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No defense for missed chances
Bibby, Miller focus on rebounding from poor Game 2 outings
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, April 27, 2006
One basket. A Mike Bibby drive and layup, or a foul drawn followed by free throws. A Brad Miller jumper from the high post, or even a simple feed down low for a dunk.
When the Kings' longest-tenured and highest-paid duo looked back on Tuesday night's Game 2 loss to San Antonio, they knew that one more hoop would've been the difference.
Instead, Bibby's bad shooting night (3 of 16) was compounded by his role in Brent Barry's miraculous three-pointer that forced overtime, when Bibby let his eyes wander from the long-range specialist who snuck away to the corner.
Miller, meanwhile, played so poorly that coach Rick Adelman used him for only 27 minutes. The team's third-leading scorer during the regular season hit just 2 of 8 shots and had three rebounds.
"I don't think you could blame anyone in America (for benching me) the way I was playing," Miller said Wednesday. "Shareef (Abdur-Rahim) had it going, and Kenny (Thomas). Matchups were working. I'll never complain if I'm not producing and helping the team."
Which, by the way, they each plan on doing Friday night when Game 3 in the best-of-seven series moves to Arco Arena. The Kings face what history dictates as a must win. No team in NBA history has rallied from a 3-0 deficit in a seven-game series, and only 14 have come back from an 0-2 hole.
Ron Artest will be back on the court, having served his one-game suspension for elbowing Spurs guard Manu Ginobili in the head. And after a Game 1 blowout that could have left the Kings wondering if they should simply surrender, they said the lone positive of the Game 2 loss was the sense of confidence that came with competing. What's more, the pertinent history isn't all negative for the Kings, as the past has shown that Bibby and Miller usually recover.
For 17 minutes of Game 2, Kings coach Rick Adelman played Jason Hart at point guard with Bibby on the floor. While the advantage was less ballhandling and more shooting for Bibby - who logged 48 minutes - the disadvantage was having to deal with Spurs defensive specialist Bruce Bowen instead of Spurs point guard Tony Parker. With Artest back, Bowen likely won't see Bibby again.
"I never worry about Mike, offensively," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "I mean he went (3 for 16), but if you remember at the start of overtime he hit two (shots) right off the bat. He always responds. He's also got to respond at the other end of the court like all of our guys do."
Bibby was more concerned about his defense than his shooting.
"I think Mike is the first to admit what happened at the end of that game, that he should have had more concentration, been standing next to Barry, that it should've never happened," Adelman said. "And he knows that. Now the challenge is on Mike and everybody else."
Bibby continued to take the blame for the loss.
"It was the worst, especially when you go in thinking that the game's over already, that we won, and the only thing that could do anything was a three (pointer), and that's the shot that they hit," Bibby said. "It was a big shot by Brent, but definitely could've been prevented."
The Spurs had no trouble preventing Miller from playing his game, namely because of forward Tim Duncan and center Nazr Mohammed. The Kings center didn't hit his first field goal until he buried a three-pointer with four seconds left in the second quarter to put the Kings up 56-51 at halftime. His next came with 4:20 left in the third quarter, the virtual disappearing act turning into an actual one when Adelman decided to go with Abdur-Rahim and Thomas.
"I just have to go back, reboot the system and get back into it," Miller said. "I just want to get my confidence back up. It's probably the (Spurs') length (that bothers me). I've got to get out of a funk, adjust to what they're doing, and be more of the player I feel I should be."
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Bibby, Miller focus on rebounding from poor Game 2 outings
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, April 27, 2006
One basket. A Mike Bibby drive and layup, or a foul drawn followed by free throws. A Brad Miller jumper from the high post, or even a simple feed down low for a dunk.
When the Kings' longest-tenured and highest-paid duo looked back on Tuesday night's Game 2 loss to San Antonio, they knew that one more hoop would've been the difference.
Instead, Bibby's bad shooting night (3 of 16) was compounded by his role in Brent Barry's miraculous three-pointer that forced overtime, when Bibby let his eyes wander from the long-range specialist who snuck away to the corner.
Miller, meanwhile, played so poorly that coach Rick Adelman used him for only 27 minutes. The team's third-leading scorer during the regular season hit just 2 of 8 shots and had three rebounds.
"I don't think you could blame anyone in America (for benching me) the way I was playing," Miller said Wednesday. "Shareef (Abdur-Rahim) had it going, and Kenny (Thomas). Matchups were working. I'll never complain if I'm not producing and helping the team."
Which, by the way, they each plan on doing Friday night when Game 3 in the best-of-seven series moves to Arco Arena. The Kings face what history dictates as a must win. No team in NBA history has rallied from a 3-0 deficit in a seven-game series, and only 14 have come back from an 0-2 hole.
Ron Artest will be back on the court, having served his one-game suspension for elbowing Spurs guard Manu Ginobili in the head. And after a Game 1 blowout that could have left the Kings wondering if they should simply surrender, they said the lone positive of the Game 2 loss was the sense of confidence that came with competing. What's more, the pertinent history isn't all negative for the Kings, as the past has shown that Bibby and Miller usually recover.
For 17 minutes of Game 2, Kings coach Rick Adelman played Jason Hart at point guard with Bibby on the floor. While the advantage was less ballhandling and more shooting for Bibby - who logged 48 minutes - the disadvantage was having to deal with Spurs defensive specialist Bruce Bowen instead of Spurs point guard Tony Parker. With Artest back, Bowen likely won't see Bibby again.
"I never worry about Mike, offensively," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "I mean he went (3 for 16), but if you remember at the start of overtime he hit two (shots) right off the bat. He always responds. He's also got to respond at the other end of the court like all of our guys do."
Bibby was more concerned about his defense than his shooting.
"I think Mike is the first to admit what happened at the end of that game, that he should have had more concentration, been standing next to Barry, that it should've never happened," Adelman said. "And he knows that. Now the challenge is on Mike and everybody else."
Bibby continued to take the blame for the loss.
"It was the worst, especially when you go in thinking that the game's over already, that we won, and the only thing that could do anything was a three (pointer), and that's the shot that they hit," Bibby said. "It was a big shot by Brent, but definitely could've been prevented."
The Spurs had no trouble preventing Miller from playing his game, namely because of forward Tim Duncan and center Nazr Mohammed. The Kings center didn't hit his first field goal until he buried a three-pointer with four seconds left in the second quarter to put the Kings up 56-51 at halftime. His next came with 4:20 left in the third quarter, the virtual disappearing act turning into an actual one when Adelman decided to go with Abdur-Rahim and Thomas.
"I just have to go back, reboot the system and get back into it," Miller said. "I just want to get my confidence back up. It's probably the (Spurs') length (that bothers me). I've got to get out of a funk, adjust to what they're doing, and be more of the player I feel I should be."
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