JAZZ: Kings not exactly NBA royalty these days
By Steve Luhm
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:12/15/2006 01:45:30 PM MST
Talk about two teams headed in opposite directions.
The Utah Jazz are 17-5 overall and have won four of their last five games, including back-to-back victories over Dallas and the L.A. Clippers by a combined 41 points.
On the other hand, the Sacramento Kings have lost six of their past seven games, including a 25-pointer against Phoenix and a defenseless 126-113 defeat at Golden State on Tuesday night.
The Jazz and Kings meet tonight at EnergySolutions Arena, with Utah hoping to improve its NBA-leading record at the expense of the Kings, who have struggled after an 8-5 start.
"We've had ups and downs," Sacramento coach Eric Musselman said after Friday morning's shootaround. "We've had three- and four-game winning streaks and we've had three-, four- and five-game losing streaks."
According to Musselman, the Kings have had trouble rebounding, shooting and defending the three-point line during their recent slump.
"Lately," he said, "that's us in a nutshell."
Offensively, Sacramento has scored over 100 points only three times in its last nine games. Mike Bibby has made 15 of 38 shots in the last three games, while Ron Artest is 13-for-34.
Bibby's battle with Jazz point guard Deron Williams will be one of the critical match ups in this game.
Referring to Williams, who is coming off a 28-point, 14-assist outing in the Jazz's 105-86 win over the Clippers, Bibby said, "He's playing good. He's gotten a lot more confident. He's running their team real good."
According to Bibby, the Kings must get off to a good start against the Jazz, who rallied from a 21-point deficit on Nov. 22 and scored a 110-101 win in Sacramento.
"We've got to play hard from the beginning, show them we're here to play and go from there," Bibby said.
The game marks a return to Utah for Kings' point guard Ronnie Price.
In his second season out of Utah Valley State College, Price averages 4.2 points and 1.2 assists.
"He's trying to convert from being an off-guard to being a point guard and being more of a distributor," Musselman said. "He's working on that."
In the Jazz's win over the Kings three weeks ago, Price replaced the injured Bibby in the second half and scored 16 points, including a spectacular lefthanded dunk over 6-foot-9 Carlos Boozer.
"He has the athletic ability to get the crowd on their feet and involved in the game," Musselman said. "Very few players who come off the bench have that ability."
By Steve Luhm
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:12/15/2006 01:45:30 PM MST
Talk about two teams headed in opposite directions.
The Utah Jazz are 17-5 overall and have won four of their last five games, including back-to-back victories over Dallas and the L.A. Clippers by a combined 41 points.
On the other hand, the Sacramento Kings have lost six of their past seven games, including a 25-pointer against Phoenix and a defenseless 126-113 defeat at Golden State on Tuesday night.
The Jazz and Kings meet tonight at EnergySolutions Arena, with Utah hoping to improve its NBA-leading record at the expense of the Kings, who have struggled after an 8-5 start.
"We've had ups and downs," Sacramento coach Eric Musselman said after Friday morning's shootaround. "We've had three- and four-game winning streaks and we've had three-, four- and five-game losing streaks."
According to Musselman, the Kings have had trouble rebounding, shooting and defending the three-point line during their recent slump.
"Lately," he said, "that's us in a nutshell."
Offensively, Sacramento has scored over 100 points only three times in its last nine games. Mike Bibby has made 15 of 38 shots in the last three games, while Ron Artest is 13-for-34.
Bibby's battle with Jazz point guard Deron Williams will be one of the critical match ups in this game.
Referring to Williams, who is coming off a 28-point, 14-assist outing in the Jazz's 105-86 win over the Clippers, Bibby said, "He's playing good. He's gotten a lot more confident. He's running their team real good."
According to Bibby, the Kings must get off to a good start against the Jazz, who rallied from a 21-point deficit on Nov. 22 and scored a 110-101 win in Sacramento.
"We've got to play hard from the beginning, show them we're here to play and go from there," Bibby said.
The game marks a return to Utah for Kings' point guard Ronnie Price.
In his second season out of Utah Valley State College, Price averages 4.2 points and 1.2 assists.
"He's trying to convert from being an off-guard to being a point guard and being more of a distributor," Musselman said. "He's working on that."
In the Jazz's win over the Kings three weeks ago, Price replaced the injured Bibby in the second half and scored 16 points, including a spectacular lefthanded dunk over 6-foot-9 Carlos Boozer.
"He has the athletic ability to get the crowd on their feet and involved in the game," Musselman said. "Very few players who come off the bench have that ability."
