Beer is Good
05-04-2006, 05:16 PM
By Martin McNeal -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, May 4, 2006
Story appeared in Sports section, Page C2
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The bottom line in close games - in the regular season or playoffs - is the ability to get the shots you want and prevent the opposition from doing the same.
That can be accomplished with a team effort or by individuals, and it proved Tuesday night in San Antonio to be the reason the Kings' season will be on the line Friday in Game 6 against the Spurs.
With the score tied 91-91 and 3:30 left, the Spurs had layups on five consecutive possessions - Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen, Ginobili and Duncan.
It's what championship teams, and squads that have been together in similar situations, do under pressure.
Meanwhile, shooting guard Bonzi Wells was the only Kings player who could get to the basket under control. The Kings didn't take bad shots, but other than Wells, they didn't get what they wanted - and needed.
That said, only a victory in Game 6 stands between the Kings and another shot to upset the Spurs. Unquestionably, that's a huge hurdle, but to say the series is over is just dumb. Surely, there will be mathematical history against the Kings winning in San Antonio (no No. 8 seed has toppled a No. 1 in a best-of-seven series), but if a game is played, it can be won - or lost.
Wells in exclusive club
Wells is only the sixth player in the league since 1974-75 to average 24 points and 12 rebounds in a first-round series. It has been done 11 other times: Charles Barkley (three), Karl Malone (three), Shaquille O'Neal (two), Kevin Garnett (two) and Derrick Coleman.
Wells also appears to have found a home in Sacramento, and it's going to be time for the Kings (see Maloofs) to pony up this summer. No player is irreplaceable, but it's difficult to imagine a more powerful duo than Wells and Ron Artest.
Wells, a free agent, should receive quite a bit of attention this offseason, but if the Maloofs can't build an arena, maybe they can keep the Bogart Brothers together for starters.
Miller's rebounding is MIA
One of the constants in Brad Miller's eight-year career has been rebounding, but that has not been the case against the Spurs.
This is ridiculous.
Miller has had totals of one, three, six, two and two rebounds, respectively. C'mon, now! Algebra and geometry were troublesome as all heck, but arithmetic was never a problem. That's 14 rebounds, or two more than Wells is averaging.
There is no excuse for the 7-foot Miller, even as vertically challenged as he is, to average 29.6 minutes per game and 2.8 rebounds.
And since I'm dogging Miller, why not throw in another dagger? The Kings trailed 103-96 with 52 seconds left in Game 5 when Mike Bibby missed a well-defended three-pointer. Duncan, a notoriously mediocre free-throw shooter who has been making them during this series, rebounded the ball, and Miller and Artest failed to foul him.
Beating a team like the Spurs on their court means playing intelligently.
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, May 4, 2006
Story appeared in Sports section, Page C2
Print | E-Mail | Comments (0)
The bottom line in close games - in the regular season or playoffs - is the ability to get the shots you want and prevent the opposition from doing the same.
That can be accomplished with a team effort or by individuals, and it proved Tuesday night in San Antonio to be the reason the Kings' season will be on the line Friday in Game 6 against the Spurs.
With the score tied 91-91 and 3:30 left, the Spurs had layups on five consecutive possessions - Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen, Ginobili and Duncan.
It's what championship teams, and squads that have been together in similar situations, do under pressure.
Meanwhile, shooting guard Bonzi Wells was the only Kings player who could get to the basket under control. The Kings didn't take bad shots, but other than Wells, they didn't get what they wanted - and needed.
That said, only a victory in Game 6 stands between the Kings and another shot to upset the Spurs. Unquestionably, that's a huge hurdle, but to say the series is over is just dumb. Surely, there will be mathematical history against the Kings winning in San Antonio (no No. 8 seed has toppled a No. 1 in a best-of-seven series), but if a game is played, it can be won - or lost.
Wells in exclusive club
Wells is only the sixth player in the league since 1974-75 to average 24 points and 12 rebounds in a first-round series. It has been done 11 other times: Charles Barkley (three), Karl Malone (three), Shaquille O'Neal (two), Kevin Garnett (two) and Derrick Coleman.
Wells also appears to have found a home in Sacramento, and it's going to be time for the Kings (see Maloofs) to pony up this summer. No player is irreplaceable, but it's difficult to imagine a more powerful duo than Wells and Ron Artest.
Wells, a free agent, should receive quite a bit of attention this offseason, but if the Maloofs can't build an arena, maybe they can keep the Bogart Brothers together for starters.
Miller's rebounding is MIA
One of the constants in Brad Miller's eight-year career has been rebounding, but that has not been the case against the Spurs.
This is ridiculous.
Miller has had totals of one, three, six, two and two rebounds, respectively. C'mon, now! Algebra and geometry were troublesome as all heck, but arithmetic was never a problem. That's 14 rebounds, or two more than Wells is averaging.
There is no excuse for the 7-foot Miller, even as vertically challenged as he is, to average 29.6 minutes per game and 2.8 rebounds.
And since I'm dogging Miller, why not throw in another dagger? The Kings trailed 103-96 with 52 seconds left in Game 5 when Mike Bibby missed a well-defended three-pointer. Duncan, a notoriously mediocre free-throw shooter who has been making them during this series, rebounded the ball, and Miller and Artest failed to foul him.
Beating a team like the Spurs on their court means playing intelligently.