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http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12225655p-13089610c.html
Depleted - not denied
With Mobley joining Webber and Peja on the bench, Kings win in overtime
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, February 3, 2005
Darius Songaila splits the Warriors' defense of Mike Dunleavy, left, and Jason Richardson in the first half of the Kings' road victory.
OAKLAND- The list of inexplicable losses was already too long for the Kings' taste, from New Orleans to Toronto to the same Golden State squad they faced again Wednesday night.
Despite Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic and Cuttino Mobley being sidelined, the two remaining starters didn't care to add to the unflattering total, let alone against a team that had lost 14 of its last 15 games.
So with 10 seconds left in overtime, Brad Miller and Mike Bibby did what they often do: pick and roll, Miller breaking free for the rim. He corralled Bibby's pass, sank a leaning layup and the Kings escaped with a 111-107 win over the equally ailing Warriors at The Arena in Oakland.
Miller, so often chided for not shooting enough, hit 14 of 22 shots for a career-high 38 points in a career-high 50 minutes and grabbed 17 rebounds. The Warriors, without three starters of their own, received 37 points from guard Jason Richardson, though he missed two free throws with 5.3 seconds left in overtime that would have tied the score.
"All we talked about (before the game) was that it doesn"t matter if you're short-handed, that if you compete and stay together and play hard, we can come through, and they did that," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "We had to have big games from Brad and Mike, and Brad was incredible."
Bibby's contributions were more subtle than Miller's, as he seemed to fill the player-coach role with so much of the Kings" youth playing substantial minutes. Bibby hit only 5 of 18 shots and had 17 points, but he repeatedly found the open man and distributed as the Kings rallied from a 14-point, third-quarter deficit.
The Kings trailed for 24 minutes between the second and third quarters until Miller's 15-footer with eight minutes left in the third capped a 17-4 run for an 82-80 lead. All five starters scored in double figures; Darius Songaila had 18 points, Maurice Evans 15 and Matt Barnes 10. Seemingly, Miller had just one missed opportunity on the night, a missed 15-footer at the end of regulation that would have won the game.
"I knew I wanted to play a lot better than I did last night," said Miller, who had just four points in the Kings" loss to Seattle on Tuesday. 'so I was shooting the same shots I do all the time, shooting if I was open. We're chasing Phoenix (in the Pacific Division), and you've got to think of the playoff picture. We need every win."
The Warriors were without guard Speedy Claxton (thigh contusion), Cliff Robinson (five-game suspension), and Troy Murphy (injured list, left thumb fracture), all of whom were present Dec. 26, when the visiting Warriors beat a much healthier version of the Kings 98-94. But Wednesday came down to Richardson, who had his way around and above the basket in his 20-point first half.
He led the Warriors' 25-9 run that had the Kings trailing 55-43 at halftime, having shot 14 of 38. It had them plenty angry, too, with Bibby screaming at teammates.
Richardson scored 14 of his first-half points in every fashion - two putback dunks through the Kings' interior, an alley-oop slam from Derek Fisher and a three-pointer with 24 seconds left. But he became the Warriors' fourth missing starter midway through, scoring one field goal in a 19-minute stretch while the Kings bounced back.
Evans - playing in his first game since a groin injury sidelined him for five games - fouled Richardson with 5.3 seconds left in overtime, when Richardson came up just short. He missed both free throws. "I missed some free throws, and I lost the game tonight," said Richardson, who was 5 for 11 from the line. "I don't have a lack of confidence. I just have to knock down those free throws, and I just didn't do my job tonight."
Depleted - not denied
With Mobley joining Webber and Peja on the bench, Kings win in overtime
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, February 3, 2005
Darius Songaila splits the Warriors' defense of Mike Dunleavy, left, and Jason Richardson in the first half of the Kings' road victory.
OAKLAND- The list of inexplicable losses was already too long for the Kings' taste, from New Orleans to Toronto to the same Golden State squad they faced again Wednesday night.
Despite Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic and Cuttino Mobley being sidelined, the two remaining starters didn't care to add to the unflattering total, let alone against a team that had lost 14 of its last 15 games.
So with 10 seconds left in overtime, Brad Miller and Mike Bibby did what they often do: pick and roll, Miller breaking free for the rim. He corralled Bibby's pass, sank a leaning layup and the Kings escaped with a 111-107 win over the equally ailing Warriors at The Arena in Oakland.
Miller, so often chided for not shooting enough, hit 14 of 22 shots for a career-high 38 points in a career-high 50 minutes and grabbed 17 rebounds. The Warriors, without three starters of their own, received 37 points from guard Jason Richardson, though he missed two free throws with 5.3 seconds left in overtime that would have tied the score.
"All we talked about (before the game) was that it doesn"t matter if you're short-handed, that if you compete and stay together and play hard, we can come through, and they did that," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "We had to have big games from Brad and Mike, and Brad was incredible."
Bibby's contributions were more subtle than Miller's, as he seemed to fill the player-coach role with so much of the Kings" youth playing substantial minutes. Bibby hit only 5 of 18 shots and had 17 points, but he repeatedly found the open man and distributed as the Kings rallied from a 14-point, third-quarter deficit.
The Kings trailed for 24 minutes between the second and third quarters until Miller's 15-footer with eight minutes left in the third capped a 17-4 run for an 82-80 lead. All five starters scored in double figures; Darius Songaila had 18 points, Maurice Evans 15 and Matt Barnes 10. Seemingly, Miller had just one missed opportunity on the night, a missed 15-footer at the end of regulation that would have won the game.
"I knew I wanted to play a lot better than I did last night," said Miller, who had just four points in the Kings" loss to Seattle on Tuesday. 'so I was shooting the same shots I do all the time, shooting if I was open. We're chasing Phoenix (in the Pacific Division), and you've got to think of the playoff picture. We need every win."
The Warriors were without guard Speedy Claxton (thigh contusion), Cliff Robinson (five-game suspension), and Troy Murphy (injured list, left thumb fracture), all of whom were present Dec. 26, when the visiting Warriors beat a much healthier version of the Kings 98-94. But Wednesday came down to Richardson, who had his way around and above the basket in his 20-point first half.
He led the Warriors' 25-9 run that had the Kings trailing 55-43 at halftime, having shot 14 of 38. It had them plenty angry, too, with Bibby screaming at teammates.
Richardson scored 14 of his first-half points in every fashion - two putback dunks through the Kings' interior, an alley-oop slam from Derek Fisher and a three-pointer with 24 seconds left. But he became the Warriors' fourth missing starter midway through, scoring one field goal in a 19-minute stretch while the Kings bounced back.
Evans - playing in his first game since a groin injury sidelined him for five games - fouled Richardson with 5.3 seconds left in overtime, when Richardson came up just short. He missed both free throws. "I missed some free throws, and I lost the game tonight," said Richardson, who was 5 for 11 from the line. "I don't have a lack of confidence. I just have to knock down those free throws, and I just didn't do my job tonight."
