H o o p s C o r n e r . c o m
<< Back Next >> -------------------- May 12, 2002 Kings dominion In case none had noticed it yet, this is the real NBA Shootout. Forget the All-Star game's 3-point contest, this is the real thing. In game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals last night in Dallas, Sacramento matched the Mavericks offensive outburst, going with them puch to punch and all the way into overtime to finish the kill. Sacramento didn't even have Chris Webber and Vlade Divac who fouled out of the game. Enter Mike Bibby. A second overall pick of the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 1998 NBA draft. The Sacramento Kings traded Jason Williams for him when they decided they were ready to take care of business in the West. Bibby was supposed to be good, but with the Grizzlies, you didn't have to be that good to look so good. In Sacramento this year, well there was always Webber and Divac drawing defenders. Finally one moment of truth came last night for him. With practically no previous playoff experience and playing for a team contending for the league title, it's a tall order but if he's that good... Mike Bibby made the basket that sent the game into overtime, and in the extra period showed it wasn't a fluke by sealing the game with another shot. 115-113. Bobby Jackson who usually relieves Bibby in the fourth quarter was a starter in the game, thanks to a Peja Stojakovic ankle sprain. We're sure he didn't mind the fact that his check for the game would be the same as the times he came off the bench, even though more minutes were demanded from him. Jackson didn't make the rest of his teammates feel nostalgical about Peja. He registered 15 points in the 4th quarter to anchor a Kings comeback. Totalling 26 points. It defeated the whole purpose of Robin Hood, but Doug Christie couldn't care less. He stole the rock 6 times from the Mavericks, who needed this game more than anything. It made Steve Nash look like a poor ball handler with 9 turnovers and helped make the Kings richer in the win column with a 3 to 1 series edge. << Back Next >> Back to archive |
|
|