Kings Win, Baby...

[Franklinnoble]

I'm gonna go out on a limb right now and predict that I'll be riding this thread all the way to an NBA title for the Sacramento Kings. Feel free to jump on the bandwagon. Or mock me relentlessly. Either way, it should make for good reading.

Bibby 33, Cassell 40, lead scoring

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Mike Bibby had another big postseason performance, Kevin Garnett was not up to his MVP standard and the Sacramento Kings started the second round with an impressive win. Bibby scored 33 points for the Kings in a 104-98 victory over the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night to open their Western Conference semifinal series. Game 2 is Saturday night. Sam Cassell scored 40 points for the Timberwolves, who have never been this far in the playoffs. But Garnett, who held up his MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony after remarks by commissioner David Stern, had a quiet 16 points and 18 rebounds -- plus six turnovers. Garnett went 1-for-8 in the second half, Latrell Sprewell missed all six of his shots after halftime and Minnesota totaled 18 turnovers. Bibby, who averaged 23.6 points in a five-game victory over Dallas in the first round, was 10-for-21 from the field. The fourth period featured six ties, the last at 83-all with 5:23 remaining. After blocking Ervin Johnson's layup, Chris Webber made a jumper on the other end to put the Kings ahead 93-86 with 2:18 left. Cassell, who also had 40 points in Game 1 of Minnesota's opening-round series against Denver, sank four of his game-high seven 3-pointers in the final two minutes -- but it wasn't enough. He cut Sacramento's lead to 95-92 with 1:08 to play with a 3-pointer, but Doug Christie -- one of six Kings in double figures -- answered with one of his own. Cassell's last long shot, with 19.1 seconds left, pulled the Wolves to 102-98. But Bibby, who went 10-for-12 at the line, made two free throws to put it out of reach. Sprewell finished with five points on 2-for-14 shooting. Trenton Hassell had 17 points for the Timberwolves while playing tight defense on the normally sure-shooting Peja Stojakovic, forcing him into a 14-point night and 10 misses in 15 attempts -- including three jumpers on which he completely missed the rim. Minnesota led the rebounds 48-39, but Sacramento held a huge edge in trips to the foul line. The Kings, the NBA's second-best free-throw shooting team during the regular season, went 30-for-35 after 26 fouls by the Timberwolves. Sacramento was called for 17 fouls, leading to only 12 free-throw attempts for Minnesota -- and the fans were fuming about it. The Kings, who lost eight of their final 12 regular-season games to fall to fourth place in the conference, rediscovered their moxie against the Mavericks. Four days off didn't slow the momentum. They scored 34 points in the first quarter, 14 by Bibby. Making sneaky back cuts, precision passes and plenty of long shots, Sacramento went up 40-29 early in the second quarter even with leading scorer Stojakovic stymied. The Wolves, who had nine turnovers in the first 16 minutes, closed the half with an 18-8 run that started with a 3-pointer by Sprewell and finished with consecutive mid-range jumpers by Cassell to cut the lead to 48-47.Game notes
The Kings used only two reserves. All-Star Brad Miller had 13 points, and Anthony Peeler -- formerly of the Timberwolves -- had two points on 1-for-6 shooting. ... Hassell's career high is 22 points, as a rookie with Chicago in November 2001. ... Cassell ran into Divac's midsection while dribbling across the lane in the first quarter, and Divac doubled over in pain after scoring 10 points in the game's first eight minutes. Divac finished with 14 points in 25 minutes. ... Randy Moss, wearing a black Garnett jersey, sat courtside with Vikings teammate Corey Chavous. ... Baseball great Reggie Jackson was in the crowd, too.

[sovereignstar]

Here's to hoping it doesn't take the T-Wolves another decade plus to reach the next round.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar

Here's to hoping it doesn't take the T-Wolves another decade plus to reach the next round.

At the rate the Playoffs are going it might be another decade before the 2nd Round is over.

[BishopMVP]

4 days between games? I despise the NBA playoff schedule.

