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Kings notes: Miller's time is spent wisely
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 1:07 am PST Monday, December 4, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C4
The surge was a five-man effort, to be sure, but Brad Miller just happened to be among the constants.
His team down 70-55 midway through the third quarter at San Antonio on Saturday night, the Kings center entered the game just as he had at the start -- from the bench. Before long, Miller time equated to comeback time.
His pass from the high post found Kevin Martin for a backdoor layup, one that seemed to spark the shooting guard. Martin had scored just five points in the first half, but his layup was the beginning of a stretch in which he scored 21 points in the final 16:20, finishing with 30 points. Miller, so often chastised during the offseason for his poor play against San Antonio in last season's playoffs, played tough defense on Tim Duncan. The lone exceptions came in the final minute of the Spurs' 100-98 victory, when Duncan hit two clutch baskets. Miller scored only four points in 27 minutes, but he had 10 rebounds and four assists -- and did it while looking healthy.
Four games into his return, Miller said the torn foot tendon that kept him out for three weeks feels just fine when he plays but tightens up afterward. And after playing under a flexible minutes limit in his first few games back, Miller said his involvement now is dictated by the flow of the game.
"If a unit's not playing good, then we'll go with someone else," Miller said.
The small-ball unit worked well, with the Kings outscoring the Spurs 27-20 in the fourth quarter. Besides the 7-foot Miller, it was Corliss Williamson, John Salmons, Mike Bibby and Martin finishing strongly. Forwards Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Kenny Thomas didn't play in the fourth quarter.
Jumping for joy -- When Williamson wondered aloud about the playing time possibilities, his mini-career revival was only four games old. There were signs the veteran forward was earning more playing time but no promises. But if court time became a regular thing? "You just might see me do a back flip or something," he joked when the Kings played Golden State on Nov. 16.
The acrobatics could come soon, as Williamson has averaged 21.6 minutes in the past 11 games, providing 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He had nine points, eight rebounds and two steals against the Spurs.
The subplot of success -- The Kings remain in the Western Conference mix with an 8-7 record, but their losses to Dallas and San Antonio only continued the trend of losing to quality teams.
They are 1-5 against teams that currently have a winning record, the lone victory coming Nov. 8 against Detroit.
Kings outlook
In the state where everything is supposed to be bigger, the days seemed longer for the Kings in their short Texas stay. Back-to-back losses to Dallas and San Antonio didn't come without plenty of drama, from the beating at the Mavericks' hands to Ron Artest's first official rant of frustration afterward, to the bounce-back effort against the Spurs that came without Artest but not without a fight. The Kings have shown they can compete with the league's better squads, but defeating them is another matter. They are 1-5 against teams that currently have winning records.
Magic outlook
After facing the Spurs on the tail end of a back-to-back, the Kings are the beneficiaries of the schedule today, as Orlando played at the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night. Then again, it's just the Kings' luck that their good fortune comes against a team with young legs that isn't bothered by such anomalies. The Magic is 3-0 on the tail end of back-to-backs and has been tearing through the league, no matter the circumstances. Among the Magic's victims is what was the league's other hottest team, Utah, which lost to the Magic 88-75 Nov. 27 in Salt Lake City.
Key matchup
Shareef Abdur-Rahim vs. Dwight Howard -- There are few, if any, athletes in the league who can size up against the Magic's big man. The scary part? The player who is averaging 17.2 points and a league-leading 13.7 rebounds doesn't turn 21 until Friday.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@ sacbee.com.
Kings notes: Miller's time is spent wisely
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 1:07 am PST Monday, December 4, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C4
The surge was a five-man effort, to be sure, but Brad Miller just happened to be among the constants.
His team down 70-55 midway through the third quarter at San Antonio on Saturday night, the Kings center entered the game just as he had at the start -- from the bench. Before long, Miller time equated to comeback time.
His pass from the high post found Kevin Martin for a backdoor layup, one that seemed to spark the shooting guard. Martin had scored just five points in the first half, but his layup was the beginning of a stretch in which he scored 21 points in the final 16:20, finishing with 30 points. Miller, so often chastised during the offseason for his poor play against San Antonio in last season's playoffs, played tough defense on Tim Duncan. The lone exceptions came in the final minute of the Spurs' 100-98 victory, when Duncan hit two clutch baskets. Miller scored only four points in 27 minutes, but he had 10 rebounds and four assists -- and did it while looking healthy.
Four games into his return, Miller said the torn foot tendon that kept him out for three weeks feels just fine when he plays but tightens up afterward. And after playing under a flexible minutes limit in his first few games back, Miller said his involvement now is dictated by the flow of the game.
"If a unit's not playing good, then we'll go with someone else," Miller said.
The small-ball unit worked well, with the Kings outscoring the Spurs 27-20 in the fourth quarter. Besides the 7-foot Miller, it was Corliss Williamson, John Salmons, Mike Bibby and Martin finishing strongly. Forwards Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Kenny Thomas didn't play in the fourth quarter.
Jumping for joy -- When Williamson wondered aloud about the playing time possibilities, his mini-career revival was only four games old. There were signs the veteran forward was earning more playing time but no promises. But if court time became a regular thing? "You just might see me do a back flip or something," he joked when the Kings played Golden State on Nov. 16.
The acrobatics could come soon, as Williamson has averaged 21.6 minutes in the past 11 games, providing 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. He had nine points, eight rebounds and two steals against the Spurs.
The subplot of success -- The Kings remain in the Western Conference mix with an 8-7 record, but their losses to Dallas and San Antonio only continued the trend of losing to quality teams.
They are 1-5 against teams that currently have a winning record, the lone victory coming Nov. 8 against Detroit.
Kings outlook
In the state where everything is supposed to be bigger, the days seemed longer for the Kings in their short Texas stay. Back-to-back losses to Dallas and San Antonio didn't come without plenty of drama, from the beating at the Mavericks' hands to Ron Artest's first official rant of frustration afterward, to the bounce-back effort against the Spurs that came without Artest but not without a fight. The Kings have shown they can compete with the league's better squads, but defeating them is another matter. They are 1-5 against teams that currently have winning records.
Magic outlook
After facing the Spurs on the tail end of a back-to-back, the Kings are the beneficiaries of the schedule today, as Orlando played at the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night. Then again, it's just the Kings' luck that their good fortune comes against a team with young legs that isn't bothered by such anomalies. The Magic is 3-0 on the tail end of back-to-backs and has been tearing through the league, no matter the circumstances. Among the Magic's victims is what was the league's other hottest team, Utah, which lost to the Magic 88-75 Nov. 27 in Salt Lake City.
Key matchup
Shareef Abdur-Rahim vs. Dwight Howard -- There are few, if any, athletes in the league who can size up against the Magic's big man. The scary part? The player who is averaging 17.2 points and a league-leading 13.7 rebounds doesn't turn 21 until Friday.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@ sacbee.com.
