Note: The person responsible for writing that headline should be taken out and fed to the wolves...
http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/97417.html
Zone 'D' is correct answer
The Kings spoil the Nuggets debut of Allen Iverson and end their three-game losing streak.
By Brad Byler - Special To The Bee
Published 12:00 am PST Saturday, December 23, 2006
The Denver Nuggets finally got Allen Iverson, but the Kings had the answers on Friday night at the Pepsi Center.
The Kings ended their three-game losing streak with a 101-96 victory over Denver despite the contributions of Iverson, who was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
Iverson, who flew into Denver earlier Friday and passed a physical, didn't start the game. But he entered with 3:25 remaining in the first quarter to a standing ovation. He waited four possessions before taking his first shot, a short jumper that swished through the net and brought the Denver fans to their feet again.
But even with the addition of the NBA's second-leading scorer, Denver couldn't keep up with the Kings, who played without Ron Artest -- the forward sat out a second consecutive game with sore knees.
The road-weary Kings played zone defense almost the entire game, which helped conserve their energy against the high-octane Nuggets, and prevented Iverson from attacking the basket. Iverson finished with 22 points, hitting 9 of 15 shots from the field. But he was the only Nugget to shoot better than 50 percent, as Denver shot 37.1 percent on the night, including just 7 of 30 from beyond the three point-line.
"We played zone basically the entire game, and our guys did a good job of contesting the three-pointer," Kings coach Eric Musselman said. "That's been a big problem for us, but when they go 7 of 30, I thought we did a good job of recognizing who their shooters were, and forcing some of the guys that we wanted to take threes take them."
Iverson had 10 assists, but despite his pass-first mentality in his first night in a Denver uniform, the Nuggets couldn't hit their open shots.
"We just missed shots," Iverson said. "We had plenty of open shots, and I just kept telling my teammates to keep taking them. I can't remember a team sitting back in a zone the whole game. I know I had something to do with that."
The Kings went to the paint to secure the victory. With Nuggets center Marcus Camby out with a fractured ring finger, the Kings' Brad Miller and Shareef Abdur-Rahim combined for 32 points and 21 rebounds. But Miller's long jump shot with 2:46 remaining in the game may have been his biggest basket. The shot put the Kings up 91-87, and helped hold off the Nuggets in the final quarter.
"Obviously it was a game that we needed just kind of for us," said Miller, who had 21 points and 14 rebounds. "You look at their roster and they are missing some pieces, so we felt like we really needed to come out and get this."
The Nuggets were also without forward Carmelo Anthony, who leads the league with a 31.6 scoring average. Anthony is serving a 15-game suspension after throwing a punch in a fight with the New York Knicks last Saturday.
The Kings led by as many as 15 points in the second quarter after two John Salmons free throws finished off an 18-4 run and made the score 52-37 with 1:20 left in the first half. But Denver trimmed the deficit to 52-45 by halftime.
Iverson took command in the third quarter, hitting two three-pointers within 35 seconds to give the Nuggets a 69-67 lead. But the Kings retaliated, as Salmons hit a three-pointer from the corner for a commanding 97-90 lead with 41 seconds remaining.
"We kept fighting and we didn't give up," said Kings guard Mike Bibby, who scored seven points and had nine assists. "We had a long day today, but this shows what we're made of, coming in today and winning this game."
http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/97417.html
Zone 'D' is correct answer
The Kings spoil the Nuggets debut of Allen Iverson and end their three-game losing streak.
By Brad Byler - Special To The Bee
Published 12:00 am PST Saturday, December 23, 2006
The Denver Nuggets finally got Allen Iverson, but the Kings had the answers on Friday night at the Pepsi Center.
The Kings ended their three-game losing streak with a 101-96 victory over Denver despite the contributions of Iverson, who was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
Iverson, who flew into Denver earlier Friday and passed a physical, didn't start the game. But he entered with 3:25 remaining in the first quarter to a standing ovation. He waited four possessions before taking his first shot, a short jumper that swished through the net and brought the Denver fans to their feet again.
But even with the addition of the NBA's second-leading scorer, Denver couldn't keep up with the Kings, who played without Ron Artest -- the forward sat out a second consecutive game with sore knees.
The road-weary Kings played zone defense almost the entire game, which helped conserve their energy against the high-octane Nuggets, and prevented Iverson from attacking the basket. Iverson finished with 22 points, hitting 9 of 15 shots from the field. But he was the only Nugget to shoot better than 50 percent, as Denver shot 37.1 percent on the night, including just 7 of 30 from beyond the three point-line.
"We played zone basically the entire game, and our guys did a good job of contesting the three-pointer," Kings coach Eric Musselman said. "That's been a big problem for us, but when they go 7 of 30, I thought we did a good job of recognizing who their shooters were, and forcing some of the guys that we wanted to take threes take them."
Iverson had 10 assists, but despite his pass-first mentality in his first night in a Denver uniform, the Nuggets couldn't hit their open shots.
"We just missed shots," Iverson said. "We had plenty of open shots, and I just kept telling my teammates to keep taking them. I can't remember a team sitting back in a zone the whole game. I know I had something to do with that."
The Kings went to the paint to secure the victory. With Nuggets center Marcus Camby out with a fractured ring finger, the Kings' Brad Miller and Shareef Abdur-Rahim combined for 32 points and 21 rebounds. But Miller's long jump shot with 2:46 remaining in the game may have been his biggest basket. The shot put the Kings up 91-87, and helped hold off the Nuggets in the final quarter.
"Obviously it was a game that we needed just kind of for us," said Miller, who had 21 points and 14 rebounds. "You look at their roster and they are missing some pieces, so we felt like we really needed to come out and get this."
The Nuggets were also without forward Carmelo Anthony, who leads the league with a 31.6 scoring average. Anthony is serving a 15-game suspension after throwing a punch in a fight with the New York Knicks last Saturday.
The Kings led by as many as 15 points in the second quarter after two John Salmons free throws finished off an 18-4 run and made the score 52-37 with 1:20 left in the first half. But Denver trimmed the deficit to 52-45 by halftime.
Iverson took command in the third quarter, hitting two three-pointers within 35 seconds to give the Nuggets a 69-67 lead. But the Kings retaliated, as Salmons hit a three-pointer from the corner for a commanding 97-90 lead with 41 seconds remaining.
"We kept fighting and we didn't give up," said Kings guard Mike Bibby, who scored seven points and had nine assists. "We had a long day today, but this shows what we're made of, coming in today and winning this game."