[clintl]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar

Here's to hoping it doesn't take the T-Wolves another decade plus to reach the next round.

I have a feeling a T-Wolves championship might not be too far away. But I'm sure how many more chances the Kings are going to have, and I'd really like to see this team win at least one.

[The Afoci]

4-1 T-wolves. This is the reason I could fail the drug test for my new job.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

4 days between games? I despise the NBA playoff schedule.

Agreed. The Kings actually flew back to Sacramento last night because there was such a long layoff between games 1 and 2.

[Calis]

I really hope the Kings get their title this year, as I agree they don't have many shots left.

That being said I'd be hesitant to say they'd beat San Antonio if(when) they meet.

[sovereignstar]

Originally Posted by Calis

That being said I'd be hesitant to say they'd beat San Antonio if(when) they meet.

Key word being 'if' here.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by Calis

I really hope the Kings get their title this year, as I agree they don't have many shots left.

That being said I'd be hesitant to say they'd beat San Antonio if(when) they meet.

Well, Webber and Divac may be on their last legs, but Peja, Bibby, and Miller still have a lot of basketball left, and Christie is a conditioning freak, and should be good for a few more years. Songalia could be a very solid replacement for Webber down the line, anyway.

And it's not like the Maloof's are afraid to spend money. I will say that this is the year for THIS Kings team to win, but I don't discount the ability of Jeff Pitrie to put together a good roster year in and year out.

I really don't think LA is going to beat San Antonio, and I'm pretty sure the Kings can beat Minnesota in 6. If Sacramento can keep Tony Parker contained, they have an excellent shot at the finals, and I don't think there's a team in the east that can beat them in a 7 game series.

[JeeberD]

Neither of these teams is going to get past the Spurs (though I wish that the Wolves could)...

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Neither of these teams is going to get past the Spurs (though I wish that the Wolves could)...

Well, the Kings and Spurs split their regular season series 2-2, so I don't see why they wouldn't have a chance. Not to mention that Sacramento is clearly as healthy as they've been all year, and is playing their best defense of the year right now. If Peja manages to find his shot sometime this month, they're going to be very tough to beat.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Neither of these teams is going to get past the Spurs (though I wish that the Wolves could)...

Didn't you learn your lesson from LAST round about predicting the winner?

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

4 days between games? I despise the NBA playoff schedule.

Yet another reason I can't stand the NBA. The Miami/NO series took 17 days, for crissakes!

[Franklinnoble]

Webber scores 28, Miller 20

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RECAP | BOX SCORE | PLAY-BY-PLAY | GAMECAST

