Rockets 118, Kings 105: Sacramento Offense Can't Keep Up
by Tom Ziller on Dec 15, 2010 7:22 AM PST
in Recaps
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PrintThe Kings fell 118-105 in Houston, and yes, it was that sort of up-tempo, score-score-score game. Only, the Kings couldn't keep up past the first quarter.
The Rockets didn't really tighten the screws on defense in the second or third quarter -- the Kings just got incredibly sloppy and the ball movement dissolved. Sacramento had 18 turnovers in the game. Thirteen of those came in the second and third quarters.
The Kings shot 52 percent on the game, and they have to win games when they are that far over their heads in such a vital category. That involves preventing the opponent from shooting 50 percent itself, and it involves forcing more than 11 turnovers in a 96-possession game, and it involves allowing fewer than 14 offensive rebounds in 45 opportunities. Of course, the Kings did none of those things.
If there is in fact silver lining, it is in that DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson and Carl Landry beasted on offense. This was how the frontcourt was supposed to look every night, with Cousins running the pivot (17 points), Thompson crashing the lane and glass (15 points) and Landry playing a lovely little inside-out game (17 points). Much of the season has not lived up to those expectations; the lack of Tyreke Evans here and, well, much of the season has further damaged the chances at success.
Another game tonight against a better team. Can the Kings find some gold in their pocket?
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Are you asking me?
Because I say yes. I mean, no. Probably.
They’ve had some decent efforts on back-to-backs (for whatever reason), if Luther and Jeter can just keep in front of CP to some extent, the Kings might be able to keep it close enough to steal a win.
Rocks are free, and slingshots easily stolen. And for a limited time, every third person who follows me on Twitter (andy_sims) gets a free ice cream cone.
Which I will eat.
I think this team is worse when it thinks.
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
As you mentioned
The turnovers were killers, particularly the unforced ones. Throw in the inability to get stops (or to corral the defense rebound when you do get a stop) and you have an L. Which is too bad, because there were a lot of positives.
Turnovers
Some of them are comically bad, there was one in the third when a Kings player above the three point line turned and passed to his team mate who was supposed to be on top of the key above the three point line, alas either he moved or the passer didn’t look, sadly for the Kings the Rocket player who was there ran the other way with his team mates for a 3-0 fast break.
To go back to Ziller's post
Which Dunderhead King Doesn’t Know The Playbook? I can’t recall exactly but I believe that on at least two of the three possessions I saw where a passer threw to a spot on the floor where a player should have been it was gasp Omri Casspi that was out of position…
Interesting
I’ll keep note of that in the future. It’s hard to tell with this team whether all the players are running their offensive set correctly. I would think Casspi would be okay since he’s all over the floor trying to cut to certain places.
"You can have the knowledge that a tomato is a fruit, but it takes wisdom not to put it in a fruit salad." Jerry Reynolds
Yep, he was trying to cut and move
keep the motion going but it burned him. Plenty of other dunderheads though, Beno losing it off his knee at midcourt with essentially no one guarding him, soft passes through traffic that got picked off, JT getting the ball right under the hoop but inexplicably deciding to put it on the floor for a dribble.
I won’t even go into all the the layups that were missed (oh, just did) by Donte, JT, Landry, Cousins. We could have easily scored with them.
Rockets ended up taking what, 10-12 more shots than us? That was the point difference right there.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Dec 15, 2010 9:37 AM PST up reply actions
The Beno turnover you mentioned
Was particularly laughable. I couldn’t even it get mad- I just laughed. What else can you do when your guy turns it over when there isn’t even a defender within 10-15 feet!?
Did you go to the game last night?
EvilCowtownInc: Screwin Suckaz over since 1985...... On Twitter
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
Yes
And it was all great fun until the end if the 2nd quarter. You can’t heckle the home crowd when you’re getting blown out.
by Mityt on Dec 15, 2010 10:34 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
I know,
“Hey, there’s three minutes left in the half”
“Great! Hmmm, what kind of snacks do you think they’ll have in the locker room?”
