http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/111305.html
Wheels come off in Detroit
The Kings, tired at the end of a long road trip, are unable to recover from a shoddy first quarter.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 8:54 am PST Sunday, January 21, 2007
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- First, there was hope because of the hurt.
Strange as it sounds, early-season injuries to Mike Bibby and Brad Miller meant it wasn't yet time for a true gauge of the possibilities.
Then came the hope of being in the mix, the reality of a Western Conference in which the eighth spot seemed attainable despite the Kings playing below their expectations.
But as the Kings walked slowly out of the Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday night, hope was in short supply as it hasn't been all season.
A sleepwalking, shoddy-shooting first quarter led to a 22-12 deficit, one the Kings never truly came out of as they fell 91-74 to Detroit on Saturday night.
Although Friday's win at Boston broke the seven-game losing streak and was a short respite on this long trip, the finale of the four-game set was more of the same for a team that has lost 17 of 24 games and fallen to 12th place in the Western Conference.
"Jumping out of the gate early really helped us out, and they really couldn't recover," said Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince, who had 17 points. "Us getting out of the gate early and making plays and getting a big lead, it was hard for (Ron Artest) and the rest of the team to withstand how we played today."
The Kings' point total was a season low, and their 35.5 percent shooting mark (27 of 76) was second only to a season-opening 34.8 percent mark against Minnesota, back when hope was far easier to find than the current setting. So where does it leave them?
"I think it leaves us at what, eight games under (.500)," said Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin, taking the literal route after he sat out the second and fourth quarters, played just 16 minutes and hit 1 of 7 shots. "We've just got to stay together and keep on fighting. I don't know what we could do. Hopefully we find a way."
The only ones who got what they hoped for were the Pistons and the league at large. Artest's first return to the Palace since the brawl on Nov. 19, 2004, was uneventful in every way, and easily the lone point of intrigue in a game that seemed over before halftime.
But more than that, the trip down bad memory lane was an indicator as to how much had changed since Artest's last visit, when he was a fringe MVP candidate on a championship-caliber Indiana team. Near the end of the latest loss, Artest was alone at the end of the bench during a relatively pointless Kings huddle, chewing on his towel as nearly half the Palace crowd had already left midway through the fourth quarter.
"I think we could (have beat Detroit), but it takes effort, and it takes some heart," Artest said. "I've played against this team before, had a lot of success against Detroit. It just takes effort to beat them, especially."
The effort, clearly, wasn't there.
"Obviously we played like we were tired, but there's no excuses in this league," said Kings coach Eric Musselman, who gave 14-plus minutes to five bench players in the blowout. "Everyone's got to go through stretches like this."
Chris Webber, whose finest seasons of his 13-year career came with the Kings from 1998 to 2004, was the complementary piece the Pistons were hoping for when they signed him last week. After a solid all-around outing in his first start with his new team Friday (16 points, seven rebounds, four assists against Minnesota), he had 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting and 10 rebounds.
He was, like everyone not in purple, on the other side of hope.
"I'm at a loss for words," said forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who played just 19 minutes and went scoreless. "Just keep pushing. We're not always playing the right way, not helping each other. I don't think anybody though we'd be struggling like this, but it is what it is."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Wheels come off in Detroit
The Kings, tired at the end of a long road trip, are unable to recover from a shoddy first quarter.
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 8:54 am PST Sunday, January 21, 2007
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- First, there was hope because of the hurt.
Strange as it sounds, early-season injuries to Mike Bibby and Brad Miller meant it wasn't yet time for a true gauge of the possibilities.
Then came the hope of being in the mix, the reality of a Western Conference in which the eighth spot seemed attainable despite the Kings playing below their expectations.
But as the Kings walked slowly out of the Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday night, hope was in short supply as it hasn't been all season.
A sleepwalking, shoddy-shooting first quarter led to a 22-12 deficit, one the Kings never truly came out of as they fell 91-74 to Detroit on Saturday night.
Although Friday's win at Boston broke the seven-game losing streak and was a short respite on this long trip, the finale of the four-game set was more of the same for a team that has lost 17 of 24 games and fallen to 12th place in the Western Conference.
"Jumping out of the gate early really helped us out, and they really couldn't recover," said Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince, who had 17 points. "Us getting out of the gate early and making plays and getting a big lead, it was hard for (Ron Artest) and the rest of the team to withstand how we played today."
The Kings' point total was a season low, and their 35.5 percent shooting mark (27 of 76) was second only to a season-opening 34.8 percent mark against Minnesota, back when hope was far easier to find than the current setting. So where does it leave them?
"I think it leaves us at what, eight games under (.500)," said Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin, taking the literal route after he sat out the second and fourth quarters, played just 16 minutes and hit 1 of 7 shots. "We've just got to stay together and keep on fighting. I don't know what we could do. Hopefully we find a way."
The only ones who got what they hoped for were the Pistons and the league at large. Artest's first return to the Palace since the brawl on Nov. 19, 2004, was uneventful in every way, and easily the lone point of intrigue in a game that seemed over before halftime.
But more than that, the trip down bad memory lane was an indicator as to how much had changed since Artest's last visit, when he was a fringe MVP candidate on a championship-caliber Indiana team. Near the end of the latest loss, Artest was alone at the end of the bench during a relatively pointless Kings huddle, chewing on his towel as nearly half the Palace crowd had already left midway through the fourth quarter.
"I think we could (have beat Detroit), but it takes effort, and it takes some heart," Artest said. "I've played against this team before, had a lot of success against Detroit. It just takes effort to beat them, especially."
The effort, clearly, wasn't there.
"Obviously we played like we were tired, but there's no excuses in this league," said Kings coach Eric Musselman, who gave 14-plus minutes to five bench players in the blowout. "Everyone's got to go through stretches like this."
Chris Webber, whose finest seasons of his 13-year career came with the Kings from 1998 to 2004, was the complementary piece the Pistons were hoping for when they signed him last week. After a solid all-around outing in his first start with his new team Friday (16 points, seven rebounds, four assists against Minnesota), he had 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting and 10 rebounds.
He was, like everyone not in purple, on the other side of hope.
"I'm at a loss for words," said forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who played just 19 minutes and went scoreless. "Just keep pushing. We're not always playing the right way, not helping each other. I don't think anybody though we'd be struggling like this, but it is what it is."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