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Every basket was a grind in the Sacramento Kings' series-tying victory. Perhaps that's why Chris Webber played so well. His last easy shot was some time last year. Webber scored a playoff-high 28 points and Brad Miller added 20 to lead the Kings to an 87-81 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night in Game 4 of their second-round matchup. For the first extended period since his return from serious knee surgery in February, Webber seemed downright comfortable. He made his first six shots, played strong defense on Kevin Garnett and added six points over the final 3:20, quashing the Timberwolves' hopes for a third straight last-minute victory. Webber is somewhere near half-strength, playing extensive minutes on a painfully sore knee that could use much more recovery time than it gets in the playoffs. He was humorless and untalkative after the game -- but clearly satisfied by outplaying Garnett for the first time in the series. "I made up my mind tonight I was going to play my game, do what they brought me here to do," Webber said. "At least I was going to try to do it." Game 5 is Friday night in Minnesota, where the clubs split the first two games of the series. Game 6 is back in Sacramento on Sunday. Mike Bibby had 15 points and a playoff-best 12 assists for the Kings, who increased their defensive intensity on cue. Webber again played a role, verbally exhorting his teammates in several timeout huddles. Coach Rick Adelman altered his substitution pattern to give Webber more rest. "He was getting open jumpers, and he was impressive," Adelman said. The game was nearly the opposite of Minnesota's thrilling 114-113 overtime win two nights earlier. Both teams struggled to make easy shots and committed countless boneheaded turnovers, but Sacramento never trailed after the opening four minutes. "Maybe they were a little relaxed," Miller said. "Maybe they were just happy about getting home court back. We just have to do what we have to do to finish." Garnett had 19 points and 21 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who made 24 turnovers while losing in Sacramento for the first time in four games this season. Minnesota's Big Three -- Garnett, Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell -- combined to shoot 17-for-48. The Timberwolves fled their locker room en masse before the media arrived. "(The loss) had to do with us not taking care of the basketball," said Sprewell, the only Minnesota player in the interview room. "Webb came out really aggressive tonight. He did exactly what he had to do to help this team win tonight. We knew they were going to put up a serious fight. They didn't want to go back to Minnesota down 3-1." Peja Stojakovic, the NBA's second-leading scorer in the regular season, had yet another terrible shooting game, missing eight of his first nine shots and rarely asserting himself in the Kings' offense. Stojakovic, Bibby and Doug Christie combined to shoot 7-for-31, getting just one basket in the fourth quarter. But Webber carried the Kings. Though most of his points came from the outside to draw Garnett away from the paint, he played strong defense, grabbed eight rebounds and also got a dramatic dunk in the final minutes. With the Kings' victory, all four of the second-round playoff series are tied at two games apiece -- but only this series featured any road wins. Led by Webber's outside shooting and strong team defense, the Kings jumped to a 17-point lead in the first half. But nothing is easy in this series: Minnesota quickly made a 19-6 run that included 11 straight points, and the Wolves briefly tied it late in the third quarter. Bibby made up for his 4-for-12 shooting with his best playmaking of the series despite Sprewell's defense. He also hit all six of his free throws, leading Sacramento's 22-of-25 performance from the line. Cassell had 15 points and six assists for the Timberwolves, while Sprewell had 13 points. The rest of the roster managed just 34 points. "We had a lot of unforced turnovers," coach Flip Saunders said. "We just made bad decisions. We were doing things I hadn't seen in a long time."Game notes
The drawstring on Garnett's shorts came loose during a play midway through the first quarter. He held up his shorts with one hand and played defense with the other, but Webber hit a jumper over him. ... Stojakovic was fouled hard on a long jumper late in the second quarter -- but the shot banked in anyway. When Stojakovic returned to the bench with a smirk on his face, Vlade Divac said: "If it won't go the easy way, it's got to go the hard way." ... After the game, fans serenaded Bibby with an impromptu rendition of "Happy Birthday." Bibby turns 26 Thursday.

[Franklinnoble]

I dunno why the freakin' WYSIWYG editor isn't presenting those recaps any cleaner than that...

Anyhow... helluva series so far... Peja shot well for about 8 minutes at the end of the game on Monday, but has been way off the rest of the playoffs... I still think the Kings can play better if he returns to form...

Adelman did a better job of resting C-Webb, but still only played with a 7 man roster. Why the f*&% can't Songalia get a few minutes? Ah, well. At least Bibby played well, and Miller looked like an all-star again.

I have been impressed with the defense on Garnett... and Casell and Spree haven't really gone off... either they're cold, or they're being well defended. The 'Wolves made a lot of dumb mistakes in game 4, and gave up too many turnovers... As much as I think we haven't seen the Kings best game, I also fear we haven't seen Minnesota's best game, either...

2-2 after four games... could go seven... I'm hoping it's the Kings in 6, but that's just wishful thinking...

[sovereignstar]

Oh my!!! What a clutch shot by Duncan! Who needs Robert Horry?

[sovereignstar]

And Fischer's shot makes Duncan's look like a fundamental one! I love this game (well I like it I guess)!

Lakers take a 3-2 lead.

[Franklinnoble]

Dammit... this team is like a hot chick you meet on the Internet. Sometimes you think "wow, I'm lucky to have her" and other times it's like "Why do I suspect she's really a 45 year old priest or something?"

On Friday, I was ready to stick a fork in the Kings. They were done. Then today they go out and manhandle the wolves... I just don't get it. Why the hell can't this team play well on a consistent basis?

