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http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/11909445p-12796373c.html
Effort is there, and so is a win
Balanced - and effective - attack too much for Utah
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, January 1, 2005
Kings guard Mike Bibby, right, shoots against Raul Lopez of the Jazz. Bibby scored 17 points in the road win.
SALT LAKE CITY - There's nothing deep to figure out why the Kings win or lose.
If four or five of them play well, that usually means a "W".
Facing a four-game road trip following Sunday's home game against the San Antonio Spurs, the Kings pulled away from the struggling Utah Jazz in the second half for a 109-102 victory at the Delta Center, ending a two-game losing streak.
Peja Stojakovic scored 26 points and Chris Webber 25 to lead five players in double-figure scoring. Moreover, Kings coach Rick Adelman received positive performances from free agent Maurice Evans and first-round draft choice Kevin Martin.
"This was a big win for us," Adelman said after his team won its ninth consecutive regular-season game at the Delta Center.
Jazz small forward/ offensive tackle Matt Harpring began the game playing physically against Stojakovic, the Kings' small forward. Before the first half was over, Harpring had moved up to banging with Webber.
After back-to-back banging sessions with each other during free-throw attempts, both were whistled for technical fouls by referee Steve Javie with 5.8 seconds left in the second quarter. Webber said he went into the locker room, well, a bit agitated.
"I was (ticked)," said Webber, who missed his first shot of the third quarter and then made his final seven attempts. "I had been watching Harpring trying to throw people around all during the first half, and I was sick of it. Hey, I'm going to get killed for whatever I say anyway.
"I came into the locker room and started screaming. We cannot be passive."
Stojakovic was particularly aggressive against Harpring after the game's early minutes. Stojakovic, who scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, even picked up a technical foul from referee Tony Brothers after scoring a layup and appearing to be fouled by Gordon Giricek with no call to follow.
"I've played against (Harpring) so many times," said Stojakovic, who made each of his three three-point field-goals in the fourth to help keep Utah at bay. "I know what he is going to do. If he cannot guard you, he is going to hold you. You know Utah is going to play hard all the time. You just have to match what they bring."
The Jazz, aided by some of the softest defense Sacramento has ever played, built a nine-point lead in the second quarter.
The Jazz freely drove to the basket until midway through the second quarter, when the Kings received a boost from Martin. Mike Bibby and Evans picked up two fouls, and Martin responded with two big baskets - and a block of a Giricek jumper - to help the Kings erase that lead.
Following a 53-53 halftime tie, Doug Christie hit back-to-back jumpers, the last of which was a three-pointer to start a 9-0 Kings run. Webber scored 12 of 13 Sacramento points at one juncture, and the Kings grabbed a double-digit lead they would maintain for most of the game. Bibby returned to start the second quarter after the early foul trouble, and the Kings' offense ran smoothly from that point. The Kings finished 42 of 81 (51.9 percent) from the floor after making just 9 of 24 field-goal attempts (37.5 percent) in the first quarter.
Effort is there, and so is a win
Balanced - and effective - attack too much for Utah
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, January 1, 2005
Kings guard Mike Bibby, right, shoots against Raul Lopez of the Jazz. Bibby scored 17 points in the road win.
SALT LAKE CITY - There's nothing deep to figure out why the Kings win or lose.
If four or five of them play well, that usually means a "W".
Facing a four-game road trip following Sunday's home game against the San Antonio Spurs, the Kings pulled away from the struggling Utah Jazz in the second half for a 109-102 victory at the Delta Center, ending a two-game losing streak.
Peja Stojakovic scored 26 points and Chris Webber 25 to lead five players in double-figure scoring. Moreover, Kings coach Rick Adelman received positive performances from free agent Maurice Evans and first-round draft choice Kevin Martin.
"This was a big win for us," Adelman said after his team won its ninth consecutive regular-season game at the Delta Center.
Jazz small forward/ offensive tackle Matt Harpring began the game playing physically against Stojakovic, the Kings' small forward. Before the first half was over, Harpring had moved up to banging with Webber.
After back-to-back banging sessions with each other during free-throw attempts, both were whistled for technical fouls by referee Steve Javie with 5.8 seconds left in the second quarter. Webber said he went into the locker room, well, a bit agitated.
"I was (ticked)," said Webber, who missed his first shot of the third quarter and then made his final seven attempts. "I had been watching Harpring trying to throw people around all during the first half, and I was sick of it. Hey, I'm going to get killed for whatever I say anyway.
"I came into the locker room and started screaming. We cannot be passive."
Stojakovic was particularly aggressive against Harpring after the game's early minutes. Stojakovic, who scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, even picked up a technical foul from referee Tony Brothers after scoring a layup and appearing to be fouled by Gordon Giricek with no call to follow.
"I've played against (Harpring) so many times," said Stojakovic, who made each of his three three-point field-goals in the fourth to help keep Utah at bay. "I know what he is going to do. If he cannot guard you, he is going to hold you. You know Utah is going to play hard all the time. You just have to match what they bring."
The Jazz, aided by some of the softest defense Sacramento has ever played, built a nine-point lead in the second quarter.
The Jazz freely drove to the basket until midway through the second quarter, when the Kings received a boost from Martin. Mike Bibby and Evans picked up two fouls, and Martin responded with two big baskets - and a block of a Giricek jumper - to help the Kings erase that lead.
Following a 53-53 halftime tie, Doug Christie hit back-to-back jumpers, the last of which was a three-pointer to start a 9-0 Kings run. Webber scored 12 of 13 Sacramento points at one juncture, and the Kings grabbed a double-digit lead they would maintain for most of the game. Bibby returned to start the second quarter after the early foul trouble, and the Kings' offense ran smoothly from that point. The Kings finished 42 of 81 (51.9 percent) from the floor after making just 9 of 24 field-goal attempts (37.5 percent) in the first quarter.
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