“I don’t know, I’m going to sext my girl anyway, hey, how do you spell ‘testicle’?
“whoa, we totally messed that play up!”
“These guys can shoot huh?”
" I got to get me a pair of those shoes, he looks fast"
“I think it’s spelled with a ‘K’”
“Oh man look at that! We’re going to hear it from PW at halftime again”
“‘a ’K’, yeah, I think that’s right”
“There goes the buzzer (sigh)”
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Dec 15, 2010 10:58 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Bright spots
I don’t know why, but this game brought me back from the ledge a little bit. The team has looked awful of late, and I’ve been pretty depressed about it. I didn’t get to watch the whole game last night, but what I saw (most of the first half) gave me hope. The guys were playing some good basketball. Even if they didn’t keep it up (story of the season), it’s nice to see it in spurts.
Never forget, I'm an idiot.
If we don't have a nice little lead with 5 minutes to go,
CP3 will take over and we’ll lose. Cause we’ll, no doubt, fall apart with our late-game execution and they won’t.
"We're not talking about me and Darko in the same sentence." - Chris Webber vs KAHN!
by caseycheesecake on Dec 15, 2010 8:03 AM PST reply actions
Lately it seems our problem is the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
I wasn’t able to watch this game though. I’m pretty happy about Thompson turning back into a double-double machine. Hopefully it remains consistent!
Could conditioning be a problem?
It just seems like in the most of the games we lose, the team comes out playing really well and then falls behind with big runs to open the 2nd and 3rd quarters. I wonder if they are getting tired or are out of shape. There were a couple of plays towards in the 3rd quarter where we just gave up on the play if Houston was ahead on the break. I remember a 3-on-none fast break and a couple of layups where there was no Kings defender in anywhere on the TV screen and in my opinion that is inexcusable. If it were the 2nd night of a back-to-back I could see that but the team hasn’t played since Saturday…
I don't think so
The Kings were the victims of some timely steals and some very unfortunate bounces. Couple that with an inability to finish at the rim in the second half and that’s all she wrote.
by Mityt on Dec 15, 2010 9:17 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Also Rocket O-Rebs Killed the Kings
As well as a wide open Scola jumper.
by Mityt on Dec 15, 2010 9:19 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
The main problems
1. No one can hit a open jumper consistently
2. They turn the ball over before getting a good shot off
3. Defensive Rebounding
4. Horrible FT%
I think maybe you'd have to look at the lineup that comes playing into the second quarter
When the first unit comes back into the second quarter, they’re usually playing catchup. I didn’t watch the first half, so I don’t know who that group was.
"You can have the knowledge that a tomato is a fruit, but it takes wisdom not to put it in a fruit salad." Jerry Reynolds
lost in this sea of suckitude
is the fact that Cousins seems to be figuring it out. the increased minutes, the ability to stay out of foul trouble a little bit better, the patience on offense. even when he doesn’t put up numbers like last night – he just looks more comfortable and more effective on the floor. it’s encourage because november was a rough month for him – i see a lot more positives this month and i think he’s got things straightened out.
Absolutely
let’s hope that continues in a reasonably consistant upward direction. I’m not sure what else you could have asked of him last night, got some shitty calls too.
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Dec 15, 2010 9:44 AM PST up reply actions
Cuz might get the worst calls of all time
I feel so bad for him when he makes a good play and doesn’t get a call. That block shot last night was 100% ball. Then he gets raked across the arm by Brad Miller and no call again.
He's obviously going to be a consistant double-double guy
once he figures the league out. Probably put up regular 20-10 nights, as soon as next season maybe(?).
So imitate the action of the tiger!.
Lend the eye a terrible aspect
- and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii
by lietothegirls on Dec 15, 2010 10:12 AM PST up reply actions
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