Any word on if Peeler is out for the next game? Rumor is Bobby Jackson might play... whatever it takes to get Adelman to use more than a 7 man rotation is cool with me...

[nfg22]

I heard peeler is out, jackson probobly wont play. But either way Minnesota will win at Minnesota and be ready for a good game. I predict 83-75 minnesota wins.

[MrBug708]

There are so many bad predictions in here, Dick Vitale would be proud....

[The Afoci]

If Cassells back is better, the T-wolves win. If he plays injured, but better than the last few games, it is a toss up. If he is no better than on Sunday, stick a fork in them.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by The Afoci

If Cassells back is better, the T-wolves win. If he plays injured, but better than the last few games, it is a toss up. If he is no better than on Sunday, stick a fork in them.

Am I the only one who thinks Sam Cassell looks a little like Rudy from Fat Albert?

[mckerney]

Am I the only one who thinks Peeler actually managed to be cheaper than Brad Miller and the Sacramento fans combined?

[ice4277]

Hopefully we will have 3 Game 7's this round! I think the T-Wolves, Pistons, and Pacers will all win their series.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Am I the only one who thinks Peeler actually managed to be cheaper than Brad Miller and the Sacramento fans combined?

You know what, I'm actually glad Peeler made KG look like a b*tch on national television. I think that seriously screwed with his head.

Miller is the kind of guy you hate if he's not on your team, but as a Kings fan, I'm glad they finally have a few guys that aren't afraid to knock heads.

As for the fans, I'm pretty pissed about that... as are most folks here in Sac... throwing shit is not cool, and while it was probably only a small percentage of drunken morons doing it, it still sucks, and makes us look bad.

[Franklinnoble]

Wow... two games for Peeler... that's a bit harsh, IMO...

Kings' Peeler suspended two games for elbow

Updated: Monday May 17, 2004 6:39PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sacramento's Anthony Peeler was suspended for two games Monday for elbowing Minnesota's Kevin Garnett, meaning the Kings guard will miss Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Peeler was suspended without pay by the NBA.

Peeler hit Garnett in the midsection with 31.2 seconds left in the third quarter of Sunday's Game 6. Peeler elbowed the league MVP in the head with 13.5 seconds remaining in the period and was ejected.

The Kings beat the Timberwolves 104-87 and forced a deciding game on Wednesday.

Garnett was fined $7,500 for hitting Peeler in the chest with an elbow.

Peeler will serve the first game of his suspension Wednesday. He will then miss either Game 1 of the Western Conference finals or the first game of the 2004-05 season.

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[nfg22]

Originally Posted by The Afoci

If Cassells back is better, the T-wolves win. If he plays injured, but better than the last few games, it is a toss up. If he is no better than on Sunday, stick a fork in them.

Cassel went 7-11 thats not too bad. defensivly I can understand but 7-11 ill take anyday bad back or not.

[JeeberD]

The T-Wolves had better win this series. I'll be very upset if there are two Cali teams in the Western finals...

[MrBug708]

Why? Basketball was meant ot be played out here

[sovereignstar]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Why? Basketball was meant ot be played out here

True. Just like California is meant to become an island.

[nfg22]

baketball is a thing of teh midwest.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

The T-Wolves had better win this series. I'll be very upset if there are two Cali teams in the Western finals...

Awww... don't be hatin' the Kings just because your Spurs screwed the poodle against the damned Lakers.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar

True. Just like California is meant to become an island.

Separate Country actually. I think both sides would agree. Then again, we'd be the 5th most powerful country

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Separate Country actually. I think both sides would agree. Then again, we'd be the 5th most powerful country

The way I see it, one good earthquake should drop the entire coast underwater... and seeing as how I live in the Sierra Nevada foothills, that should leave me with a cozy piece of beachfront property. I think I'll call my place "Otisville."

[sovereignstar]

Originally Posted by Franklinnoble

The way I see it, one good earthquake should drop the entire coast underwater... and seeing as how I live in the Sierra Nevada foothills, that should leave me with a cozy piece of beachfront property. I think I'll call my place "Otisville."

