http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13970750p-14804772c.html
Kings seem to be picking up steam
Sacramento follows road win with a victory at home
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, December 12, 2005
Shareef Abdur-Rahim cradled rebounds with both hands, elbows out, topped off one of those "steer clear, pal" sneers.
Each ball, the birthday boy would admit later, was like handling precious cargo.
Rick Adelman pumped his fist like a high school coach watching his upstart charges closing in on a tournament championship.
There was movement, cohesion, purpose. Oh, and Kings fans didn't boo.
All was good and harmonious again at Arco Arena, the once-safe haven for the Kings who somehow lost their home-court bite this early season. With Abdur-Rahim celebrating his 29th birthday with 23 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots, and with more balanced scoring from a starting lineup that leads the NBA in that category, Sacramento ended a four-game home losing streak with a satisfying and increasingly needed 110-100 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday night.
And it more than avenged that humbling season-opening loss to the Hornets in Oklahoma City, a 93-67 beating to a more athletic and determined bunch that got the season off to a lurching, maddening start. This time, the Kings backed up Saturday's inspired showing in Seattle by swatting a season-high nine shots, outscoring the Hornets by 16 in the paint (46-30) and downing the Hornets for the ninth consecutive time at Arco.
There were two turning points. The Kings, trailing by seven, used a 7-0 run to end the third with an 80-80 score. The second came moments later when Adelman instructed his group with a simple close-out plan: Make stops, execute, hold on. With results.
"In some of our losses, we had some bad lapses," said Abdur-Rahim, the first-year Kings forward. "We needed this."
And a little steam heading into a road trip that promises to be a monstrous challenge, starting Tuesday at Minnesota with Detroit and San Antonio to follow.
Peja Stojakovic, officially healed from that shooting-hand injury, had 23 points, including a 6-for-9 performance from beyond the three-point arc, and he had eight rebounds. His first non-three field goal was a dribble drive for a 92-88 lead with 5:34 to go.
Bonzi Wells had 23, Mike Bibby 17 and Brad Miller 10 with his second consecutive 10-assist game. The Kings are the only NBA team to have all five starters average 14 or more points, and Adelman expects to see more of it. In the past three games, the Kings' starters are averaging 98 points as compared to the opposing starters' 67.
"Our starting group, when they move the ball, you know they're playing together," Adelman said. "Every day a little bit more, the guys are (getting better as a unit)."
New Orleans led 56-53 at the half, in large part due to the efforts of impressive rookie point guard Chris Paul, the blur from Wake Forest who had eight points (he finished with a team-high 18). The Kings couldn't pull away from the struggling Hornets, who have now lost five straight. But the Adelman pep talk reached the core.
"Coach got on us a little bit in the fourth quarter to try and get some stops. We got some stops that were key."
Now the task of maintaining the momentum.
"We want to get on some type of roll," Adelman said. "That five-game skid was tough. They responded in Seattle, and they responded tonight. We've still got a long way to go. I look at it like we've won five of our last 10."
Hornets coach Byron Scott said the Kings have the makeup to be a playoff group again, never mind the slow start. He expected a much more inspired Kings team as compared to the one he beat in the opener.
"With the shooters they have and the veterans they have, they can start putting together a lot of wins and get back in this thing," Scott said.
About the writer: The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at (916) 321-1280 or jdavidson@sacbee.com.
Kings seem to be picking up steam
Sacramento follows road win with a victory at home
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Monday, December 12, 2005
Shareef Abdur-Rahim cradled rebounds with both hands, elbows out, topped off one of those "steer clear, pal" sneers.
Each ball, the birthday boy would admit later, was like handling precious cargo.
Rick Adelman pumped his fist like a high school coach watching his upstart charges closing in on a tournament championship.
There was movement, cohesion, purpose. Oh, and Kings fans didn't boo.
All was good and harmonious again at Arco Arena, the once-safe haven for the Kings who somehow lost their home-court bite this early season. With Abdur-Rahim celebrating his 29th birthday with 23 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots, and with more balanced scoring from a starting lineup that leads the NBA in that category, Sacramento ended a four-game home losing streak with a satisfying and increasingly needed 110-100 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday night.
And it more than avenged that humbling season-opening loss to the Hornets in Oklahoma City, a 93-67 beating to a more athletic and determined bunch that got the season off to a lurching, maddening start. This time, the Kings backed up Saturday's inspired showing in Seattle by swatting a season-high nine shots, outscoring the Hornets by 16 in the paint (46-30) and downing the Hornets for the ninth consecutive time at Arco.
There were two turning points. The Kings, trailing by seven, used a 7-0 run to end the third with an 80-80 score. The second came moments later when Adelman instructed his group with a simple close-out plan: Make stops, execute, hold on. With results.
"In some of our losses, we had some bad lapses," said Abdur-Rahim, the first-year Kings forward. "We needed this."
And a little steam heading into a road trip that promises to be a monstrous challenge, starting Tuesday at Minnesota with Detroit and San Antonio to follow.
Peja Stojakovic, officially healed from that shooting-hand injury, had 23 points, including a 6-for-9 performance from beyond the three-point arc, and he had eight rebounds. His first non-three field goal was a dribble drive for a 92-88 lead with 5:34 to go.
Bonzi Wells had 23, Mike Bibby 17 and Brad Miller 10 with his second consecutive 10-assist game. The Kings are the only NBA team to have all five starters average 14 or more points, and Adelman expects to see more of it. In the past three games, the Kings' starters are averaging 98 points as compared to the opposing starters' 67.
"Our starting group, when they move the ball, you know they're playing together," Adelman said. "Every day a little bit more, the guys are (getting better as a unit)."
New Orleans led 56-53 at the half, in large part due to the efforts of impressive rookie point guard Chris Paul, the blur from Wake Forest who had eight points (he finished with a team-high 18). The Kings couldn't pull away from the struggling Hornets, who have now lost five straight. But the Adelman pep talk reached the core.
"Coach got on us a little bit in the fourth quarter to try and get some stops. We got some stops that were key."
Now the task of maintaining the momentum.
"We want to get on some type of roll," Adelman said. "That five-game skid was tough. They responded in Seattle, and they responded tonight. We've still got a long way to go. I look at it like we've won five of our last 10."
Hornets coach Byron Scott said the Kings have the makeup to be a playoff group again, never mind the slow start. He expected a much more inspired Kings team as compared to the one he beat in the opener.
"With the shooters they have and the veterans they have, they can start putting together a lot of wins and get back in this thing," Scott said.
About the writer: The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at (916) 321-1280 or jdavidson@sacbee.com.
