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Kings Notes: Announcers put jinx on
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 1:14 am PST Saturday, December 16, 2006
Give the media folks an assist in the Kings' shocker.
Only the basketball gods know what led to their comeback from 16 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Jazz 98-97, but Gary Gerould and Craig Amazeen would like to think they played a role.
The Kings' radio play-by-play man and director of broadcasting, respectively, trotted out a statistic entering the fourth quarter in secret hopes that they just might jinx it. Utah had won 34 consecutive games in which it led entering the fourth quarter, an NBA-long streak that was broken in a way no one expected.
After all, it wasn't as if the Kings trailed by a point or two entering the fourth. It was an 11-point deficit, overcome by winning the final period 32-20 and giving up just one turnover to the Jazz's seven in that quarter. A certain print reporter jinxed it in a whole different way, writing a game story based on the final sequence of the third quarter because, well, that's the place where Jazz opponents might as well give up if they're behind.
And in terms of going against the statistical grain, the Kings didn't stop there. Coming in, Utah was 15-1 when forward Carlos Boozer had a double double. This time, though, his 14 points and 11 rebounds didn't lead to victory for just the second time.
What's more, the Kings continue to break their own belief that holding opponents to 42 percent or lower from the field leads to wins. They shot 40.5 percent, improving to 3-4 when they shoot below 42 percent.
Although it was not known if it was the largest fourth-quarter comeback by the Kings in franchise history, it was the first time they won after trailing by at least 11 points entering the last quarter since Dec. 14, 2003, a 107-102 win over Phoenix.
Welcome repeat -- Coach Eric Musselman said the comeback reminded him of the Kings' win at Chicago, in which they rallied from 15 points down in the third quarter to win 89-88 on Nov. 3.
"The team never quit," Musselman said. "At that 3 1/2-minute mark, a team that didn't believe in themselves, or wasn't resilient or wasn't desperate for a win, probably could lose that game in double digits, let alone win the game."
All-Star apathy -- According to the league's first returns on All-Star voting ballots, center Brad Miller is the lone King in the top 10 among Western Conference guards, forwards or centers. Miller is No. 5, meaning the Kings probably will go a third consecutive season without representation in the game.
"There's only a couple players in the league who get a lot of votes, the same guys," Kings small forward Ron Artest said. "It's going to be the same for a long time. Sneaker companies know how to promote. They grab a lot of fans every summer -- players go out to different countries and get the vote."
And, as Artest pointed out, if Boozer can't make the top 10 among forwards with his numbers (22.6 points and 12.3 rebounds entering Friday), there must be truth to the popularity contest theory.
"I knew I wouldn't be there," Artest said. "But I don't want to be. You don't deserve to be if you're not winning."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Kings Notes: Announcers put jinx on
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 1:14 am PST Saturday, December 16, 2006
Give the media folks an assist in the Kings' shocker.
Only the basketball gods know what led to their comeback from 16 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Jazz 98-97, but Gary Gerould and Craig Amazeen would like to think they played a role.
The Kings' radio play-by-play man and director of broadcasting, respectively, trotted out a statistic entering the fourth quarter in secret hopes that they just might jinx it. Utah had won 34 consecutive games in which it led entering the fourth quarter, an NBA-long streak that was broken in a way no one expected.
After all, it wasn't as if the Kings trailed by a point or two entering the fourth. It was an 11-point deficit, overcome by winning the final period 32-20 and giving up just one turnover to the Jazz's seven in that quarter. A certain print reporter jinxed it in a whole different way, writing a game story based on the final sequence of the third quarter because, well, that's the place where Jazz opponents might as well give up if they're behind.
And in terms of going against the statistical grain, the Kings didn't stop there. Coming in, Utah was 15-1 when forward Carlos Boozer had a double double. This time, though, his 14 points and 11 rebounds didn't lead to victory for just the second time.
What's more, the Kings continue to break their own belief that holding opponents to 42 percent or lower from the field leads to wins. They shot 40.5 percent, improving to 3-4 when they shoot below 42 percent.
Although it was not known if it was the largest fourth-quarter comeback by the Kings in franchise history, it was the first time they won after trailing by at least 11 points entering the last quarter since Dec. 14, 2003, a 107-102 win over Phoenix.
Welcome repeat -- Coach Eric Musselman said the comeback reminded him of the Kings' win at Chicago, in which they rallied from 15 points down in the third quarter to win 89-88 on Nov. 3.
"The team never quit," Musselman said. "At that 3 1/2-minute mark, a team that didn't believe in themselves, or wasn't resilient or wasn't desperate for a win, probably could lose that game in double digits, let alone win the game."
All-Star apathy -- According to the league's first returns on All-Star voting ballots, center Brad Miller is the lone King in the top 10 among Western Conference guards, forwards or centers. Miller is No. 5, meaning the Kings probably will go a third consecutive season without representation in the game.
"There's only a couple players in the league who get a lot of votes, the same guys," Kings small forward Ron Artest said. "It's going to be the same for a long time. Sneaker companies know how to promote. They grab a lot of fans every summer -- players go out to different countries and get the vote."
And, as Artest pointed out, if Boozer can't make the top 10 among forwards with his numbers (22.6 points and 12.3 rebounds entering Friday), there must be truth to the popularity contest theory.
"I knew I wouldn't be there," Artest said. "But I don't want to be. You don't deserve to be if you're not winning."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
