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'Lucky play' Kings say their confidence won't be affected by Horry's shotPosted: Sunday May 26, 2002 10:15 PMUpdated: Monday May 27, 2002 2:47 AM
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Sacramento Kings might have known what was coming at the final buzzer. They got a hint when Samaki Walker hit a 3-pointer for the Los Angeles Lakers as the first half ended. Robert Horry topped that when he picked up a ball tipped by Sacramento's Vlade Divac and made a 3-pointer as time expired to give the Lakers a 100-99 victory Sunday. "It's the luckiest thing I've ever seen in my life," Kings forward Hedo Turkoglu said. Los Angeles tied the best-of-seven Western Conference finals 2-2. Game 5 is Tuesday at Sacramento, with Game 6 in Los Angeles on Friday. "They made one at halftime that might have been too late," said Sacramento's Chris Webber, who scored 20 points. "You take that 3-pointer away, we win."
For the second consecutive game, the Kings built a huge lead. They shot a sizzling 71 percent in the first quarter to go ahead by 20 points. They led by 24 in the second quarter, only to see the Lakers come all the way back and win. "Sometimes the hardest thing is to maintain a lead," Webber said. "We were one lucky play away from winning. I'd rather lose this way than by five or 10. We'll be OK." The Kings insisted their confidence won't be affected by Horry's shot that gave the Lakers only their second lead of the game and the victory. "I honestly believe we'll have enough resiliency to get back in that game," Sacramento coach Rick Adelman said. "We have to, because now the momentum shifts. They had a huge win, and I'm sure they're confident now, but we've got to respond and I'm pretty sure I know the answer." Although clearly stunned by Horry's shot, the Kings weren't conceding anything afterward. "Horry was in the right place at the right time. He hit a good shot," said guard Mike Bibby, who scored 21 points but had just one field goal in the second half when he was dogged by Kobe Bryant. "It's a three-game series now," Bibby said. "Our confidence is still high. We had a good chance of winning it." Sacramento knows the Lakers have to return to Arco Arena, where the cowbells will be clanging Tuesday. "It's huge," guard Bobby Jackson said of Game 5. "They're scared of us. We're playing well and we got a swagger about us. They got to find their game. We know what we can do." The Kings were clinging to a 99-97 lead after Divac made 1 of 2 free throws with 11 seconds remaining. Bryant missed, then Shaquille O'Neal missed inside before Divac tipped the ball out to Horry, who grabbed it and tossed up a picture-perfect 3-pointer. "I got a hand up in his face," Webber said of O'Neal. "Vlade tipped the ball out. It was as if it was a pass right to Horry on the 3-point line. I tried to bust tail to get a hand in his face. It was too little too late." Webber said the game-winning shot was "a lucky play." "Coach didn't draw that up. It wasn't a second or third option. That was a fumble out of the inside to the outside," he said. "Now, Horry shooting it wasn't lucky. That's a big shot." |
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Rick Adelman's Kings react to Horry's buzzer-beater. 
