http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13923956p-14760951c.html
Kings receive a Bay Area beating
The Warriors rule inside and unleash Jason Richardson and Baron Davis.
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, December 1, 2005
OAKLAND - About all Brad Miller could do at this point was slump back in his locker-room seat and collect his bearings and breath.
His feet - with sandals still on - were soaking in a bucket of ice water, his knees encased in cold packs.
And the Kings center's pride? About as bruised as his nose, which took a karate chop from Jason Richardson, or his temple, which bounced off Derek Fisher's dome in a loose-ball pursuit, or his back after drawing a train-wreck charge.
But the Golden State Warriors collectively earned most of the hustle and grunt honors Wednesday night, and with the backcourt of Richardson and Baron Davis sizzling, the Kings played catchup most of the night in falling 113-106 at The Arena.
A near-sellout crowd of 19,279 saw six Warriors score in double figures and Golden State take a commanding 49-32 rebounding advantage. The Warriors also inched into first place in the Pacific Division for the first time since March 2, 1992, a development so fresh that it seemed later to trigger the security alarms deep inside the building.
Miller said getting outrebounded by the Warriors, sometimes on second and third chances, doomed the Kings every bit as much as the sheer athleticism of Davis and Richardson, who combined for 58 points and enough highlight material to last a month.
"Ever since I've been here, that's the one thing they've done to us is rebound," said Miller, who managed 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds. "It pretty much comes down to the boards. It makes it tough."
And the Kings' other Warriors nemesis, Richardson?
"Does that to us every time," Miller said. "Seems like he averages 35 against us."
Actually, it was only 24 points in 15 career games entering Wednesday. But Richardson has feasted on the Kings of late, including games of 26, 37 and 40 last season, though the Kings won two of those meetings.
This time, Richardson, seeking his first All-Star berth, scored 15 points in the first quarter, and he pretty much thumped his chest at the view of the Kings below the Warriors in the standings.
"This was a statement game," Richardson said. "They used to whoop on us. We now know that it's changing."
With Davis running the floor, making 16 assists and capping his 25-point night with a three-pointer for a 111-102 lead with 21.8 seconds to play, the Warriors earned their first 11-win November since 1974-75.
All of this represents good living for Golden State, which is trying to halt the NBA's longest current playoff drought. The Warriors haven't been a playoff bunch since Chris Webber had pristine knees and was the Rookie of the Year, in 1993-94.
The Kings had four players in double figures, with the one they needed points from still trying to find his game. Tuesday, Peja Stojakovic shot 1 for 8 and had five points in his first game back after sitting three out with a right (shooting) hand injury. Wednesday, he was only slightly better with nine points on 3-for-10 shooting.
"I'm struggling right now," Stojakovic said. "I'm not making any excuses. I'll get better. I'm trying to find my rhythm again."
The Kings also might want to rediscover the benefits of rebounding and interior defense. You know it's a bad night at the office when Adonal Foyle is doing spin moves inside and finishing with 10 points, or when Mike Dunleavy is doing George Gervin finger rolls at the rim. Dunleavy scored 19, including a three-pointer with 56.5 seconds left for a 106-99 lead.
"The boards and little things killed us tonight," said Kings coach Rick Adelman, whose team's three-game winning streak ended. "When they take long shots and there are long rebounds, you've got to track those down."
Shareef Abdur-Rahim led the Kings with 24 points, followed by Bonzi Wells with 23. Mike Bibby had 20, his streak of games of 25 or more points ending after five games.
About the writer: The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at (916) 321-1280 or jdavidson@sacbee.com.
Kings receive a Bay Area beating
The Warriors rule inside and unleash Jason Richardson and Baron Davis.
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, December 1, 2005
OAKLAND - About all Brad Miller could do at this point was slump back in his locker-room seat and collect his bearings and breath.
His feet - with sandals still on - were soaking in a bucket of ice water, his knees encased in cold packs.
And the Kings center's pride? About as bruised as his nose, which took a karate chop from Jason Richardson, or his temple, which bounced off Derek Fisher's dome in a loose-ball pursuit, or his back after drawing a train-wreck charge.
But the Golden State Warriors collectively earned most of the hustle and grunt honors Wednesday night, and with the backcourt of Richardson and Baron Davis sizzling, the Kings played catchup most of the night in falling 113-106 at The Arena.
A near-sellout crowd of 19,279 saw six Warriors score in double figures and Golden State take a commanding 49-32 rebounding advantage. The Warriors also inched into first place in the Pacific Division for the first time since March 2, 1992, a development so fresh that it seemed later to trigger the security alarms deep inside the building.
Miller said getting outrebounded by the Warriors, sometimes on second and third chances, doomed the Kings every bit as much as the sheer athleticism of Davis and Richardson, who combined for 58 points and enough highlight material to last a month.
"Ever since I've been here, that's the one thing they've done to us is rebound," said Miller, who managed 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds. "It pretty much comes down to the boards. It makes it tough."
And the Kings' other Warriors nemesis, Richardson?
"Does that to us every time," Miller said. "Seems like he averages 35 against us."
Actually, it was only 24 points in 15 career games entering Wednesday. But Richardson has feasted on the Kings of late, including games of 26, 37 and 40 last season, though the Kings won two of those meetings.
This time, Richardson, seeking his first All-Star berth, scored 15 points in the first quarter, and he pretty much thumped his chest at the view of the Kings below the Warriors in the standings.
"This was a statement game," Richardson said. "They used to whoop on us. We now know that it's changing."
With Davis running the floor, making 16 assists and capping his 25-point night with a three-pointer for a 111-102 lead with 21.8 seconds to play, the Warriors earned their first 11-win November since 1974-75.
All of this represents good living for Golden State, which is trying to halt the NBA's longest current playoff drought. The Warriors haven't been a playoff bunch since Chris Webber had pristine knees and was the Rookie of the Year, in 1993-94.
The Kings had four players in double figures, with the one they needed points from still trying to find his game. Tuesday, Peja Stojakovic shot 1 for 8 and had five points in his first game back after sitting three out with a right (shooting) hand injury. Wednesday, he was only slightly better with nine points on 3-for-10 shooting.
"I'm struggling right now," Stojakovic said. "I'm not making any excuses. I'll get better. I'm trying to find my rhythm again."
The Kings also might want to rediscover the benefits of rebounding and interior defense. You know it's a bad night at the office when Adonal Foyle is doing spin moves inside and finishing with 10 points, or when Mike Dunleavy is doing George Gervin finger rolls at the rim. Dunleavy scored 19, including a three-pointer with 56.5 seconds left for a 106-99 lead.
"The boards and little things killed us tonight," said Kings coach Rick Adelman, whose team's three-game winning streak ended. "When they take long shots and there are long rebounds, you've got to track those down."
Shareef Abdur-Rahim led the Kings with 24 points, followed by Bonzi Wells with 23. Mike Bibby had 20, his streak of games of 25 or more points ending after five games.
About the writer: The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at (916) 321-1280 or jdavidson@sacbee.com.
