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http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12303380p-13167224c.html
The wild, wild West
Two nights after losing a shootout with Phoenix, it's deja vu for the Kings in Seattle
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Friday, February 11, 2005
SEATTLE - The Kings are in the process of establishing seriously wild, entertaining and intense playoff matchups in the Western Conference with Phoenix and Seattle. At some point, they have to show they are capable of winning these battles.
The Kings lost to the Seattle SuperSonics in a heated contest for the third time this season, 115-107. And for the second time in three nights, the Kings lost a game they were in position to win. They fell 125-123 to Phoenix on Tuesday night at Arco Arena, then watched the Sonics outhustle them down the stretch to overcome a 103-100 Kings lead in the final four minutes.
http://ads.sacbee.com/RealMedia/ads...l/64313865323634663432306265613730?_RM_EMPTY_ Sacramento turned the ball over on crucial back-to-back possessions with that lead, and the Sonics turned them into five points on a dunk by reserve guard Antonio Daniels and a three-point play by All-Star forward Rashard Lewis.
Cuttino Mobley committed the first turnover. Chris Webber, who was booed everytime he touched the ball by the KeyArena crowd following a skirmish with Sonics forward Danny Fortson, turned over the ball on a behind-the-back pass to Darius Songaila.
Webber said being booed fired him up.
"I think I responded to being booed as well as their team," said Webber, who recorded 19 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Peja Stojakovic led the Kings with 28 points, while Mobley had 23 and made six of 11 three-pointers. Seattle's Ray Allen led all scorers with 34 points, while Lewis added 23.
The Kings, as they had been in the two earlier losses to the Sonics, were outrebounded 46-33 by the smaller Seattle squad. The Kings had just three offensive rebounds compared to Seattle's 11.
Coach Rick Adelman has seen the problem before and said his team has to become more aggressive.
"We gave up rebounds with players going right over our backs to get them," Adelman said. "We either have to do a better job of putting our bodies on people or just become more aggressive in going after the ball."
The Kings clearly missed center Brad Miller, who served a one-game suspension for his actions following Tuesday night's loss to the Suns.
Sacramento now has lost three straight for the second time this season. That has not been a familiar occurrence for the Kings in recent seasons. They did so at Dallas, San Antonio and Houston in this season's first three games, but had not done so before since Jan. 23, 24 and 26 of 2003 when they lost at Memphis, Atlanta and Toronto.
The Kings and Sonics showed signs of hostility last week when five technical fouls were called during a 106-101 Seattle victory at Arco.
Those were not false signs. The teams continued to talk while they played with Webber and Reggie Evans getting into it in the third quarter. They talked during possessions, and they talked while Evans was at the free-throw line missing two attempts.
The Kings had used a 14-1 run to open the third quarter and take a 66-55 lead, but the Sonics answered with a 14-2 run and took a 69-68 lead with 5:15 remaining on a Luke Ridnour jumper.
On their only other trip to Seattle this season, the Kings were blown out 108-78. That 30-point margin of defeat matched the largest of the season.
Neither team was capable of producing anything close to a blowout this time around with 13 lead changes and seven ties in the first half. The biggest lead of the half was Sacramento's 26-19 advantage in the first quarter, but Seattle's ability to score in bursts helped it remain in touch.
The wild, wild West
Two nights after losing a shootout with Phoenix, it's deja vu for the Kings in Seattle
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Friday, February 11, 2005
SEATTLE - The Kings are in the process of establishing seriously wild, entertaining and intense playoff matchups in the Western Conference with Phoenix and Seattle. At some point, they have to show they are capable of winning these battles.
The Kings lost to the Seattle SuperSonics in a heated contest for the third time this season, 115-107. And for the second time in three nights, the Kings lost a game they were in position to win. They fell 125-123 to Phoenix on Tuesday night at Arco Arena, then watched the Sonics outhustle them down the stretch to overcome a 103-100 Kings lead in the final four minutes.
http://ads.sacbee.com/RealMedia/ads...l/64313865323634663432306265613730?_RM_EMPTY_ Sacramento turned the ball over on crucial back-to-back possessions with that lead, and the Sonics turned them into five points on a dunk by reserve guard Antonio Daniels and a three-point play by All-Star forward Rashard Lewis.
Cuttino Mobley committed the first turnover. Chris Webber, who was booed everytime he touched the ball by the KeyArena crowd following a skirmish with Sonics forward Danny Fortson, turned over the ball on a behind-the-back pass to Darius Songaila.
Webber said being booed fired him up.
"I think I responded to being booed as well as their team," said Webber, who recorded 19 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Peja Stojakovic led the Kings with 28 points, while Mobley had 23 and made six of 11 three-pointers. Seattle's Ray Allen led all scorers with 34 points, while Lewis added 23.
The Kings, as they had been in the two earlier losses to the Sonics, were outrebounded 46-33 by the smaller Seattle squad. The Kings had just three offensive rebounds compared to Seattle's 11.
Coach Rick Adelman has seen the problem before and said his team has to become more aggressive.
"We gave up rebounds with players going right over our backs to get them," Adelman said. "We either have to do a better job of putting our bodies on people or just become more aggressive in going after the ball."
The Kings clearly missed center Brad Miller, who served a one-game suspension for his actions following Tuesday night's loss to the Suns.
Sacramento now has lost three straight for the second time this season. That has not been a familiar occurrence for the Kings in recent seasons. They did so at Dallas, San Antonio and Houston in this season's first three games, but had not done so before since Jan. 23, 24 and 26 of 2003 when they lost at Memphis, Atlanta and Toronto.
The Kings and Sonics showed signs of hostility last week when five technical fouls were called during a 106-101 Seattle victory at Arco.
Those were not false signs. The teams continued to talk while they played with Webber and Reggie Evans getting into it in the third quarter. They talked during possessions, and they talked while Evans was at the free-throw line missing two attempts.
The Kings had used a 14-1 run to open the third quarter and take a 66-55 lead, but the Sonics answered with a 14-2 run and took a 69-68 lead with 5:15 remaining on a Luke Ridnour jumper.
On their only other trip to Seattle this season, the Kings were blown out 108-78. That 30-point margin of defeat matched the largest of the season.
Neither team was capable of producing anything close to a blowout this time around with 13 lead changes and seven ties in the first half. The biggest lead of the half was Sacramento's 26-19 advantage in the first quarter, but Seattle's ability to score in bursts helped it remain in touch.
