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Preview: After loss, Sacramento looking to be King for a day NBA Playoffs Spurs lead series 1-0 by Joe Cronin and Ken Gimblin April 23, 2006 |
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One can feel the electricity in the San Antonio Spurs dressing room after Game One, last Saturday night after the Spurs drubbing of the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the NBA Playoffs 122-88. The Spurs who won the crown last season, defeating the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, in Game Seven, carry the same atmosphere into their post game dressing room as they did last season and are looking to further their hopes this year by getting their second championship crown in as many as three years. "It's the playoffs, and everybody's focused, everybody is very motivated. Everybody was ready. We’re not going to shoot the ball like that every night. But that was a good feeling. Game 2 is going to be different," said Spurs Tony Parker, who was the leading scorer with 25 points. Parker had help from Nazr Mohammed, Nick Van Exel and Tim Duncan. The Spurs have depth on the bench and in their starting five and there is no doubt that the Kings coming into game 2 will have their hands full. The Kings, Ron Artest had his hands full hitting 16 points and felt the pressure to shoot each time he had the ball. That pressure from the Spurs defense made it difficult to stay in the game. Matter of fact confidence was running so high in the ball game the Spurs felt they could double team Mike Bibby who finished with 18 and Artest to disrupt Sacramento's offensive abilities to shoot and intimidate. The same could be said for the Kings defense which primarily had holes that saw the Spurs get inside more than they should have and that Parker and Mohammed were running all over the place in the 34 point victory on Saturday night. Van Exel was floating on air with three 3-pointers jumping outside the arc and nailing his swishes without much pressure from the Sacramento defense. "I wasn't surprised because that's what he does. He relishes those situations. He likes to take those shots. Hopefully his body will allow him to continue to do that." said Head Coach Gregg Popovich of the Spurs regarding Van Exel's three pointers. The Kings will not depend so much on getting on the plane during Tuesday's game if Rick Adleman the Kings Head Coach has any say in the matter the Kings want to go back to Sacramento tying up the series on Tuesday night but the chances of that knowing what the Spurs experience and reputation brings will be difficult. "We didn't come out with anything. They just brought way more energy than us. Tony got off to a great start, and we didn't contain him at all. We just have to come in with a different approach or maybe an entirely different game plan for game 2." said the Kings Kenny Thomas. JC and Kenny G's footnotes: The Kings really do want game 2 but who doesn't after getting trounced in the first game on the road of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Adleman is reviewing video after practice on Sunday and looking to see where the holes were in stopping the Spurs from bringing up the basketball. The Kings tried many times to snuff and stuff the Spurs but with guys like Mohammed, Ginobili, Van Exel, Duncan and of course Parker that's almost like an all-star starting five to defend. Defense will be the name of the game and anything short of that in the Spurs building it could be lights out early. Ron Artest can only do so much but his defense and offense can stop and go for the Kings but this playoff series for Sacramento will spell only one thing for the Kings and that's a total team effort. If the Kings go home down two games to none they'll have their hands full at Arco Arena. Spurs-Kings playoff schedule: Saturday April 22 Spurs 122 Kings 88. Tuesday April 25 at San Antonio 6:30PM PDT Friday April 28 at Sacramento Sunday April 30 at Sacramento Tuesday May 2 at San Antonio* Friday May 5 at San Antonio* Sunday May 7 at San Antonio* *denotes if necessary Joe Cronin and Ken Gimblin co-host Sportstalk on 1430 KVVN San Jose and 1690 KFSG Sacramento. Quotes provided by KFBK Newsradio 1530. |
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