Putting aside the questionable Arena video for the moment, which amused (at least publically) Christie and Webber, but ticked off their teammates, this game exhibited a rather fired up King's squad compared to how they have played up to now.
Putting up with the much more aggressive play of the Mavericks in the first three games, something (maybe that video) finally got under SacTown's collective skins and the turned the table on their foes. While defending the free throw line is hard to do, the Mavs at least contributed to their own problems by missing thirteen easy shots; just enough to make a difference in the outcome of this game. Having handed the Lakers a title two years ago with a similar display in game seven of that series, it was a small retribution for that failure, but it does mean the Kings have a chance to end this series in five now.
Once again, the instigator of this aggression was Doug Christie. While laughing off the mocking video showing him on a leash held by his wife, apparently Doug was NOT that amused by it. At least the Maverick players might consider that possibility after Christie personally abused their bodies and their psychi's continuously in game four, to the point where he even got "T'd" up for bouncing a ball off of Dirk Nowitzki's face after the German poked several times at the basketball Doug was holding after a stoppage of play. Doug's media image and relationship with his wife is often confused with him being a 'soft' guy who can be mocked without reprisals. That little mistake cost the Mavericks a game they could ill afford to lose, and possibly any chance to win this best of seven series now. As the Laker's Rick Fox learned two years ago, it is best to [/b]NEVER[/b] get Christie mad at you. Dirk would have learned that lesson too if the players had not been separated quickly, seven feet or not. Christie is hard enough to handle when he LIKES you.
But the real story of this game was in the effort put out by the Kings, clearly not there in game three, but somehow abundantly evident in game four. The ridiculously high number of rebounds collected by both teams reflects either the better defense being played or the worse offense being exhibited, but the key was that the 'board'- challenged Sacramento squad outdid the Mavericks in collecting them by thirteen - the first game in the series in which they managed to do that, setting a record for a Dallas post season opponent in the process.
Note to AA Center officials - Too late now, but you might want to fire your creative genious who thought a mocking video of opposing players would somehow help the home team out. And to Laker fans who still feel offense about the Kings burning that LA jersey some years back, since that was in direct response to your own coaches stupid comments prior to that game, plus the countless (and counting) idiocy mouthed every time a TV camera comes within two times zones of the coaches and players on the Lakers, I just wish we had burned a cop car instead. The message would have been much clearer.
