http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/11385209p-12299526c.html
Why don't they do it on the road?
Seattle takes charge from the outset and Sacramento falls hard far from home, again.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, November 11, 2004
SEATTLE - The Seattle SuperSonics defeated the Washington Generals, uh, Kings, 108-78, Wednesday night at KeyArena.Too many times during the course of the evening, on national television, the Kings more closely resembled the losing foils for the legendary Harlem Globetrotters than they did a legitimate NBA team.
That's four losses in five games - all on the road - for the Kings, who have a two-day hiatus before meeting the Phoenix Suns at America West Arena.
Meanwhile, the Sonics (4-1) improved to 3-0 at home and have won four straight games.
By the time this one was over, the Kings' starters sat on the bench and listened to the serenade of the Seattle fans, overjoyed by the performance of their squad.
And it appears adversity is going to be the best teacher when it comes to learning what this Kings team is about.
The Kings shot just 26 of 78 (33 percent) from the field, and they had to improve field-goal accuracy in the second half to get there. The Kings had four assists, five turnovers and shot 27 percent (11 of 41) from the field in the first half, yet trailed by just 14 points.
It sounds like a large margin, but in the NBA, a 14-point margin is overcome every night. However, it wasn't going to be on this night for the Kings. Seattle clearly was the team that displayed confidence in its movements, shots and approach to the game. And it was the veteran Kings who looked like the rag-tag unit.
Center Brad Miller led the Kings with 17 points and nine rebounds. The rest of the starters all struggled at both ends of the court.
After the game, there were far more questions than answers.
"I have no idea," Kings coach Rick Adelman said when asked how his team could go from its dominant victory Tuesday night athomeover Toronto to this travesty of a game against the Sonics. "We talked about how when you go on the road in the Western Conference you'd better be better than this," Adelman said. "And Seattle, what did they shoot - 41.5 percent, and we lose by 30? That's disturbing."
The Sonics put six players in double-figure scoring led by Ray Allen with 20 points, despite a six of 18 shooting performance. Seattle's added boost off the bench came from oft-traveled forward Danny Fortson, who scored 16 points and had 13 rebounds, nine on the offensive end.
The Kings were inept in every phase of the game.
Five games into the season, it's clear that if the Kings shoot poorly from the perimeter, their chances for success are minimal. They will not stop shooting from the outside, and those missed perimeter attempts only made a weak, reactionary step-slow defensive team more ineffective. In addition to playing poorly, the Kings played dumb basketball.
After what seemed like the inevitable late defensive rotation, they would race uncontrollably toward the Sonics' unguarded perimeter shooters and then allow a pump fake and a dribble-drive.
"It's more than the missed shots," said Chris Webber, who made just two of 13 field-goal attempts and scored 11 points. "I just want to make it to the next game. We'll play a Phoenix team that is (once-beaten after an overtime loss Wednesday night in Cleveland), and I'll look forward to getting back on the road and doing that."
Why don't they do it on the road?
Seattle takes charge from the outset and Sacramento falls hard far from home, again.
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, November 11, 2004
SEATTLE - The Seattle SuperSonics defeated the Washington Generals, uh, Kings, 108-78, Wednesday night at KeyArena.Too many times during the course of the evening, on national television, the Kings more closely resembled the losing foils for the legendary Harlem Globetrotters than they did a legitimate NBA team.
That's four losses in five games - all on the road - for the Kings, who have a two-day hiatus before meeting the Phoenix Suns at America West Arena.
Meanwhile, the Sonics (4-1) improved to 3-0 at home and have won four straight games.
By the time this one was over, the Kings' starters sat on the bench and listened to the serenade of the Seattle fans, overjoyed by the performance of their squad.
And it appears adversity is going to be the best teacher when it comes to learning what this Kings team is about.
The Kings shot just 26 of 78 (33 percent) from the field, and they had to improve field-goal accuracy in the second half to get there. The Kings had four assists, five turnovers and shot 27 percent (11 of 41) from the field in the first half, yet trailed by just 14 points.
It sounds like a large margin, but in the NBA, a 14-point margin is overcome every night. However, it wasn't going to be on this night for the Kings. Seattle clearly was the team that displayed confidence in its movements, shots and approach to the game. And it was the veteran Kings who looked like the rag-tag unit.
Center Brad Miller led the Kings with 17 points and nine rebounds. The rest of the starters all struggled at both ends of the court.
After the game, there were far more questions than answers.
"I have no idea," Kings coach Rick Adelman said when asked how his team could go from its dominant victory Tuesday night athomeover Toronto to this travesty of a game against the Sonics. "We talked about how when you go on the road in the Western Conference you'd better be better than this," Adelman said. "And Seattle, what did they shoot - 41.5 percent, and we lose by 30? That's disturbing."
The Sonics put six players in double-figure scoring led by Ray Allen with 20 points, despite a six of 18 shooting performance. Seattle's added boost off the bench came from oft-traveled forward Danny Fortson, who scored 16 points and had 13 rebounds, nine on the offensive end.
The Kings were inept in every phase of the game.
Five games into the season, it's clear that if the Kings shoot poorly from the perimeter, their chances for success are minimal. They will not stop shooting from the outside, and those missed perimeter attempts only made a weak, reactionary step-slow defensive team more ineffective. In addition to playing poorly, the Kings played dumb basketball.
After what seemed like the inevitable late defensive rotation, they would race uncontrollably toward the Sonics' unguarded perimeter shooters and then allow a pump fake and a dribble-drive.
"It's more than the missed shots," said Chris Webber, who made just two of 13 field-goal attempts and scored 11 points. "I just want to make it to the next game. We'll play a Phoenix team that is (once-beaten after an overtime loss Wednesday night in Cleveland), and I'll look forward to getting back on the road and doing that."
