugoslavian Sasha Pavlovic, a fourth-year guard who qualified because he wears a Cleveland jersey and helped push the Kings one step further from the postseason in the Cavaliers' 124-100 rout, their sixth consecutive victory.
One game after Denver had the Kings looking nothing like the team that finally had figured itself out the previous week, Pavlovic negated a Kings rally from nine down in the first quarter to a 51-51 halftime tie. He scored 18 of his career-high 25 points in the third quarter, starting the giggles in what would turn into a laugher created by a 24-5 run in the first six minutes of the period.
Pavlovic started the third-quarter barrage with a three-pointer, one of his eight baskets in 13 attempts, as the Kings showed little interest in starting their five-game road trip with an upset victory or on capitalizing on an All-Star's absence.
"We didn't play any defense," Kings forward Kenny Thomas said. "As a team, we weren't rotating, weren't helping each other out. That's what happens. And the crazy thing about it is they didn't even have LeBron, and they beat us like that. Something's wrong."
James was a late scratch, with back spasms flaring just before tipoff and journeyman Ira Newble -- if only for paperwork purposes -- filling his role. The Cavaliers had won their previous five games with James, who was back playing at an MVP level and was the latest Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Surprisingly, they are 9-2 without James in his four-year career.
But Newble exposed the Kings' defense in the first quarter, in which he hit three three-pointers on the way to season highs of 12 points and seven rebounds.
"You lose a lot when you lose LeBron -- points, rebounds, assists -- so everybody else has to pick it up," Newble said.
The Kings couldn't do much with their full roster. The scoring that had been so consistent lately was gone, as they shot 42.4 percent, with Martin and Mike Bibby going a combined 8 for 24 against the league's fifth-ranked defense. They could find no reliable scoring options beyond Ron Artest, who played in his second game since his March 5 arrest on suspicion of domestic violence and received even worse road treatment than usual.
Artest was booed during introductions and nearly every time he touched the ball, with the jeers only growing louder every time he scored. Artest, who had 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting and five steals, said he received a dry run of the reaction Sunday at Arco Arena, where he heard a smattering of boos among a mostly positive fan base.
"I got booed by a couple people when I was at the free-throw line (Sunday)," Artest said. "It was a little disturbing. When you play at home, you (usually) feel comfortable. But I'm prepared for everything now. I'm on the road everywhere now."
And, apparently, Artest is unfazed by a three-game losing streak that has put the Kings in 10th place in the Western Conference behind Golden State, which has won four of five and ended Dallas' 17-game winning streak Monday.
"I think we're going to be fine," Artest said. "If Dallas can lose like they did yesterday, then everybody can lose."
With 19 games to go, however, every loss is magnified.
"It's been a rough season," said Thomas, who had just four points and four rebounds in 24 minutes. "It's been a rough season for me, and I know it's been a rough season for most of the guys in here. In every way ... . It's been up and down. There hasn't been any consistency."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Kings can't capitalize
They lose third successive game as Cavs roll minus ailing James
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, March 14, 2007
CLEVELAND -- With LeBron James watching in street clothes, the opportunity was there for Kevin Martin to finally win the Mr. Basketball award Tuesday night.
The two Ohio products had gone head to head in the voting for the state's best prep player in 2001, with James winning as a sophomore and Martin taking fourth in the voting as a senior.
But the honor went to Yugoslavian Sasha Pavlovic, a fourth-year guard who qualified because he wears a Cleveland jersey and helped push the Kings one step further from the postseason in the Cavaliers' 124-100 rout, their sixth consecutive victory.
One game after Denver had the Kings looking nothing like the team that finally had figured itself out the previous week, Pavlovic negated a Kings rally from nine down in the first quarter to a 51-51 halftime tie. He scored 18 of his career-high 25 points in the third quarter, starting the giggles in what would turn into a laugher created by a 24-5 run in the first six minutes of the period.
Pavlovic started the third-quarter barrage with a three-pointer, one of his eight baskets in 13 attempts, as the Kings showed little interest in starting their five-game road trip with an upset victory or on capitalizing on an All-Star's absence.
"We didn't play any defense," Kings forward Kenny Thomas said. "As a team, we weren't rotating, weren't helping each other out. That's what happens. And the crazy thing about it is they didn't even have LeBron, and they beat us like that. Something's wrong."
James was a late scratch, with back spasms flaring just before tipoff and journeyman Ira Newble -- if only for paperwork purposes -- filling his role. The Cavaliers had won their previous five games with James, who was back playing at an MVP level and was the latest Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Surprisingly, they are 9-2 without James in his four-year career.
But Newble exposed the Kings' defense in the first quarter, in which he hit three three-pointers on the way to season highs of 12 points and seven rebounds.
"You lose a lot when you lose LeBron -- points, rebounds, assists -- so everybody else has to pick it up," Newble said.
The Kings couldn't do much with their full roster. The scoring that had been so consistent lately was gone, as they shot 42.4 percent, with Martin and Mike Bibby going a combined 8 for 24 against the league's fifth-ranked defense. They could find no reliable scoring options beyond Ron Artest, who played in his second game since his March 5 arrest on suspicion of domestic violence and received even worse road treatment than usual.
Artest was booed during introductions and nearly every time he touched the ball, with the jeers only growing louder every time he scored. Artest, who had 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting and five steals, said he received a dry run of the reaction Sunday at Arco Arena, where he heard a smattering of boos among a mostly positive fan base.
"I got booed by a couple people when I was at the free-throw line (Sunday)," Artest said. "It was a little disturbing. When you play at home, you (usually) feel comfortable. But I'm prepared for everything now. I'm on the road everywhere now."
And, apparently, Artest is unfazed by a three-game losing streak that has put the Kings in 10th place in the Western Conference behind Golden State, which has won four of five and ended Dallas' 17-game winning streak Monday.
"I think we're going to be fine," Artest said. "If Dallas can lose like they did yesterday, then everybody can lose."
With 19 games to go, however, every loss is magnified.
"It's been a rough season," said Thomas, who had just four points and four rebounds in 24 minutes. "It's been a rough season for me, and I know it's been a rough season for most of the guys in here. In every way ... . It's been up and down. There hasn't been any consistency."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
