http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/140033.html
Kings pull a Magic number
Strong defense and a 17-2 second-half run help Sacramento end a five-game skid.
By Sam Amick -
Last Updated 12:23 am PDT Sunday, March 18, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Dwight Howard exited the Orlando locker room showered and sharp -- designer jeans, high-end shoes and a collared shirt with light blue and pink stripes.
But as the Kings proved Saturday night at Amway Arena, looking good was of no relevance in their 95-83 win over the Magic. In ending their five-game losing streak, they put on an exhibition of the unconventional that was far from pretty but welcome nonetheless.
A season-low 33.8 percent outing from the field was no obstacle, marking the first time since Nov. 16, 1999, that a Kings team has won when shooting below 34 percent.
The truly unique achievement, however, was in the travel plans.
After falling at Miami on Friday night, the Kings' charter plane was stuck on the East Coast because of weather conditions, and the team was forced to wait until Saturday morning to make the trip north. The result was a three-night stay in a place known for its allure and endless distractions, with weather a problem only for those allergic to 80-plus degrees and sunshine.
The cloud of their recent struggles was lifted with a defensive effort coach Eric Musselman deemed the best of the season, as the Magic shot just 41.9 percent and had only one starter score in double digits. And perhaps because he wasn't wearing any green on St. Patrick's Day, Howard was anything but lucky with his barrage of shots in the post and beyond.
The Magic center, who is still anything but sharp with his post game, hit only the shots he is so known for -- two dunks mixed with eight misses and a six-point outing in all against Kings center Brad Miller and a few of his big-man friends.
"I just think I missed shots that I normally would have made," said Howard, who had 12 rebounds. "(But) they did a pretty good job of doubling, and I tried my best to find open guys."
Much to the delight of Musselman, Howard's teammates didn't make the Kings pay for the double teams.
"All we talked about (Saturday) morning ... was how we had to defend Howard, and I thought we had a swarming defense every time he caught the ball," Musselman said. "We did a great job collapsing and got to the perimeter and contested the three ball."
Considering the recent history, it was no small feat.
In the last five games, the Kings looked like the judges in a three-point shooting contest, watching as their last five opponents hit a combined 52 of 99 attempts from beyond the arc.
They had a welcome development Saturday when former Kings forward Hedo Turkoglu left the game with a stomach virus after playing less than 10 minutes. He was one of the more potent three-point options for Orlando, which was just 1 of 5, with J.J. Redick going 1 for 4.
The Kings' defense was revived in a third quarter in which the Magic scored just 12 points. It was a season low for a quarter for Orlando, with the fade coming when point guard Jameer Nelson finally cooled.
Nelson, who had 12 points in a first half Orlando led 52-42, had just two of his 23 points in the period and couldn't finish against Mike Bibby and John Salmons.
A 17-2 run put the Kings up 67-64 entering the fourth. Bibby had 10 of his 16 points in the third period, and the Magic missed seven of its last eight shots in the final 4:50 of the quarter. The Magic, which should have no shortage of motivation as it fights for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, fell to 3-30 when trailing entering the fourth.
The Kings led by just two with 3:05 remaining, but a Ron Artest reverse layup, two Kevin Martin free throws and an Artest three-pointer put the Magic away.
"Sometimes shots aren't going to fall, but fortunately they fell in the end," said Artest, who had 19 points. "You're going to have games when you have to win on defense, and (Saturday night) we won a game pretty much on defense."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Kings pull a Magic number
Strong defense and a 17-2 second-half run help Sacramento end a five-game skid.
By Sam Amick -
Last Updated 12:23 am PDT Sunday, March 18, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Dwight Howard exited the Orlando locker room showered and sharp -- designer jeans, high-end shoes and a collared shirt with light blue and pink stripes.
But as the Kings proved Saturday night at Amway Arena, looking good was of no relevance in their 95-83 win over the Magic. In ending their five-game losing streak, they put on an exhibition of the unconventional that was far from pretty but welcome nonetheless.
A season-low 33.8 percent outing from the field was no obstacle, marking the first time since Nov. 16, 1999, that a Kings team has won when shooting below 34 percent.
The truly unique achievement, however, was in the travel plans.
After falling at Miami on Friday night, the Kings' charter plane was stuck on the East Coast because of weather conditions, and the team was forced to wait until Saturday morning to make the trip north. The result was a three-night stay in a place known for its allure and endless distractions, with weather a problem only for those allergic to 80-plus degrees and sunshine.
The cloud of their recent struggles was lifted with a defensive effort coach Eric Musselman deemed the best of the season, as the Magic shot just 41.9 percent and had only one starter score in double digits. And perhaps because he wasn't wearing any green on St. Patrick's Day, Howard was anything but lucky with his barrage of shots in the post and beyond.
The Magic center, who is still anything but sharp with his post game, hit only the shots he is so known for -- two dunks mixed with eight misses and a six-point outing in all against Kings center Brad Miller and a few of his big-man friends.
"I just think I missed shots that I normally would have made," said Howard, who had 12 rebounds. "(But) they did a pretty good job of doubling, and I tried my best to find open guys."
Much to the delight of Musselman, Howard's teammates didn't make the Kings pay for the double teams.
"All we talked about (Saturday) morning ... was how we had to defend Howard, and I thought we had a swarming defense every time he caught the ball," Musselman said. "We did a great job collapsing and got to the perimeter and contested the three ball."
Considering the recent history, it was no small feat.
In the last five games, the Kings looked like the judges in a three-point shooting contest, watching as their last five opponents hit a combined 52 of 99 attempts from beyond the arc.
They had a welcome development Saturday when former Kings forward Hedo Turkoglu left the game with a stomach virus after playing less than 10 minutes. He was one of the more potent three-point options for Orlando, which was just 1 of 5, with J.J. Redick going 1 for 4.
The Kings' defense was revived in a third quarter in which the Magic scored just 12 points. It was a season low for a quarter for Orlando, with the fade coming when point guard Jameer Nelson finally cooled.
Nelson, who had 12 points in a first half Orlando led 52-42, had just two of his 23 points in the period and couldn't finish against Mike Bibby and John Salmons.
A 17-2 run put the Kings up 67-64 entering the fourth. Bibby had 10 of his 16 points in the third period, and the Magic missed seven of its last eight shots in the final 4:50 of the quarter. The Magic, which should have no shortage of motivation as it fights for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, fell to 3-30 when trailing entering the fourth.
The Kings led by just two with 3:05 remaining, but a Ron Artest reverse layup, two Kevin Martin free throws and an Artest three-pointer put the Magic away.
"Sometimes shots aren't going to fall, but fortunately they fell in the end," said Artest, who had 19 points. "You're going to have games when you have to win on defense, and (Saturday night) we won a game pretty much on defense."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.