Kings (20-7) @ Warriors (13-13) When: Friday, December 26, 2003 Where: The New Arena, Oakland, CA Time: 7:00PM Probable Starters Nick Van Exel/Mike Bibby J-Rich/Doug Christie Mike Dunleavy/Peja Stojakovic Clifford Robinson/Brad Miller Erick Dampier/Vlade Divac Key Matchup Dampier should have a monster game and should own Divac. Vlade is a crafty veteran and will try to flop and draw fouls to get Dampier in foul trouble. Damp should own this matchup. [QUOTERIGHT]<font size="5">?We definitely need to forget about this game and come out with the same enthusiasm against Sacramento and play hard.? </font><font size="3">-Speedy Claxon</font>[/QUOTERIGHT] Key Player off the bench These are the players that bring the energy off the bench. Jackson does it with his scoring, Claxon mainly with his aggressive Defense. What a matchup this will be. Warriors Keys to the Game The Warriors must come out with the same amount of energy that they displayed against LA at home. The bench must also provide some much needed offense agaisnt this great Kings team. The Warriors must limit the Kings points in transition, they MUST get back on defense to have a chance in this one. The Kings play great team ball and the Warriors must make them shoot contested shots from the outside; keep a hand in Peja's face the WHOLE night. Kings Keys to the Game The Kings are a quicker, more athletic team. They must get out on the break and knock the Warriors out early. The Warriors try to get it close until they end and they have veterans who can knock big shots down. They must keep Dampier off the boards and make the others rebound. Get the ball to Vlade and let the offense run through him. <font color="Blue">Rudeezy's</font> Prediction The Kings will be too much. The Warriors have not beaten the Kings in ages. Who knows, there is a first for everything and the Warriors are riding high after their defeat over the Lakers. The Warriors lost by 2 points earlier this season in Arco. I see this coming down to the end. Tossup.
<u>Kings update</u> The Kings, who have beaten the Warriors 15 consecutive times, are coming off a 111-103 loss to Dallas on Thursday. Sacramento led by 16 at halftime but let the Mavericks back in the game in the second half. Earlier this season, Sacramento beat the Warriors 106-104 at Arco Arena. In that game, Jason Richardson had an opportunity to win it with a driving scoop shot but missed in the final seconds. <u>Warriors update</u> Golden State should carry some momentum into the game after a 107-98 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. C Erick Dampier had a big night for the Warriors with a double-double, scoring 17 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. The Warriors were able to contain C Shaquille O'Neal, holding him to 21 points and five rebounds. <u>Kings injuries</u> F Lawrence Funderburke (Achilles') F Chris Webber (knee) <u>Warriors injuries</u> C Adonal Foyle (leg) F Popeye Jones (knee) C Evan Eschmeyer (knees) Full Report
I like the Kings chances in this one. They will want to rebound from a blowing a 16 point lead. I see Christie defending JRich well. Peja is also coming back from a suspesion so look for him to light it up. Kings by 7
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">OAKLAND -- It was inevitable the night was going to come when the Golden State Warriors would defeat the Kings, and Friday was it. Golden State grabbed a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter and held on for a 98-91 victory that ended a 15-game losing streak to the Kings that dated to Dec. 20, 1999. Sacramento (20-8) lost its second straight game and will get a day off before meeting Utah at Arco Arena on Sunday afternoon. The Kings will need to regroup because they do not have many players performing consistently at a high level. And on the road, against hyped opponents, that's not usually a formula for success. "We didn't play very well," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "We didn't do enough. We had guys who struggled, and Golden State played well."</div> http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/baske...p-8949930c.html ================================= The Warriors big men dominated this game. Murphy had 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds in just 27 minutes...he's back. Brad Miller and Vlade Divac were held in check the whole night.
