Wouldn't you know it!

[Laker Fan]

I was at the airport picking up my wife and taking her to dinner so I missed the game and apparently the best game of the post season!  <_<  

Once again, the Wolves look very, very vulnerable, blowing a lead that should have sealed the deal, surrendering 10-11 points in the final 4 minutes to go to ovetime. What were they doing, returning the favor and choking themselves? Why the Kings had to come back from 15 down on their home floor can be attributed I assume to the Wolves defense forcing turnovers, but man, when you have a scoring juggernaut like Sacramento on the floor, you can never let up, never take a moments rest can you?

This one is shaping up to be more exciting than the Spurs-Lakers, I will not be missing anymore of this series, that's for sure!

Props JN, although you sounded a little snippy in another post, could it be last night showed some weaknesses last night that have you concerned? I've seen the replay 3-4 times, sure lokks like Peja was fouled to me.

Condolences JoMal, don't know what to make of a Kings team that has done what they've done over the last 2 games, did they just suddenly start playing last night with 4 minutes to go? Or did they take advantage of Minnesota pulling a "we can out-collapse anyone" choke job? Either way, it had to break your heart losing by 1 after that comeback, tough loss, very tough loss.

[SPURSX3]

it was all in the last 4 minutes Dan.  great comeback Peja and Bibby were on fire, it was like they had a magnet in the ball and hoop, you woldnt belive it. i was sure they would get it in ot but minnie held on for the win, i expect sacto to come back and tie it up in the next game...

[westkoast]

I missed it too and im pissed about it.  All because I got an argument with a friend's parent over some bs.  Sure I got to see the highlights but it never really truly tells how great the game was.

TiVO is excellent.........when you actually turn it on to record games lol.

[Derek Bodner]

I only got to see the first half

[WayOutWest]

It started with TO's and ended with either Bibby or Peja getting wide open looks in transition.  Peja capped the awesome run with a 4 point play.

Kenny made a very important point regarding making/missing the shots in the game.  Much like the Laker game vs the Rocket, the Kings came back by shooting some very long 3's.  They were not good shots in the overall scheme, just fortunate that they made it.  Both the Kings and especially the Lakers cannot rely on those shots to win games.

[SPURSX3]

It started with TO's and ended with either Bibby or Peja getting wide open looks in transition.  Peja capped the awesome run with a 4 point play.

Kenny made a very important point regarding making/missing the shots in the game.  Much like the Laker game vs the Rocket, the Kings came back by shooting some very long 3's.  They were not good shots in the overall scheme, just fortunate that they made it.  Both the Kings and especially the Lakers cannot rely on those shots to win games.

I dont know about wide open looks, some of the three were from peja  taking a quick short step after the defender went up to try and block, the short step to the side still had peja leaning, which was incredible becuase the shots were JUST barely touching the left side of the hoop, i was almost sure he was gonna brick those shots of his, but no, they swished in at the last second...

[jn]

Dan I didn't really see any new weaknesses.  The absence of Hudson, Kandi's awfulness, and Sam's gunning and poor D are things I (and probably everyone here) were already aware of.  If I sounded snippy it was because the stinking game ended at 1:00 in the morning.      -_-

As for the play at the end that should only be called if Hassell brings his arms down.  We always yammer about how we want the refs to be consistent and let the players determine the game and that's exactly what they did on the last play.  If they don't call KG being hacked on a fallaway how could they possibly call a play where Peja is worried more about being balled out than actually making the basket?  

Actually I was very pleased with two aspects of the Wolves game.  We cut down on turnovers and gave up fewer fast break points and Flip sat down Kandi put in Mad Dog.  

 

[Guest_Randy]

I am surprised that everyone is talking about the "hack" on Peja at the end -- the officiating didn't play a role in this game, IMO.  BOTH teams had chances to put it away and didn't -- both teams made huge shots down the stretch.  Peja was forcing the shot and there was contact but Peja was trying to force the shot up and the refs are NOT going to call a foul on a play like that.

Congrats to the TWolves, they are showing some real cajones down the stretch -- something they didn't have in game 1.  

This series isn't over yet!

[Laker Fan]

OK JN, forgive me if I sound confused here, but you say you gave up fewer fast break points? The Wolves gave up 4 fastbreaks in game 1, 17 in game 2, and 18 last night, and the only bad turnover performance they had was game 1 where they gave up 18. They had 11 TO's in game 2, 10 last night. So they regressed as far as giving up the fastbreaks and held serve on TO's. The only positive you mentioned I will agree with you on is Madsen for Kandi.

The problem I see with Minnesota is lapses in consistancy in the playoffs on the defensive side, which is strange considering the way they played in the regular season. I find it hard to believe that Sacramento, with all of their scoring prowess and ability to kill you from anywhere on the floor, and erase a lead in nothing flat, (as long as Webber doesn't touch the ball), overcame a 15 point deficit in 4 minutes based on talent alone. Having not seen the game I can't say that for sure, but a team ranked #7 in defense gives up a 15 point lead with 4 minutes left and it was all because the Kings are so talented? No way I buy that and Minnesota better address it because for all the ragging we have been heaping on the inconsistant Kings, these boys can still sneak in here and punk slap ANY team that lets their guard down, for even a second, let alone 4 minutes.

