Post by KingsOfKings on May 7, 2008 15:36:25 GMT -5
Game 1
Kings win 110-86
First of all, the Kings held Chris Lofton to 26 points, which is good. We held the TWolves to 86 points as well, which is good considering the Kings like to keep the pace slower and hold the opponents to around 90 points. Carmelo was excellent, scoring 42. He was aggressive all night, getting to the line 21 times, making 20. Spencer Hawes was an absolute man-beast. 20 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks, and 6 assists. It was plain that Minnesota just had no answer for him in Game 1. The Kings out-shot the T-Wolves 42.9% to 37.8%, no help to Shawn Marion's 2 for 10 night. I also would've thought that Carmelo could've held Batum down, but let's be honest, this game was a beatdown.
Game 2
Kings win 126-88
Lofton did get loose for 32 points this game, but no other Minnesota player scored more than 15. This game was beatdown and more. Each King starter had a strong game.
Spencer Hawes: 18 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks
Shawn Marion: 13 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals
Carmelo Anthony: 34 points on 15-24 shooting
Jamont Gordon: 30 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists
Baron Davis: 11 points, 17 assists, 4 steals
The 40-15 score in the 2nd quarter pretty much sealed the deal. Kings shot 55% from the field, 64% from three, and 85% from the line. They only committed 10 turnovers. I can't imagine a more complete game, very happy with the win.
Game 3
Kings lose 95-93
The Kings went cold in the away game, only shooting 42%. The T-Wolves had Blake Griffin and Batum break out of their Game 2 funk. Spencer Hawes had 21 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 blocks to finish with Player of the Game honors in the loss. Carmelo put up 28 points, but didn't have a good shooting night. Basically this was the Minnesota home crowd carrying their inferior team to a win.
Game 4
Kings lose 108-106
The T-Wolves played an excellent game, dictating their fast-paced style a little more. They were more aggressive and got to the line 34 times, 15 more than the Kings. They also shot 50% from three, which was a big factor. Turnovers and rebounding were not factors. Carmelo put up 38 points and Jamont put up 27, but they didn't get much help from the other 3 starters. Aggressive-ness and getting to the line were the keys, and the T-Wolves earned another home win.
Game 5
Kings win 107-72
The Kings came out as the aggressor this time, getting to the line 23 times to Minnesota's 12. They came out on shooter's better, holding Minnesota to 37% from the field, and 25% from three. The Kings took care of the ball really well also, committing only 8 turnovers and forcing 14. There was a huge rebounding disparity as well, so Minnesota couldn't depend on 2nd-chance opportunities to get extra points. The Kings took 11 more shots because of that and had a 3rd straight blowout win at home.
Game 6
Kings lose 92-91
For the 3rd straight time, the T-Wolves won a thriller at home. Minnesota was up 1 after 3 quarters, and each team locked down defensively allowing only 13 points in the 4th. One of the keys of the game was Carmelo Anthony being in foul trouble. He only played 35 minutes and still put up 30 minutes. Chris Lofton had a good shooting game, putting up 32 points on 50% shooting. Batum was huge, shooting 11-13 on his way to 27 points. Turnovers and rebounding did not really affect the game that much.
Game 7
Kings win 120-112. After 3 straight blowouts, many expecting the game to be a slow-paced dominant defensive affair, but the T-Wolves came out with energy and pushed the pace. Unfortunately, the Kings were hot, shooting 51% and getting to the line a bit more. The Kings has a small rebounding advantage as well. Minnesota only shot 4-12 from three. Normally they can shoot a little better and they shoot a few more threes. Jefferson got in foul trouble, and Hawes had a good game because of it. Baron Davis was Player of the Game because he had 23 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds. Carmelo shot 13-25, finishing off an awesome series.
Series summary -- The Kings won their 4 games by an average of 26 points, while the T-Wolves won their 3 games by an average of 2. This was as dominant as a 7-game series win can be. As far as quality of play, it was nice to see going into the series with Portland. The fact that we couldn't pick up a road win was very troublesome, however. It was nice to see Carmelo outshine Lofton a bit since Minny and I have a little rivalry around those two guys. For facing a good defensive player like Foye, Baron Davis had an awfully good series as well.