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Franklinnoble

The way I see it, one good earthquake should drop the entire coast underwater... and seeing as how I live in the Sierra Nevada foothills, that should leave me with a cozy piece of beachfront property. I think I'll call my place "Otisville."

Someone watched that dumb miniseries they had last week.

And I'd bet we'd also divide the People's Republic of California into Northern and Southern California

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Someone watched that dumb miniseries they had last week.

And I'd bet we'd also divide the People's Republic of California into Northern and Southern California

Actually, the greatest philosophical and cultural divide is between the coastal cities and the interior. Where I live (El Dorado County - east of Sacramento), it's very conservative, yet two hours west in San Francisco, well, you couldn't get more liberal.

And, no, I didn't see the miniseries last week. I was making a Lex Luthor reference there...

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by Franklinnoble

I'm gonna go out on a limb right now and predict that I'll be riding this thread all the way to an NBA title for the Sacramento Kings. Feel free to jump on the bandwagon. Or mock me relentlessly. Either way, it should make for good reading.

I gotta stop drinking the bong water or something.

I really can't even be that disappointed. The Kings didn't deserve to win this series, and they aren't really championship material.

The NBA is a league of superstars - you don't win a title if you don't have at least one stud player who can carry the team. Maybe two years ago Chris Webber could have been that guy - but he's not now, and he won't ever be. At 31 years old, you don't come back 100% from a serious knee injury. He'll never be as explosive as he once was. He'll be a serviceable player for a few more years (he'll have to be - with that moster contract of his, he's not going anywhere), but the Kings have no superstar, and they'll need to find one before they go to the next level.

Mike Bibby isn't it. He's a great point guard - maybe one of the top 5 in the league, but he can't carry the team. Peja Stojakovic is like, well, every other european player.... a nice guy, good shooter, but not mentally tough enough to be "the man." And, by the way, has search and rescue found this guy yet? He was missing throughout the entire playoffs...

The Kings have all the supporting cast, they just don't have their leading man, and I don't think they're going to find one in free agency this year. Their cap situation sucks, and nobody of note (except maybe Kobe) is on the market.

Maybe Rick Adelman is the problem.... I dunno... but part of me is glad the Kings are done now, because I'm pretty sure they would have just found a way to f*ck it up against the Lakers anyway... and I'd rather lose to Minnesota.

Oh, and props to them... for a team that had never gone as far in the playoffs, they kept it together and beat a solid group of veterans. I don't know if they can take LA at this point, but they've got as good a shot as anyone.

[Chubby]

Adelman is worthless. He's great in the regular season and chokes in the playoffs.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by Chubby

Adelman is worthless. He's great in the regular season and chokes in the playoffs.

I don't consider myself enough of an expert on the game to be a good judge of what makes a good coach, but I do find myself questioning his 7 man rotation during the playoffs, and his reluctance to use his bench (which is solid) in games where his starters could OBVIOUSLY use a few minutes to catch their breath.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Franklinnoble

I don't consider myself enough of an expert on the game to be a good judge of what makes a good coach, but I do find myself questioning his 7 man rotation during the playoffs, and his reluctance to use his bench (which is solid) in games where his starters could OBVIOUSLY use a few minutes to catch their breath.

I agree. I'm not saying he has the best roster ever, I agree with your assessment of the Kings. He has just never proven to me that he can coach the big game (or even the medium game). All the success in the regular season doesn't mean squat when you continuely underachieve in the post season.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by Chubby

I agree. I'm not saying he has the best roster ever, I agree with your assessment of the Kings. He has just never proven to me that he can coach the big game (or even the medium game). All the success in the regular season doesn't mean squat when you continuely underachieve in the post season.

Well, from what I understand, a lot of people thought that Adelman's teams underachieved when he was coaching the Trailblazers as well, so this may be a pattern of poor performance.

Anybody got Pat Riley's number?

In all seriousness, there's one coach that I have followed that I would LOVE to see coach the Kings.