[WayOutWest]

My post from another thread regarding the Peja foul:

Looking to the refs to win the game for you is weak. It drives me nuts when Kobe does that. In all honesty I cannot think of one single time Larry Bird looked to get bailed out by the refs. Bird used to force shots and contact but when he took a game winning shot he took the shot with the intent to make it not kick out or lean and try to draw contact and the foul. For the most part Kobe, Bibby and TD go for game winners instead of ref bail outs. Too bad for the Kings Bibby wasn't still in the game.
 

[Laker Fan]

Sorry Randy, I don't call giving up 15 points in 4 minutes showing they have cajones, Peja doesn't get bumped in overtime and today we are talking about a collapse of epic proportions, bigger than Sacramento's game 2 choke job, and bigger than Portland's game 7 collapse against LA in the WCF. I see some issues in confidence in Minnesota and if Sacramento pulls out a win in game 4, which they should, they will be in Minnesota's head and I think the only one that can handle that is Garnett (just about the only Timberwolf I'm rooting for), Cassell's clutch reputation notwithstanding.

On Peja's final shot, absolutely he was fouled, but there have been some very good points made here, in the playoff situation wherein in happened, it was a good non-call, Adelman can whine like the woman he is but if all the recaps I've read are accurate, they were letting them play and no way the replay shows it to be a foul worthy of a call given the way the refs called the rest of the game.

[WayOutWest]

Sorry Randy, I don't call giving up 15 points in 4 minutes showing they have cajones, Peja doesn't get bumped in overtime and today we are talking about a collapse of epic proportions, bigger than Sacramento's game 2 choke job, and bigger than Portland's game 7 collapse against LA in the WCF. I see some issues in confidence in Minnesota and if Sacramento pulls out a win in game 4, which they should, they will be in Minnesota's head and I think the only one that can handle that is Garnett (just about the only Timberwolf I'm rooting for), Cassell's clutch reputation notwithstanding.

On Peja's final shot, absolutely he was fouled, but there have been some very good points made here, in the playoff situation wherein in happened, it was a good non-call, Adelman can whine like the woman he is but if all the recaps I've read are accurate, they were letting them play and no way the replay shows it to be a foul worthy of a call given the way the refs called the rest of the game.

The Peja non-call was inline with the KG non-call and the Hoiberg non-call.  That's 4 potential FT's the Wolves missed out on.  

Speaking of FT's.  Peja and Christie blew it at the FT line to win the game in regulation for the Kings.  Martin missed a FT to win the game in regulation for the Wolves.  

[jn]

Let's clarify the TO part of it.  How many of those last night came at the end after Cassell fouled out?  I think at least three, (Hassell getting stuck on the baseline, KG traveling, and one other cross court that got intercepted). Also, factor in that they had an extra 5 minutes to commit them and things look a little better.  

For what it's worth those led to 3's, not layups.   <_<  That 15 point lead went with Bibby and Peja burying three's on the break.  I guess my point is last night they didn't fall behind early in the game while Cassell was in there by letting the Kings push the ball.  

Incidentally, when was the last time anyone saw both starting point guards foul out of a playoff game?  

[JoMal]

Pardon me if I start to ramble, but I am not feeling all that good today.

Because I was starting to get dizzy watching, I had to turn the game off with the Kings down 14. I don't regret it, because I have this thing that the Kings can not do well if I watch them. I did not even know the final score until this morning on the news.

From all I have heard from the callers to the morning radio show that wakes me up, and from the papers and you guys, I am starting to believe what people say about Adelman. He does not provide the type of leadership and rotation needed in the playoffs. He completely changes what created the success during the season and sacrifices his players to mental and physical exhaustion. Saunders routinely uses players like Trent and Madsen for energy and to give his key players breaks, playing them a combined 21 minutes last night. Songaila, who was such a big part of the Dallas series, got 0 minutes.

Just by allowing Peja or Webber some down time to rest their legs and to get their wind back would have helped later in this game. To let them sit and observe what was going on in the game for several minutes. But once the Wolve's lead got to double digits, he felt there was no recourse, and by then he was right. But it cost the Kings the energy needed to finish the game.

All in all, though, I do admire how the Kings came back. I know that they are not championship quality this year; not since Webber came back and the team collectively stopped running the offense that got them the best record in the League. While their post season defense has picked up, without utilizing the bench in a way to improve their chances to win these close games is certainly going to help the players have plenty of time to recoup starting next week once this series ends.

With the rotation Adelman uses, there is no way the Kings can compete with the more rested and better coached Wolves. Adelman never forces his players to perform to higher standards during playoff games and never gets in anyone's face over bonehead plays. He clearly is a player's coach, but only if you are his 'seven' that gets to play.

I look longingly at Jackson, Popovich, Sloan, Saunders, Carlisle, and Brown and think, "How much better would our playoff chances be if we had a coach like that with this team?"