Kings win 110-86
First of all, the Kings held Chris Lofton to 26 points, which is good. We held the TWolves to 86 points as well, which is good considering the Kings like to keep the pace slower and hold the opponents to around 90 points. Carmelo was excellent, scoring 42. He was aggressive all night, getting to the line 21 times, making 20. Spencer Hawes was an absolute man-beast. 20 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks, and 6 assists. It was plain that Minnesota just had no answer for him in Game 1. The Kings out-shot the T-Wolves 42.9% to 37.8%, no help to Shawn Marion's 2 for 10 night. I also would've thought that Carmelo could've held Batum down, but let's be honest, this game was a beatdown.
Game 2
Kings win 126-88
Lofton did get loose for 32 points this game, but no other Minnesota player scored more than 15. This game was beatdown and more. Each King starter had a strong game.
Spencer Hawes: 18 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks
Shawn Marion: 13 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals
Carmelo Anthony: 34 points on 15-24 shooting
Jamont Gordon: 30 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists
Baron Davis: 11 points, 17 assists, 4 steals
The 40-15 score in the 2nd quarter pretty much sealed the deal. Kings shot 55% from the field, 64% from three, and 85% from the line. They only committed 10 turnovers. I can't imagine a more complete game, very happy with the win.
Game 3
Kings lose 95-93
The Kings went cold in the away game, only shooting 42%. The T-Wolves had Blake Griffin and Batum break out of their Game 2 funk. Spencer Hawes had 21 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 blocks to finish with Player of the Game honors in the loss. Carmelo put up 28 points, but didn't have a good shooting night. Basically this was the Minnesota home crowd carrying their inferior team to a win.
Game 4
Kings lose 108-106
The T-Wolves played an excellent game, dictating their fast-paced style a little more. They were more aggressive and got to the line 34 times, 15 more than the Kings. They also shot 50% from three, which was a big factor. Turnovers and rebounding were not factors. Carmelo put up 38 points and Jamont put up 27, but they didn't get much help from the other 3 starters. Aggressive-ness and getting to the line were the keys, and the T-Wolves earned another home win.
Game 5
Kings win 107-72
The Kings came out as the aggressor this time, getting to the line 23 times to Minnesota's 12. They came out on shooter's better, holding Minnesota to 37% from the field, and 25% from three. The Kings took care of the ball really well also, committing only 8 turnovers and forcing 14. There was a huge rebounding disparity as well, so Minnesota couldn't depend on 2nd-chance opportunities to get extra points. The Kings took 11 more shots because of that and had a 3rd straight blowout win at home.
Game 6
Kings lose 92-91
For the 3rd straight time, the T-Wolves won a thriller at home. Minnesota was up 1 after 3 quarters, and each team locked down defensively allowing only 13 points in the 4th. One of the keys of the game was Carmelo Anthony being in foul trouble. He only played 35 minutes and still put up 30 minutes. Chris Lofton had a good shooting game, putting up 32 points on 50% shooting. Batum was huge, shooting 11-13 on his way to 27 points. Turnovers and rebounding did not really affect the game that much.
Game 7
Kings win 120-112. After 3 straight blowouts, many expecting the game to be a slow-paced dominant defensive affair, but the T-Wolves came out with energy and pushed the pace. Unfortunately, the Kings were hot, shooting 51% and getting to the line a bit more. The Kings has a small rebounding advantage as well. Minnesota only shot 4-12 from three. Normally they can shoot a little better and they shoot a few more threes. Jefferson got in foul trouble, and Hawes had a good game because of it. Baron Davis was Player of the Game because he had 23 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds. Carmelo shot 13-25, finishing off an awesome series.
Series summary -- The Kings won their 4 games by an average of 26 points, while the T-Wolves won their 3 games by an average of 2. This was as dominant as a 7-game series win can be. As far as quality of play, it was nice to see going into the series with Portland. The fact that we couldn't pick up a road win was very troublesome, however. It was nice to see Carmelo outshine Lofton a bit since Minny and I have a little rivalry around those two guys. For facing a good defensive player like Foye, Baron Davis had an awfully good series as well.
