http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/148407.html
With playoffs a long shot, Kings sputter toward finish
By Joe Davidson - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:44 am PDT Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Eric Musselman was tooling down the freeway toward the Bay Area on Monday afternoon, trying to escape for part of the day the pileup of a season he has endured as the Kings' first-year coach.
A friend was driving the coach to Danville so Musselman could watch his 6-year-old son, Matthew, play infield for his T-ball team. After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers by 23 points Sunday night, and with the Western Conference-leading Dallas Mavericks coming to Arco Arena tonight, the Kings took the day off to try to heal some aches and pains.
The Kings' biggest ache might be their collective psyche. They have lost 10 of their last 12 games and fallen 5 1/2 games out of the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoffs with 10 games remaining.
"We're still trying to go out there and compete," Musselman said by cell phone. He was talking about the Kings, not his son's T-ball team.
The Kings are nursing their most recent slide with Mike Bibby shooting just 1 for 14 from three-point range since making a franchise-record nine three-pointers against Phoenix on March 25. Bibby made just 3 of 15 shots Sunday in a setback that kept the Kings firmly in last place in the Pacific Division.
Now the Mavericks loom, and here's the clearest indicator of how far these teams have separated themselves since some of those spirited playoff duels earlier this decade: Dallas leads the NBA with 61 victories, while the Kings have just 30.
In October in Dallas, Musselman earned his first Kings victory, albeit in an exhibition game. In the regular season, the Mavericks have downed the Kings three times -- two routs (109-90 and 109-91) and a thriller (106-104). After starting 0-4, the defending Western Conference champions have sizzled, including a stretch of winning 38 of 40 games.
"Dallas has been playing at a championship level for two years now," Musselman said. "I don't think anyone can argue that."
And when you talk Dallas, you talk Dirk Nowitzki. The 7-foot power forward has had his best season and appears to be in a three-man race with Steve Nash of Phoenix and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers for league MVP honors. Nowitzki has scored 18, 29 and 32 points against the Kings this season, and the Kings might be short-handed at power forward with Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson listed as day-to-day because of toe and heel ailments, respectively.
"We'll throw different guys at him," Musselman said. "If you have a smaller guy on him, he'll shoot over you. If you put a big guy on him, he's so crafty, he'll take you off the dribble."
After Dallas, the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Kings -- Wednesday against the Nuggets in Denver, Friday at home against Utah and Sunday at home against Houston. Though it increasingly looks as if the Kings won't make the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, Kings swingman John Salmons said every game represents something, postseason or not.
"You've still got to go out there and play like you're trying to win a championship," he said Sunday night after the loss to the Lakers. "That's what you're paid to do. You've got to have some kind of integrity to go out there and play hard."
About the writer: The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at jdavidson@sacbee.com.
With playoffs a long shot, Kings sputter toward finish
By Joe Davidson - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 6:44 am PDT Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Eric Musselman was tooling down the freeway toward the Bay Area on Monday afternoon, trying to escape for part of the day the pileup of a season he has endured as the Kings' first-year coach.
A friend was driving the coach to Danville so Musselman could watch his 6-year-old son, Matthew, play infield for his T-ball team. After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers by 23 points Sunday night, and with the Western Conference-leading Dallas Mavericks coming to Arco Arena tonight, the Kings took the day off to try to heal some aches and pains.
The Kings' biggest ache might be their collective psyche. They have lost 10 of their last 12 games and fallen 5 1/2 games out of the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoffs with 10 games remaining.
"We're still trying to go out there and compete," Musselman said by cell phone. He was talking about the Kings, not his son's T-ball team.
The Kings are nursing their most recent slide with Mike Bibby shooting just 1 for 14 from three-point range since making a franchise-record nine three-pointers against Phoenix on March 25. Bibby made just 3 of 15 shots Sunday in a setback that kept the Kings firmly in last place in the Pacific Division.
Now the Mavericks loom, and here's the clearest indicator of how far these teams have separated themselves since some of those spirited playoff duels earlier this decade: Dallas leads the NBA with 61 victories, while the Kings have just 30.
In October in Dallas, Musselman earned his first Kings victory, albeit in an exhibition game. In the regular season, the Mavericks have downed the Kings three times -- two routs (109-90 and 109-91) and a thriller (106-104). After starting 0-4, the defending Western Conference champions have sizzled, including a stretch of winning 38 of 40 games.
"Dallas has been playing at a championship level for two years now," Musselman said. "I don't think anyone can argue that."
And when you talk Dallas, you talk Dirk Nowitzki. The 7-foot power forward has had his best season and appears to be in a three-man race with Steve Nash of Phoenix and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers for league MVP honors. Nowitzki has scored 18, 29 and 32 points against the Kings this season, and the Kings might be short-handed at power forward with Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson listed as day-to-day because of toe and heel ailments, respectively.
"We'll throw different guys at him," Musselman said. "If you have a smaller guy on him, he'll shoot over you. If you put a big guy on him, he's so crafty, he'll take you off the dribble."
After Dallas, the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Kings -- Wednesday against the Nuggets in Denver, Friday at home against Utah and Sunday at home against Houston. Though it increasingly looks as if the Kings won't make the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, Kings swingman John Salmons said every game represents something, postseason or not.
"You've still got to go out there and play like you're trying to win a championship," he said Sunday night after the loss to the Lakers. "That's what you're paid to do. You've got to have some kind of integrity to go out there and play hard."
About the writer: The Bee's Joe Davidson can be reached at jdavidson@sacbee.com.
