http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/94158.html
Kings send chill through their offense
Their shooting problems continue as they fall to the streaking Suns.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:27 am PST Sunday, December 17, 2006
There is, on a fairly consistent basis, a need for shots to fall as a means to winning games in the NBA.
Elementary. Simplistic. A safe, but true, statement. And, in many ways, the beginning and end of the Kings' struggles these days.
The season-long problem was clear Saturday night at Arco Arena, where the Kings provided everything but the baskets that would have been needed to stop the Phoenix Suns' winning streak at 13 and instead fell 105-98.
They had energy, nearly matching the Suns in every area from tempo to fortitude. They had a rare rebounding edge, grabbing 45 to the Suns' 34. They had defense, with an experimental starting lineup paying off and the Suns being held to five points below their season average and 22 points below their last meeting with the Kings.
But it was the Suns who had the means that matter most -- shooters galore all over the floor who hit 42 of 81 shots overall (51.9 percent) and 11 of 26 three-pointers (42.3 percent). The Kings, meanwhile, continued a brutal assault on the backboards and rims that has plagued them for so long, shooting 39.8 percent (35 for 88).
Whereas the league has plenty of teams with non-shooters and all intentions of scoring in other ways, the Kings' quandary is that most of their personnel is geared toward an outside game, one that just simply won't materialize.
"We shot 39 percent tonight," Kings coach Eric Musselman said. "That's really difficult to win. So, obviously, we didn't make shots again tonight ... . It's going to be hard to beat Phoenix shooting 39 percent."
For all the welcome Kings relief that came with Friday night's comeback at Utah, the question a day later was whether it was anything close to fool's gold, as they won despite shooting 40.5 percent. And though Mike Bibby's late hot streak against the Jazz was a long time coming, he followed it against the Suns with a 6-for-22 outing that was more of the same for this season.
Off the bench, Ronnie Price and Francisco García only brought the law of averages even lower, going a combined 0 for 7.
In all, the Kings are ranked 25th in the league in shooting, with a 44 percent mark to go with a three-point pace of 30 percent that is 27th. In eight of the past 10 games, the Kings have shot below 45 percent. In the past 15 games, they've shot 50-plus percent just twice.
"I figure that if we were shooting the ball better, we could have been in a better situation to win the game," said forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who had 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds in 25 minutes. "If we were shooting the ball better, it would have been easier for us to get back into the game."
That simple, and that hard. All at once.
For the second consecutive meeting with the Suns, Musselman shook up the starting lineup in an attempt to counter Phoenix's attack. He inserted swingman John Salmons in place of forward Kenny Thomas, with Salmons assigned to Suns point guard Steve Nash in an effective move. But the Suns could be contained for only so long, and they scored 16 points in the last three minutes of the first half to cut the Kings' lead to 50-45.
Nash, who was held to six points and five rebounds in the first half, was the typical spark that made the Suns go as he finished with 16 points and 12 assists. Down 54-45, the Suns went on an 11-0 run capped by a Raja Bell three-pointer. They took off again late in the third quarter, going on a 17-9 run to lead 73-66, and never led by fewer than five points thereafter. The Suns, who tied a franchise record with their 14th consecutive victory, had seven players in double figures.
"It just comes by guys (being) unselfish, move the ball, and we just find different guys at different times to step up," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "That's been our trademark."
One the Kings wish they could replicate.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@ sacbee.com.
Kings send chill through their offense
Their shooting problems continue as they fall to the streaking Suns.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:27 am PST Sunday, December 17, 2006
There is, on a fairly consistent basis, a need for shots to fall as a means to winning games in the NBA.
Elementary. Simplistic. A safe, but true, statement. And, in many ways, the beginning and end of the Kings' struggles these days.
The season-long problem was clear Saturday night at Arco Arena, where the Kings provided everything but the baskets that would have been needed to stop the Phoenix Suns' winning streak at 13 and instead fell 105-98.
They had energy, nearly matching the Suns in every area from tempo to fortitude. They had a rare rebounding edge, grabbing 45 to the Suns' 34. They had defense, with an experimental starting lineup paying off and the Suns being held to five points below their season average and 22 points below their last meeting with the Kings.
But it was the Suns who had the means that matter most -- shooters galore all over the floor who hit 42 of 81 shots overall (51.9 percent) and 11 of 26 three-pointers (42.3 percent). The Kings, meanwhile, continued a brutal assault on the backboards and rims that has plagued them for so long, shooting 39.8 percent (35 for 88).
Whereas the league has plenty of teams with non-shooters and all intentions of scoring in other ways, the Kings' quandary is that most of their personnel is geared toward an outside game, one that just simply won't materialize.
"We shot 39 percent tonight," Kings coach Eric Musselman said. "That's really difficult to win. So, obviously, we didn't make shots again tonight ... . It's going to be hard to beat Phoenix shooting 39 percent."
For all the welcome Kings relief that came with Friday night's comeback at Utah, the question a day later was whether it was anything close to fool's gold, as they won despite shooting 40.5 percent. And though Mike Bibby's late hot streak against the Jazz was a long time coming, he followed it against the Suns with a 6-for-22 outing that was more of the same for this season.
Off the bench, Ronnie Price and Francisco García only brought the law of averages even lower, going a combined 0 for 7.
In all, the Kings are ranked 25th in the league in shooting, with a 44 percent mark to go with a three-point pace of 30 percent that is 27th. In eight of the past 10 games, the Kings have shot below 45 percent. In the past 15 games, they've shot 50-plus percent just twice.
"I figure that if we were shooting the ball better, we could have been in a better situation to win the game," said forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who had 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds in 25 minutes. "If we were shooting the ball better, it would have been easier for us to get back into the game."
That simple, and that hard. All at once.
For the second consecutive meeting with the Suns, Musselman shook up the starting lineup in an attempt to counter Phoenix's attack. He inserted swingman John Salmons in place of forward Kenny Thomas, with Salmons assigned to Suns point guard Steve Nash in an effective move. But the Suns could be contained for only so long, and they scored 16 points in the last three minutes of the first half to cut the Kings' lead to 50-45.
Nash, who was held to six points and five rebounds in the first half, was the typical spark that made the Suns go as he finished with 16 points and 12 assists. Down 54-45, the Suns went on an 11-0 run capped by a Raja Bell three-pointer. They took off again late in the third quarter, going on a 17-9 run to lead 73-66, and never led by fewer than five points thereafter. The Suns, who tied a franchise record with their 14th consecutive victory, had seven players in double figures.
"It just comes by guys (being) unselfish, move the ball, and we just find different guys at different times to step up," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "That's been our trademark."
One the Kings wish they could replicate.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@ sacbee.com.
