http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14226393p-15050459c.html
Kings give it away
Sacramento's defense gets a late wakeup call in Washington
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, March 6, 2006
WASHINGTON - Let the list start now.
The ones-that-got-away, shot-themselves-in-the-foot compilation of Kings losses had its latest entry on a Sunday afternoon in which they fell 117-107 to Washington.
This was a different sort of entry, though it's the length of the list - not the style of the losses - that will determine their playoff fate.
It wasn't the late collapse in Utah, or the replica slip-up in Memphis. This was one comeback halted by another, when the Kings' late rally failed and their own mistakes came back to cost them.
And they call them "free" throws. The Kings - who trailed by as many as 17 points, yet came within four points in the fourth quarter - missed 13 free throws (20 of 33), and gave up 16 turnovers.
With a 1 p.m. start on the East Coast, the Kings' collective eyes finally opened late in the second quarter, after they'd allowed 33 first-quarter points in one of the worst extended stretches of defense since Ron Artest arrived.
"We didn't guard them well enough for the whole game," said coach Rick Adelman, whose team trailed 58-46 at halftime. "For most of the game, we just gave them too many easy opportunities and didn't take away things we needed to take away."
Heading into play, Adelman said his next task to tackle was convincing his players to concentrate from beginning to end. No lapses in focus. No letting opponents back into games. Little did he know they wouldn't have any to begin with.
In the first half, Wizards forwards Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison combined for 30 points by playing well at their own game of H-O-R-S-E, converting on so many wide-open looks as they hit 14 of 26 shots.
"I think if we would've concentrated more on defense, we might have gotten this one," said Kings forward Kenny Thomas, who had 10 points and 11 rebounds. "That's a little embarrassing for them to score (33 first-quarter) points. They have a lot of guys that can score, and we just came out flat."
By halftime, the Kings faced a losing formula, trailing even though one of the league's most potent scorers had just three points.
Gilbert Arenas - who is fourth in the league in scoring at 28.9 points per game - had scored 20-plus points in 16 of his past 17 games. He scored 20 in the second half and finished with 23, while the Wizards shot 48.2 percent from the field, stopped a three-game slide and won the 100th game under former Kings coach Eddie Jordan.
Jamison had a game-high 31 points and was 5 of 9 from three-point range. Butler had 22.
"With about 24 games left, we need every win we can get," Arenas said.
Facing the same predicament, it didn't bode well for the Kings that Artest was one of the few who played that way throughout. He had 30 points on 13 of 19 shooting, his highest total since joining the Kings. While all five starters scored in double figures, Mike Bibby was just 5 of 16 from the field. Shooting guard Kevin Martin scored 20 points, though his 1-of-5 start fell in line with the Kings' sluggish beginning.
"We just started off pretty bad," Artest said. "Defensive intensity wasn't there. We slacked a little bit. We made a lot of little mistakes, but we'll make up for those (tonight at New Jersey)."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
Kings give it away
Sacramento's defense gets a late wakeup call in Washington
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, March 6, 2006
WASHINGTON - Let the list start now.
The ones-that-got-away, shot-themselves-in-the-foot compilation of Kings losses had its latest entry on a Sunday afternoon in which they fell 117-107 to Washington.
This was a different sort of entry, though it's the length of the list - not the style of the losses - that will determine their playoff fate.
It wasn't the late collapse in Utah, or the replica slip-up in Memphis. This was one comeback halted by another, when the Kings' late rally failed and their own mistakes came back to cost them.
And they call them "free" throws. The Kings - who trailed by as many as 17 points, yet came within four points in the fourth quarter - missed 13 free throws (20 of 33), and gave up 16 turnovers.
With a 1 p.m. start on the East Coast, the Kings' collective eyes finally opened late in the second quarter, after they'd allowed 33 first-quarter points in one of the worst extended stretches of defense since Ron Artest arrived.
"We didn't guard them well enough for the whole game," said coach Rick Adelman, whose team trailed 58-46 at halftime. "For most of the game, we just gave them too many easy opportunities and didn't take away things we needed to take away."
Heading into play, Adelman said his next task to tackle was convincing his players to concentrate from beginning to end. No lapses in focus. No letting opponents back into games. Little did he know they wouldn't have any to begin with.
In the first half, Wizards forwards Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison combined for 30 points by playing well at their own game of H-O-R-S-E, converting on so many wide-open looks as they hit 14 of 26 shots.
"I think if we would've concentrated more on defense, we might have gotten this one," said Kings forward Kenny Thomas, who had 10 points and 11 rebounds. "That's a little embarrassing for them to score (33 first-quarter) points. They have a lot of guys that can score, and we just came out flat."
By halftime, the Kings faced a losing formula, trailing even though one of the league's most potent scorers had just three points.
Gilbert Arenas - who is fourth in the league in scoring at 28.9 points per game - had scored 20-plus points in 16 of his past 17 games. He scored 20 in the second half and finished with 23, while the Wizards shot 48.2 percent from the field, stopped a three-game slide and won the 100th game under former Kings coach Eddie Jordan.
Jamison had a game-high 31 points and was 5 of 9 from three-point range. Butler had 22.
"With about 24 games left, we need every win we can get," Arenas said.
Facing the same predicament, it didn't bode well for the Kings that Artest was one of the few who played that way throughout. He had 30 points on 13 of 19 shooting, his highest total since joining the Kings. While all five starters scored in double figures, Mike Bibby was just 5 of 16 from the field. Shooting guard Kevin Martin scored 20 points, though his 1-of-5 start fell in line with the Kings' sluggish beginning.
"We just started off pretty bad," Artest said. "Defensive intensity wasn't there. We slacked a little bit. We made a lot of little mistakes, but we'll make up for those (tonight at New Jersey)."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
