http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13993887p-14827260c.html
Spurs one-up the Kings
San Antonio hits one more clutch shot than Sacramento in crunch time for a narrow win.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
SAN ANTONIO - The music couldn't have been more fitting.
The speakers at San Antonio's SBC Center were blaring "Hit me with your best shot - fire away" late in the fourth quarter of this Spurs and Kings slugfest, just about the time the did-he-just-do-that? shots started to fall.
Mike Bibby's fall-away three-pointer with 2:24 left, the Kings point guard tying a game the Spurs had just led by nine points. The vintage tip-in from Spurs center Tim Duncan, taking the lead back with 51 seconds left. The pure-muscle layup from Bonzi Wells that had all the feel of his second game-winner in three games, the Kings guard squeezing the ball between three Spurs to put his team up 89-88 with 7.6 seconds left.
But Michael Finley crooned the last bar, leaving the Kings to sing the blues as they fell 90-89, their second gut-wrenching loss to the champs this season.
With 7.6 seconds left, the Spurs' inbounds pass went to point guard Tony Parker, who bolted into the lane and brought three Kings with him. That left Finley alone just right and below the top of the arc, where Parker found him with a sideways pass, and the sweet shooter did what he's paid to, sinking the 20-footer. Peja Stojakovic was close, but not close enough, coming off of Nick Van Exel on the wing to help. But help didn't come soon enough. And when Bibby's last-second three-point attempt fell right, the win was secured.
"Bonzi left (Finley) to help on Tony, and I went for the pass, but it was too late," Stojakovic said. "He made a tough shot." Finley, the sharpshooter from Dallas who was brought here to provide such moments, said Parker's penetration was the key.
"Coming out of the timeout, (the play) was designed for Tony to make something happen," Finley said. "He created a shot for me, and I was able to knock it down."
Knockout is more like it. The Kings had already had their hearts ripped out by the champs, falling 96-93 to San Antonio on Nov. 21 in a game that ended in near mirror-image fashion of this one. In the first matchup, a Bibby three-pointer brought the Kings within three points, but his desperation three at the buzzer fell short.
But Bibby was hardly to blame in either game, as he scored 21 points on 9 of 20 shooting in the second version after scoring 33 in the first. On the final play that started with 2.5 seconds remaining, Bibby ran to the top of the arc to avoid Duncan, swaying right as he misfired.
"I tried to get a little separation, but I didn't think I did, but I just had to get it up," Bibby said. "It's tough. Mike Finley hit a clutch shot, a big shot."
A shot that wouldn't have mattered if the Kings had handled their business at the free-throw line. The team made just 8 of 16 attempts.
Kings power forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim was guilty at the line like the rest (1 of 3), but not of much else. He tied his season-high with 25 points.
In the first quarter, the Kings broke the cardinal rule when playing an elite team: limit mistakes, and convert opportunities. The Spurs had as many turnovers (four) in the first six minutes as they'd had the last time these teams met, yet the Kings trailed 11-10 midway through the first. While the Kings hit just 8 of 22 shots in the first, the Spurs hit 11 of 18, with Parker scoring 11 of his 25 points.
But a scene the Kings have seen too many times sparked their comeback. Forward Robert Horry - yes, that Robert Horry - iced a three-pointer from the left side, fading and falling as his bucket put the Spurs up 32-18 with 10:45 left in the first half.
Like awaking from a nightmare, the Kings went on a 17-3 run to tie the score, only to endure a new night fright at the finish.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
Spurs one-up the Kings
San Antonio hits one more clutch shot than Sacramento in crunch time for a narrow win.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
SAN ANTONIO - The music couldn't have been more fitting.
The speakers at San Antonio's SBC Center were blaring "Hit me with your best shot - fire away" late in the fourth quarter of this Spurs and Kings slugfest, just about the time the did-he-just-do-that? shots started to fall.
Mike Bibby's fall-away three-pointer with 2:24 left, the Kings point guard tying a game the Spurs had just led by nine points. The vintage tip-in from Spurs center Tim Duncan, taking the lead back with 51 seconds left. The pure-muscle layup from Bonzi Wells that had all the feel of his second game-winner in three games, the Kings guard squeezing the ball between three Spurs to put his team up 89-88 with 7.6 seconds left.
But Michael Finley crooned the last bar, leaving the Kings to sing the blues as they fell 90-89, their second gut-wrenching loss to the champs this season.
With 7.6 seconds left, the Spurs' inbounds pass went to point guard Tony Parker, who bolted into the lane and brought three Kings with him. That left Finley alone just right and below the top of the arc, where Parker found him with a sideways pass, and the sweet shooter did what he's paid to, sinking the 20-footer. Peja Stojakovic was close, but not close enough, coming off of Nick Van Exel on the wing to help. But help didn't come soon enough. And when Bibby's last-second three-point attempt fell right, the win was secured.
"Bonzi left (Finley) to help on Tony, and I went for the pass, but it was too late," Stojakovic said. "He made a tough shot." Finley, the sharpshooter from Dallas who was brought here to provide such moments, said Parker's penetration was the key.
"Coming out of the timeout, (the play) was designed for Tony to make something happen," Finley said. "He created a shot for me, and I was able to knock it down."
Knockout is more like it. The Kings had already had their hearts ripped out by the champs, falling 96-93 to San Antonio on Nov. 21 in a game that ended in near mirror-image fashion of this one. In the first matchup, a Bibby three-pointer brought the Kings within three points, but his desperation three at the buzzer fell short.
But Bibby was hardly to blame in either game, as he scored 21 points on 9 of 20 shooting in the second version after scoring 33 in the first. On the final play that started with 2.5 seconds remaining, Bibby ran to the top of the arc to avoid Duncan, swaying right as he misfired.
"I tried to get a little separation, but I didn't think I did, but I just had to get it up," Bibby said. "It's tough. Mike Finley hit a clutch shot, a big shot."
A shot that wouldn't have mattered if the Kings had handled their business at the free-throw line. The team made just 8 of 16 attempts.
Kings power forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim was guilty at the line like the rest (1 of 3), but not of much else. He tied his season-high with 25 points.
In the first quarter, the Kings broke the cardinal rule when playing an elite team: limit mistakes, and convert opportunities. The Spurs had as many turnovers (four) in the first six minutes as they'd had the last time these teams met, yet the Kings trailed 11-10 midway through the first. While the Kings hit just 8 of 22 shots in the first, the Spurs hit 11 of 18, with Parker scoring 11 of his 25 points.
But a scene the Kings have seen too many times sparked their comeback. Forward Robert Horry - yes, that Robert Horry - iced a three-pointer from the left side, fading and falling as his bucket put the Spurs up 32-18 with 10:45 left in the first half.
Like awaking from a nightmare, the Kings went on a 17-3 run to tie the score, only to endure a new night fright at the finish.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at (916) 326-5582 or samick@sacbee.com.
