http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/138476.html
Kings suffer breakdown at the finish
Sean May delivers the knockout with an open three-pointer.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, March 15, 2007
It was NASCAR night at Charlotte Bobcats Arena on Wednesday, with everything from pit stop contests for the fans to giant-sized electric wrenches that blasted T-shirts into the sparsely filled stands.
There was a palpable frenzy for the promotional affair, the fans clearly more interested in racing than the Kings are in the race of which they are a part. With a 111-108 loss to the bottom-feeding Bobcats, the Kings suffered their fourth consecutive loss by blowing one of the seemingly more winnable games on this five-game trip. The Kings and New Orleans are one game out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Without a pit stop of their own because of back-to-back games, the Kings had neither the tools nor the crew to finish the job late in the fourth quarter. With the score tied 104-104 with 30 seconds left, Ron Artest hit an unguarded three-pointer atop the key to put the Kings ahead.
Charlotte guard Derek Anderson then drove right on the other end and muscled a layup through Francisco García to cut the lead to one. Artest then hit one of two free throws after being shoved on the Kings' next possession. But with 16 seconds left, after Kings coach Eric Musselman had made three defensive substitutions with hopes of preserving the lead, the changes did nothing to change the nightlong problem.
Second-year forward Sean May, who entered 0 for 6 from three-point range in his career, was open outside the arc. The North Carolina product buried the shot to spark a national championship-like celebration from the announced crowd of 12,848. May had waited for the ball in Robert Horry-like fashion, with point guard Raymond Felton driving hard and turning to find May behind him.
May followed his shot by taking a charge from Artest, who attacked the rim and was whistled with 10 seconds left. The Kings -- who let the Bobcats hit 12 of 20 threes overall, including two from May -- officially fell when Kevin Martin's desperation three-pointer was an airball.
"We haven't done a very good job all year of defending the three-point shot, and (Wednesday night) it cost us a game," Musselman said. "Some teams don't go 12 of 20 in practice if you take 20 shots."
Artest disagreed with the charge call. "It wasn't a charge, but referees, for the most part, give me a lot of calls, so I'm not going to argue with it," he said. "But it definitely wasn't a charge. He was moving, so it was a foul."
That the Kings were even in that position was a surprise. They faced a Bobcats squad that was without big man Emeka Okafor, not quite the same as facing Cleveland without LeBron James as they had the night before. The Cavaliers are 9-2 all-time without James, but the Bobcats entered having lost seven of eight games since Okafor went down with a strained left calf.
The Kings exposed the absence early, compiling 30 of their 46 points in the paint in the first half. It was the opposite of how they are so often attacked, as their lack of a shot-blocker leaves them open to penetration. But center Brad Miller offered a feisty presence down low with three blocks.
Not that Charlotte needed to come in from the perimeter. Shooting guard Matt Carroll hit 4 of 5 three-pointers and had 22 points, and many of May's 20 points came on mid-range jumpers. Reserve forward Walter Herrmann hit two threes. His first trimmed the Kings' lead to 61-56 at the end of the first half, and his 19-footer at the end of the third quarter put Charlotte up 82-80.
"I think it's a combination of not closing out (on three-point shooters), not knowing if a guy can hit a three," Martin said. "We've definitely got to do something about that. Another loss on the season. They're starting to just pile up. I think they're all bad at this point."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Kings suffer breakdown at the finish
Sean May delivers the knockout with an open three-pointer.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, March 15, 2007
It was NASCAR night at Charlotte Bobcats Arena on Wednesday, with everything from pit stop contests for the fans to giant-sized electric wrenches that blasted T-shirts into the sparsely filled stands.
There was a palpable frenzy for the promotional affair, the fans clearly more interested in racing than the Kings are in the race of which they are a part. With a 111-108 loss to the bottom-feeding Bobcats, the Kings suffered their fourth consecutive loss by blowing one of the seemingly more winnable games on this five-game trip. The Kings and New Orleans are one game out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Without a pit stop of their own because of back-to-back games, the Kings had neither the tools nor the crew to finish the job late in the fourth quarter. With the score tied 104-104 with 30 seconds left, Ron Artest hit an unguarded three-pointer atop the key to put the Kings ahead.
Charlotte guard Derek Anderson then drove right on the other end and muscled a layup through Francisco García to cut the lead to one. Artest then hit one of two free throws after being shoved on the Kings' next possession. But with 16 seconds left, after Kings coach Eric Musselman had made three defensive substitutions with hopes of preserving the lead, the changes did nothing to change the nightlong problem.
Second-year forward Sean May, who entered 0 for 6 from three-point range in his career, was open outside the arc. The North Carolina product buried the shot to spark a national championship-like celebration from the announced crowd of 12,848. May had waited for the ball in Robert Horry-like fashion, with point guard Raymond Felton driving hard and turning to find May behind him.
May followed his shot by taking a charge from Artest, who attacked the rim and was whistled with 10 seconds left. The Kings -- who let the Bobcats hit 12 of 20 threes overall, including two from May -- officially fell when Kevin Martin's desperation three-pointer was an airball.
"We haven't done a very good job all year of defending the three-point shot, and (Wednesday night) it cost us a game," Musselman said. "Some teams don't go 12 of 20 in practice if you take 20 shots."
Artest disagreed with the charge call. "It wasn't a charge, but referees, for the most part, give me a lot of calls, so I'm not going to argue with it," he said. "But it definitely wasn't a charge. He was moving, so it was a foul."
That the Kings were even in that position was a surprise. They faced a Bobcats squad that was without big man Emeka Okafor, not quite the same as facing Cleveland without LeBron James as they had the night before. The Cavaliers are 9-2 all-time without James, but the Bobcats entered having lost seven of eight games since Okafor went down with a strained left calf.
The Kings exposed the absence early, compiling 30 of their 46 points in the paint in the first half. It was the opposite of how they are so often attacked, as their lack of a shot-blocker leaves them open to penetration. But center Brad Miller offered a feisty presence down low with three blocks.
Not that Charlotte needed to come in from the perimeter. Shooting guard Matt Carroll hit 4 of 5 three-pointers and had 22 points, and many of May's 20 points came on mid-range jumpers. Reserve forward Walter Herrmann hit two threes. His first trimmed the Kings' lead to 61-56 at the end of the first half, and his 19-footer at the end of the third quarter put Charlotte up 82-80.
"I think it's a combination of not closing out (on three-point shooters), not knowing if a guy can hit a three," Martin said. "We've definitely got to do something about that. Another loss on the season. They're starting to just pile up. I think they're all bad at this point."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
