http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14224658p-15049234c.html
U-turn on road puts Kings in victory lane
They hold LeBron James to three points in the second half.
By Sam Amick
Picture a happy-go-lucky triple jumper.
Then insert Rick Adelman's face.
Adelman - who has spent most of the season rotating from looks of stoicism, anger and mild enthusiasm - looked the part of a gleeful leaper Wednesday night.
With 36 seconds left against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he watched Brad Miller's 19-footer from atop the key fall through and put the Kings up by seven points. Then came the swinging of the fists, followed by the hop forward that was both literal and figurative.
The Kings downed the Cavaliers 97-90 at Quicken Loans Arena in a victory that was unparalleled in terms of importance this season. More than just the first game of a five-game road trip, it was a much-needed reminder for this team that the big, bad road can be conquered.
And it came against a team equally as desperate. The Kings handed the Cavaliers their fifth straight loss by fixing what was broken in the past, refusing to repeat so many fourth-quarter fades and leaving that role to someone else.
Enter LeBron James, who missed all three of his shots in the fourth quarter and had just two points. In fact, James - who finished with 19 points on 7-for-21 shooting - was 0 for 7 in the second half for three points. It wasn't a one-man job, either.
Ron Artest was merely the point man for the task, trailing James all night while Adelman decided to double-and triple-team the league's third-leading scorer, who was averaging 30.8 points. James' counter was to yield to center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and guard Flip Murray (19 points each), but the Cleveland king was, for a night, dethroned.
"I have always said if they are going to put two on me or three on me, I am going to give the ball up," James said. "I did that tonight, and guys made and missed shots."
There was more missing than making, as the Kings held the Cavaliers to 17 points on 7-for-22 shooting in the fourth quarter.
While the Kings hit just 6 of 16 shots in the fourth, their late stops pulled them through. Kenny Thomas took a charge with less than two minutes left. Artest blocked an Ilgauskas shot, and Thomas contested a missed three-point attempt by Donyell Marshall that Artest corralled.
It made for the second well-timed response of the evening, as the Kings recovered from a 14-point second-quarter deficit and used a 35-point third quarter to lead 78-73 entering the fourth.
"Usually when we do (lose games late), we really let up, start missing shots, then combine it with not getting stops at the other end," Miller said. "We kept pressure on defense and made just enough shots."
The difference was the collective defense and a re-emergence of the offensive-minded Thomas. The Kings forward hit 9 of 15 shots and scored 22 points, his first 20-plus-point performance since he scored 22 on Jan. 17 against Phoenix.
Whereas the Kings had faded with misfortune in the past, their intensity reached a new level when things were going south. With 9:10 to play, a James layup was stuck on the back of the rim. When the whistles blew and a jump ball was called, swingman Francisco García sprained his left ankle after jumping to retrieve the ball. He landed squarely on Miller's foot and had to be helped off the court. He didn't return, and X-rays were negative.
"I am frustrated because it was stupid on my part to get that ball like that," García said. "Brad looked at me and said, 'What are you doing, man?' It's just a little sore. I'll be all right."
Artest, who took more of a beating from James than he gave, also injured his right index finger late, the pain enough that he iced it afterward. Asked if it was bad, he said, "Who knows?"
Of course, a loss would have hurt even worse.
"To come in here and beat that team is big for us," Artest said. "That showed a lot of maturity tonight."
U-turn on road puts Kings in victory lane
They hold LeBron James to three points in the second half.
By Sam Amick
Picture a happy-go-lucky triple jumper.
Then insert Rick Adelman's face.
Adelman - who has spent most of the season rotating from looks of stoicism, anger and mild enthusiasm - looked the part of a gleeful leaper Wednesday night.
With 36 seconds left against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he watched Brad Miller's 19-footer from atop the key fall through and put the Kings up by seven points. Then came the swinging of the fists, followed by the hop forward that was both literal and figurative.
The Kings downed the Cavaliers 97-90 at Quicken Loans Arena in a victory that was unparalleled in terms of importance this season. More than just the first game of a five-game road trip, it was a much-needed reminder for this team that the big, bad road can be conquered.
And it came against a team equally as desperate. The Kings handed the Cavaliers their fifth straight loss by fixing what was broken in the past, refusing to repeat so many fourth-quarter fades and leaving that role to someone else.
Enter LeBron James, who missed all three of his shots in the fourth quarter and had just two points. In fact, James - who finished with 19 points on 7-for-21 shooting - was 0 for 7 in the second half for three points. It wasn't a one-man job, either.
Ron Artest was merely the point man for the task, trailing James all night while Adelman decided to double-and triple-team the league's third-leading scorer, who was averaging 30.8 points. James' counter was to yield to center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and guard Flip Murray (19 points each), but the Cleveland king was, for a night, dethroned.
"I have always said if they are going to put two on me or three on me, I am going to give the ball up," James said. "I did that tonight, and guys made and missed shots."
There was more missing than making, as the Kings held the Cavaliers to 17 points on 7-for-22 shooting in the fourth quarter.
While the Kings hit just 6 of 16 shots in the fourth, their late stops pulled them through. Kenny Thomas took a charge with less than two minutes left. Artest blocked an Ilgauskas shot, and Thomas contested a missed three-point attempt by Donyell Marshall that Artest corralled.
It made for the second well-timed response of the evening, as the Kings recovered from a 14-point second-quarter deficit and used a 35-point third quarter to lead 78-73 entering the fourth.
"Usually when we do (lose games late), we really let up, start missing shots, then combine it with not getting stops at the other end," Miller said. "We kept pressure on defense and made just enough shots."
The difference was the collective defense and a re-emergence of the offensive-minded Thomas. The Kings forward hit 9 of 15 shots and scored 22 points, his first 20-plus-point performance since he scored 22 on Jan. 17 against Phoenix.
Whereas the Kings had faded with misfortune in the past, their intensity reached a new level when things were going south. With 9:10 to play, a James layup was stuck on the back of the rim. When the whistles blew and a jump ball was called, swingman Francisco García sprained his left ankle after jumping to retrieve the ball. He landed squarely on Miller's foot and had to be helped off the court. He didn't return, and X-rays were negative.
"I am frustrated because it was stupid on my part to get that ball like that," García said. "Brad looked at me and said, 'What are you doing, man?' It's just a little sore. I'll be all right."
Artest, who took more of a beating from James than he gave, also injured his right index finger late, the pain enough that he iced it afterward. Asked if it was bad, he said, "Who knows?"
Of course, a loss would have hurt even worse.
"To come in here and beat that team is big for us," Artest said. "That showed a lot of maturity tonight."