http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/118304.html
There's no substitute for a victory
Scott Brooks, filling in for the suspended Eric Musselman, leads the Kings past Denver.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:14 am PST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
If wins came in the physical form, that must be what Scott Brooks shoved into his suit pocket.
The nine-point lead had been chopped to three in a little more than a minute in the fourth quarter, with Denver's shots going down and the pulse of the fill-in Kings coach shooting up. Just as he had before the game, Brooks came clean about the butterflies, the nerves, the fears of pushing his own head-coaching record to 0-5 after the first four losses came while coaching, of all teams, the Nuggets.
But a Ron Artest jumper cured all of it, sinking true with 17 seconds left to help make it Kings 94, Nuggets 87. When the final led to a virtual "Finally!" reaction from Brooks, he pumped his right fist near his hip, pocketing the victory while players and fellow assistants offered atta-boys and hugs.
"The butterflies definitely were all over the place," said Brooks, who watched as Steve Blake and J.R. Smith hit back-to-back three-pointers in the final minute to cut the lead. "But like I've said, I think if you compete with your heart and let it all hang on the court, you give yourself a chance to win on your home court when you don't have a good shooting night."
Case in point, the Kings shot just 37.9 percent (36 of 95) from the field in what was only one of the obvious obstacles. They gave the Nuggets a season-high 61 rebounds to just 45 of their own. There was, if little else, Artest and Kevin Martin having big nights. Artest's shot capped a sensational all-around outing, as he had 21 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals and no turnovers. And, of course, there was the shutdown of the snubbed one.
Carmelo Anthony, playing in his second game since learning he had not been picked to his first All-Star team, needed 25 shots to reach 20 points, hitting just seven.
Martin had a team-high 28 points, the fifth consecutive game in which he has scored 20-plus.
With Kings coach Eric Musselman serving the first game of his two-game suspension, this was not only his team's second win in a row, it was noteworthy on another count as well. It was the first time in nearly six weeks the Kings beat a team with a winning record, the last one coming on Dec. 22 against these same Nuggets.
The Musselman message still applied despite his absence, as he had told his team before the win at Minnesota on Wednesday that downing teams in the latter half of the Western Conference playoff race was akin to notching two wins. It was true against the Timberwolves and the Nuggets, who entered without Allen Iverson (ankle, flu) and now sit in eighth place in the West. The message from the stand-in was more about emotion, as Brooks took the candid approach in his pregame speech.
"He let it be known that he was a little nervous, so we could relate to the way he came off," swingman John Salmons said. "I think he did well because he kept it loose. He wasn't tight or tense. It was good."
The in-game message from Brooks against his former team was also nothing new. In essence, the reverse gear had to be in working order in light of Denver's fast-paced style. The Nuggets were coming off an overtime win at Portland on Friday night in which it was 31-0 in the Nuggets' favor on fast-break points. A night later? All tied at 10, with the Kings' transition defense coming through. The Kings beat Denver at home for the 20th successive time, a streak dating to Jan. 7, 1997.
"Regardless of how good the team is, it's still hard to beat them in this arena," Anthony said. "They played great defensively tonight."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@ sacbee.com.
There's no substitute for a victory
Scott Brooks, filling in for the suspended Eric Musselman, leads the Kings past Denver.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:14 am PST Sunday, February 4, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C1
If wins came in the physical form, that must be what Scott Brooks shoved into his suit pocket.
The nine-point lead had been chopped to three in a little more than a minute in the fourth quarter, with Denver's shots going down and the pulse of the fill-in Kings coach shooting up. Just as he had before the game, Brooks came clean about the butterflies, the nerves, the fears of pushing his own head-coaching record to 0-5 after the first four losses came while coaching, of all teams, the Nuggets.
But a Ron Artest jumper cured all of it, sinking true with 17 seconds left to help make it Kings 94, Nuggets 87. When the final led to a virtual "Finally!" reaction from Brooks, he pumped his right fist near his hip, pocketing the victory while players and fellow assistants offered atta-boys and hugs.
"The butterflies definitely were all over the place," said Brooks, who watched as Steve Blake and J.R. Smith hit back-to-back three-pointers in the final minute to cut the lead. "But like I've said, I think if you compete with your heart and let it all hang on the court, you give yourself a chance to win on your home court when you don't have a good shooting night."
Case in point, the Kings shot just 37.9 percent (36 of 95) from the field in what was only one of the obvious obstacles. They gave the Nuggets a season-high 61 rebounds to just 45 of their own. There was, if little else, Artest and Kevin Martin having big nights. Artest's shot capped a sensational all-around outing, as he had 21 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals and no turnovers. And, of course, there was the shutdown of the snubbed one.
Carmelo Anthony, playing in his second game since learning he had not been picked to his first All-Star team, needed 25 shots to reach 20 points, hitting just seven.
Martin had a team-high 28 points, the fifth consecutive game in which he has scored 20-plus.
With Kings coach Eric Musselman serving the first game of his two-game suspension, this was not only his team's second win in a row, it was noteworthy on another count as well. It was the first time in nearly six weeks the Kings beat a team with a winning record, the last one coming on Dec. 22 against these same Nuggets.
The Musselman message still applied despite his absence, as he had told his team before the win at Minnesota on Wednesday that downing teams in the latter half of the Western Conference playoff race was akin to notching two wins. It was true against the Timberwolves and the Nuggets, who entered without Allen Iverson (ankle, flu) and now sit in eighth place in the West. The message from the stand-in was more about emotion, as Brooks took the candid approach in his pregame speech.
"He let it be known that he was a little nervous, so we could relate to the way he came off," swingman John Salmons said. "I think he did well because he kept it loose. He wasn't tight or tense. It was good."
The in-game message from Brooks against his former team was also nothing new. In essence, the reverse gear had to be in working order in light of Denver's fast-paced style. The Nuggets were coming off an overtime win at Portland on Friday night in which it was 31-0 in the Nuggets' favor on fast-break points. A night later? All tied at 10, with the Kings' transition defense coming through. The Kings beat Denver at home for the 20th successive time, a streak dating to Jan. 7, 1997.
"Regardless of how good the team is, it's still hard to beat them in this arena," Anthony said. "They played great defensively tonight."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@ sacbee.com.