You're going to think I'm an idiot...

(But that's OK... because that much has already been established)...

....

.... Paul Westphal

I think he did an awesome job with the Phoenix Suns in the early 90's, and they were oh-so-close to winning an NBA title (too bad Jordan didn't retire a year sooner). When you consider that the Suns NEVER had a true center during those years, and that they made it to the finals with a very similar cast of characters (well, the Kings don't have a Charles Barkley....), I think he'd be a great coach for this squad.

[Chubby]

Adelman's teams in Portland did underachieve, that's what I was basing my thoughts on his history from. I'm not too familiar of Westphal but I alwasy thought he did a good job in Phoenix. it's such a crapshoot in the NBA these days, I think a coach that communicates well and gets his players to listen to him can succeed even with a slight disadvantage in the gameday coaching principles.

[Warhammer]

I think you could put Phil Jackson in this category though too. Neither Phil nor Rick know when they need to call a time out. The only advantage Phil had was he had Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan playing for him during their prime. Ditto for Shaq and Kobe, notice how the Lakers have been slowing down more as Shaq is entering the twilight of his career...

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

I think you could put Phil Jackson in this category though too. Neither Phil nor Rick know when they need to call a time out. The only advantage Phil had was he had Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan playing for him during their prime. Ditto for Shaq and Kobe, notice how the Lakers have been slowing down more as Shaq is entering the twilight of his career...

Agreed... Phil Jackson won titles because he had the best players and he knows how to stay hands-off. I don't know how much coaching he actually does.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Franklinnoble

Agreed... Phil Jackson won titles because he had the best players and he knows how to stay hands-off. I don't know how much coaching he actually does.

Phil just re-emphasizes my point that being a better people-person is more valuable as a coach than being x's and o's.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Franklinnoble

I don't consider myself enough of an expert on the game to be a good judge of what makes a good coach, but I do find myself questioning his 7 man rotation during the playoffs, and his reluctance to use his bench (which is solid) in games where his starters could OBVIOUSLY use a few minutes to catch their breath.

I can't necessarily fault him for not going deeper into that bench for game 7. Remember Bobby Jackson was injured, and Anthony Peeler was suspended. Besides Brad Miller, that rest of the Kings bench consisted of Rodney Buford (who did get 16 minutes), Darius Songalia (rookie), Jabari Smith (averages 2.6 points for his 3 year career) and Gerald Wallace (career avg 3.4 pts). Not great option for a game 7. Maybe you play Songalia or Wallace more in place of Webber. But I think the Peeler suspension hurt them a lot more than I thought it would when it was announced.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

I think you could put Phil Jackson in this category though too. Neither Phil nor Rick know when they need to call a time out. The only advantage Phil had was he had Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan playing for him during their prime. Ditto for Shaq and Kobe, notice how the Lakers have been slowing down more as Shaq is entering the twilight of his career...

Imagine how bad the Spurs would have been beaten had they not been slowing down?

[Franklinnoble]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

I can't necessarily fault him for not going deeper into that bench for game 7. Remember Bobby Jackson was injured, and Anthony Peeler was suspended. Besides Brad Miller, that rest of the Kings bench consisted of Rodney Buford (who did get 16 minutes), Darius Songalia (rookie), Jabari Smith (averages 2.6 points for his 3 year career) and Gerald Wallace (career avg 3.4 pts). Not great option for a game 7. Maybe you play Songalia or Wallace more in place of Webber. But I think the Peeler suspension hurt them a lot more than I thought it would when it was announced.

I think missing Peeler and Jackson was critical... and I'll go so far as to say that with a healthy Bobby Jackson, the Kings win this series.

Songalia is a stud, and deserved more minutes. Wallace is a freak of an athlete, but he's undisciplined, and while he could spell someone for a few minutes, bad things will happen if you leave him on the floor for too long in a playoff game.

Buford basically took Peeler's minutes, but should have played more earlier in the series (and in the Dallas series). These bench players NEED to get a shot in the playoffs if you're ever going to see what they're made of.