http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/114829.html
Not quite good enough
The Kings nearly take down the Mavericks in Dallas, but in the end, it's just another loss.
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Sunday, January 28, 2007
The morale-boosting win, the victory that would have been meaningful in ways that aren't charted in box scores, had instead become another late night of stolen voices. Kevin Martin, like all the Kings, spoke in a whisper.
"It's a tough one to lose," he said. "But the situation we're in now, they're all tough to lose."
Just some more than others. This would have qualified, this fluid offense and resilient character showing that still became a 106-104 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night at American Airlines Center and 10th defeat in the last 13 games for the Kings.
The visitors got almost everything right except the circumstances. Sacramento shot 52.7 percent and committed only 13 turnovers. A night after scoring 10 points in the third quarter in New Orleans, a season low for a period that greatly contributed to a loss there, Sacramento broke triple digits for the third time in the 14 games of 2007.
That contrast to Friday in Louisiana was part of it, too, the way the Kings found this prideful showing on the second night of a back-to-back, and in the wake of the lengthy travel delay that started the trip on Thursday night/Friday morning. So they spoke of playing with a determination against the Mavericks, obviously aware that sense of urgency had been routinely missing this season.
They played with efficiency on offense, and they played with effort all night. They just did it against an opponent that at the worst has been No. 1a in the league, and on the Mavericks' home court at that, where Dallas had won 12 in a row before the Kings threatened the upset.
"I thought offensively, we executed as well as any team has all year against Dallas," Kings coach Eric Musselman said.
"We played good," forward Kenny Thomas said. "We did a lot of things positive and right. They just knocked down a lot of shots."
That was the obvious problem for the Kings -- Dallas knocked down a lot of shots until it had made 52.6 percent of its field goals. In the fourth quarter alone, the Mavericks were 12 of 22 (54.5 percent), and they opened the period by converting the first four attempts to spark a 9-0 run. When the rally reached 14-2, good for an 89-81 advantage, they appeared to have asserted control for good.
When Dirk Nowitzki powered to the rim on one possession and knocked down a straightaway three-pointer on the next, part of his game-high 32 points that came with a game-high 11 rebounds, the lead was 89-81, and the crowd was roaring.
The Kings climbed back within 99-98 with 1:16 remaining. The Mavericks got a layup from Jason Terry and a jumper from Nowitzki, then a free throw from Jerry Stackhouse as Sacramento was forced to foul. Dallas was up 104-100 with 10 seconds left.
The Kings responded again, getting a three-pointer from Brad Miller with 4.1 seconds left. It was back to a one-point game.
"Sacramento kept coming back," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. "Their men are excited and emotional and tough."
And out of time. The Kings immediately fouled Nowitzki to get the ball back, Nowitzki made both free throws for a 106-103 game, and the Kings started a final push without a timeout.
Then they ended it without a shot. The Mavs fouled John Salmons before the Kings could cross halfcourt and try a three-pointer for the tie, sending Salmons to the line with 1.5 ticks left, knowing he could do no better than trim the margin.
Salmons converted the first, making it 106-104. Needing a quick field goal and not another made free throw, he missed the second attempt on purpose, hoping for a lucky bounce to a King for a basket. The ball went to Dallas' Devin Harris instead, sending Sacramento off in silence.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard- cooper@sacbee.com.
Not quite good enough
The Kings nearly take down the Mavericks in Dallas, but in the end, it's just another loss.
By Scott Howard-Cooper - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Sunday, January 28, 2007
The morale-boosting win, the victory that would have been meaningful in ways that aren't charted in box scores, had instead become another late night of stolen voices. Kevin Martin, like all the Kings, spoke in a whisper.
"It's a tough one to lose," he said. "But the situation we're in now, they're all tough to lose."
Just some more than others. This would have qualified, this fluid offense and resilient character showing that still became a 106-104 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night at American Airlines Center and 10th defeat in the last 13 games for the Kings.
The visitors got almost everything right except the circumstances. Sacramento shot 52.7 percent and committed only 13 turnovers. A night after scoring 10 points in the third quarter in New Orleans, a season low for a period that greatly contributed to a loss there, Sacramento broke triple digits for the third time in the 14 games of 2007.
That contrast to Friday in Louisiana was part of it, too, the way the Kings found this prideful showing on the second night of a back-to-back, and in the wake of the lengthy travel delay that started the trip on Thursday night/Friday morning. So they spoke of playing with a determination against the Mavericks, obviously aware that sense of urgency had been routinely missing this season.
They played with efficiency on offense, and they played with effort all night. They just did it against an opponent that at the worst has been No. 1a in the league, and on the Mavericks' home court at that, where Dallas had won 12 in a row before the Kings threatened the upset.
"I thought offensively, we executed as well as any team has all year against Dallas," Kings coach Eric Musselman said.
"We played good," forward Kenny Thomas said. "We did a lot of things positive and right. They just knocked down a lot of shots."
That was the obvious problem for the Kings -- Dallas knocked down a lot of shots until it had made 52.6 percent of its field goals. In the fourth quarter alone, the Mavericks were 12 of 22 (54.5 percent), and they opened the period by converting the first four attempts to spark a 9-0 run. When the rally reached 14-2, good for an 89-81 advantage, they appeared to have asserted control for good.
When Dirk Nowitzki powered to the rim on one possession and knocked down a straightaway three-pointer on the next, part of his game-high 32 points that came with a game-high 11 rebounds, the lead was 89-81, and the crowd was roaring.
The Kings climbed back within 99-98 with 1:16 remaining. The Mavericks got a layup from Jason Terry and a jumper from Nowitzki, then a free throw from Jerry Stackhouse as Sacramento was forced to foul. Dallas was up 104-100 with 10 seconds left.
The Kings responded again, getting a three-pointer from Brad Miller with 4.1 seconds left. It was back to a one-point game.
"Sacramento kept coming back," Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said. "Their men are excited and emotional and tough."
And out of time. The Kings immediately fouled Nowitzki to get the ball back, Nowitzki made both free throws for a 106-103 game, and the Kings started a final push without a timeout.
Then they ended it without a shot. The Mavs fouled John Salmons before the Kings could cross halfcourt and try a three-pointer for the tie, sending Salmons to the line with 1.5 ticks left, knowing he could do no better than trim the margin.
Salmons converted the first, making it 106-104. Needing a quick field goal and not another made free throw, he missed the second attempt on purpose, hoping for a lucky bounce to a King for a basket. The ball went to Dallas' Devin Harris instead, sending Sacramento off in silence.
About the writer: The Bee's Scott Howard-Cooper can be reached at showard- cooper@sacbee.com.