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http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/11840409p-12728164c.html
Kings notes: Kings don't act their age
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Doug Christie, left, and Mike Bibby can afford to breathe easy Tuesday night near the end of the Kings' 104-93 victory over the Washington Wizards
The play was just a snapshot of the bigger portrait. And what a lovely picture it was for the Kings.
Brad Miller, already bearing a bloody scratch under his right eye, clawed past the Washington Wizards in the paint with one minute left to play, tipping his missed six-foot jumper toward Mike Bibby atop the key. The Kings' point guard found Chris Webber slashing from the left, leading to a reverse dunk and subsequent chest pounding and screams from all around.
Weren't the upstart Wizards supposed to be the younger, quicker, more athletic squad Tuesday night? Apparently not.
Despite having an average age among their starters nearly five years older than the Wizards', the Kings gave coach Rick Adelman the gift he so often asks for just in time for Christmas. They hustled throughout during their 104-93 victory at Arco Arena, diving for loose balls and even turning in a few above-the-rim highlights for the younger generation.
"I liked the energy for the whole first half," Adelman said. "We were so much more alive. That's what we have to do. It would've been nice to see that against the Lakers (in Thursday's loss)."
Guard Maurice Evans won the Kings' dunking contest midway through the fourth quarter, catching an alley-oop from Bibby with his left hand and slamming it for a 10-point lead.
However, no one looked fresher than Webber, who rested against the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday and played after four days off to score 20 points. He had two hanging reverse layups and an alley-oop of his own from Bibby in the third quarter. Also in the third, Webber shot past Antawn Jamison, dunking after the Wizards' forward had gone for the steal.
On the other end seconds later, Webber poked away a pass in the post, leading to a Kings possession and Peja Stojakovic three-pointer to make the score 71-63.
"Sometimes we don't do the little things like that to pick up our team," Miller said. "It's kind of fun when the old vets are down there dunking on people. It gets everybody going."
By contrast, the Wizards made the Kings look Michael Jordan-esque. Larry Hughes drove the lane in the first quarter, soaring high before clanking the ball off the rim. Michael Ruffin missed his putback dunk in the second, falling hard on his back.
Jordan bounces back - The distinction was, at first, more by default than anything.
Eddie Jordan, former Kings and current Wizards coach, became the longest-tenured in the Eastern Conference when New Orleans' Tim Floyd was fired in May. With 11 months under his belt, Jordan was the resident old-timer.
But after a frightening 25-57 debut in the nation's capital, Jordan is earning his keep now. The Wizards' 14-9 start entering Tuesday night's game was their best since 1984, when the then-Bullets started with the same record.
The difference-makers have been the ones dubbed "Golden State East" by some - former Warriors Larry Hughes (in his third season in Washington), newcomer Jamison and Gilbert Arenas (second season). They are the NBA's highest-scoring trio, averaging 63.6 points per game.
"No matter how bleak it might have looked last year, we knew we'd stick to our (long-term) plan," said Jordan, the predecessor of Kings coach Rick Adelman. "Our coaches did a great job all year, all summer, all preseason. We did the deal for Antawn (Jamison) that helped us, and our young guys have stepped up."
A.P. returns - It was only one season, as a reserve no less on a team full of more-recognizable faces. But Anthony Peeler's last move as a King was the infamous elbow to the chin of Minnesota's Kevin Garnett in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals.
And then Peeler was gone, suspended for Game 7 before deciding not to exercise his contract option and eventually landing in Washington.
"Everybody was changing teams, going which way, so it wasn't that hard to leave; especially after Vlade (Divac) was gone," Peeler said.
His assessment of the Peeler-less version of the Kings? "I think they pick up their slack (of the players who left) from being together for so long, knowing how to play with each other," Peeler said. "They're playing good basketball, especially after they started a little slow."
Kings notes: Kings don't act their age
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Doug Christie, left, and Mike Bibby can afford to breathe easy Tuesday night near the end of the Kings' 104-93 victory over the Washington Wizards
The play was just a snapshot of the bigger portrait. And what a lovely picture it was for the Kings.
Brad Miller, already bearing a bloody scratch under his right eye, clawed past the Washington Wizards in the paint with one minute left to play, tipping his missed six-foot jumper toward Mike Bibby atop the key. The Kings' point guard found Chris Webber slashing from the left, leading to a reverse dunk and subsequent chest pounding and screams from all around.
Weren't the upstart Wizards supposed to be the younger, quicker, more athletic squad Tuesday night? Apparently not.
Despite having an average age among their starters nearly five years older than the Wizards', the Kings gave coach Rick Adelman the gift he so often asks for just in time for Christmas. They hustled throughout during their 104-93 victory at Arco Arena, diving for loose balls and even turning in a few above-the-rim highlights for the younger generation.
"I liked the energy for the whole first half," Adelman said. "We were so much more alive. That's what we have to do. It would've been nice to see that against the Lakers (in Thursday's loss)."
Guard Maurice Evans won the Kings' dunking contest midway through the fourth quarter, catching an alley-oop from Bibby with his left hand and slamming it for a 10-point lead.
However, no one looked fresher than Webber, who rested against the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday and played after four days off to score 20 points. He had two hanging reverse layups and an alley-oop of his own from Bibby in the third quarter. Also in the third, Webber shot past Antawn Jamison, dunking after the Wizards' forward had gone for the steal.
On the other end seconds later, Webber poked away a pass in the post, leading to a Kings possession and Peja Stojakovic three-pointer to make the score 71-63.
"Sometimes we don't do the little things like that to pick up our team," Miller said. "It's kind of fun when the old vets are down there dunking on people. It gets everybody going."
By contrast, the Wizards made the Kings look Michael Jordan-esque. Larry Hughes drove the lane in the first quarter, soaring high before clanking the ball off the rim. Michael Ruffin missed his putback dunk in the second, falling hard on his back.
Jordan bounces back - The distinction was, at first, more by default than anything.
Eddie Jordan, former Kings and current Wizards coach, became the longest-tenured in the Eastern Conference when New Orleans' Tim Floyd was fired in May. With 11 months under his belt, Jordan was the resident old-timer.
But after a frightening 25-57 debut in the nation's capital, Jordan is earning his keep now. The Wizards' 14-9 start entering Tuesday night's game was their best since 1984, when the then-Bullets started with the same record.
The difference-makers have been the ones dubbed "Golden State East" by some - former Warriors Larry Hughes (in his third season in Washington), newcomer Jamison and Gilbert Arenas (second season). They are the NBA's highest-scoring trio, averaging 63.6 points per game.
"No matter how bleak it might have looked last year, we knew we'd stick to our (long-term) plan," said Jordan, the predecessor of Kings coach Rick Adelman. "Our coaches did a great job all year, all summer, all preseason. We did the deal for Antawn (Jamison) that helped us, and our young guys have stepped up."
A.P. returns - It was only one season, as a reserve no less on a team full of more-recognizable faces. But Anthony Peeler's last move as a King was the infamous elbow to the chin of Minnesota's Kevin Garnett in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals.
And then Peeler was gone, suspended for Game 7 before deciding not to exercise his contract option and eventually landing in Washington.
"Everybody was changing teams, going which way, so it wasn't that hard to leave; especially after Vlade (Divac) was gone," Peeler said.
His assessment of the Peeler-less version of the Kings? "I think they pick up their slack (of the players who left) from being together for so long, knowing how to play with each other," Peeler said. "They're playing good basketball, especially after they started a little slow."
