Kings a threat to Jazz winning streak
Despite the Jazz's outstanding play recently -- as well as Sacramento's hard-to-figure loss to Seattle on Wednesday -- I've got to believe that tonight's game at Arco will be a difficult one for Utah to win.
First, the Kings are the kind of slash-and-dish team the Jazz have trouble defending and keeping off the free-throw line. If Mike Bibby, Kevin Martin, Ron Artest and John Salmons are able to break down Utah's defense off the dribble, the Kings will score a lot of points.
Second, nothing motivates a decent NBA team like an embarrassing loss, and losing at home to the Sonics certainly qualifies as embarrassing, especially for a team that was within five games of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. I'm guessing the Kings come out with extreme energy and genuine determination to put that defeat behind them.
The Jazz are lukewarm three-point favorites, according to the line published in the Tribune this morning.
If someone forced me to run to West Wendover and put $20 on this game -- that's legal in Nevada -- I think I'd take the Kings, who had won seven of their previous 10 games before getting bushwhacked by Seattle.
Thanks to Scott Howard-Cooper, my long-time friend at the Sacramento Bee, we know that Kings coach Reggie Theus yelled himself hoarse during the Sonics game "because I kept saying, 'Stop shooting jump shots.' We're not a jump-shooting team. I don't know what they were thinking, but we're not a jump-shooting team."
Expect the Kings to drive like Jeff Gordon at Talladega tonight.
As Ross reported today, Sacramento might be without center Brad Miller, who suffered a nine-stitch gash on his finger when he accidentally cut himself while washing dishes. Miller is questionable tonight. If he can't play, that's bad news for the Kings because he has been playing so well.
In the three games before juggling the kitchen knife, Miller had 22 points and 21 rebounds against Charlotte, 22 points and 14 rebounds against New Orleans and 22 points and 20 rebounds against Chicago.
If Miller can't play, Theus could start rookie center Spencer Hawes, or he could go small with Mikki Moore moving to center, Artest moving to power forward (versus Carlos Boozer) and John Salmons starting at small forward.
-- Steve Luhm
First, the Kings are the kind of slash-and-dish team the Jazz have trouble defending and keeping off the free-throw line. If Mike Bibby, Kevin Martin, Ron Artest and John Salmons are able to break down Utah's defense off the dribble, the Kings will score a lot of points.
Second, nothing motivates a decent NBA team like an embarrassing loss, and losing at home to the Sonics certainly qualifies as embarrassing, especially for a team that was within five games of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. I'm guessing the Kings come out with extreme energy and genuine determination to put that defeat behind them.
The Jazz are lukewarm three-point favorites, according to the line published in the Tribune this morning.
If someone forced me to run to West Wendover and put $20 on this game -- that's legal in Nevada -- I think I'd take the Kings, who had won seven of their previous 10 games before getting bushwhacked by Seattle.
Thanks to Scott Howard-Cooper, my long-time friend at the Sacramento Bee, we know that Kings coach Reggie Theus yelled himself hoarse during the Sonics game "because I kept saying, 'Stop shooting jump shots.' We're not a jump-shooting team. I don't know what they were thinking, but we're not a jump-shooting team."
Expect the Kings to drive like Jeff Gordon at Talladega tonight.
As Ross reported today, Sacramento might be without center Brad Miller, who suffered a nine-stitch gash on his finger when he accidentally cut himself while washing dishes. Miller is questionable tonight. If he can't play, that's bad news for the Kings because he has been playing so well.
In the three games before juggling the kitchen knife, Miller had 22 points and 21 rebounds against Charlotte, 22 points and 14 rebounds against New Orleans and 22 points and 20 rebounds against Chicago.
If Miller can't play, Theus could start rookie center Spencer Hawes, or he could go small with Mikki Moore moving to center, Artest moving to power forward (versus Carlos Boozer) and John Salmons starting at small forward.
-- Steve Luhm
11:40 AM
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