Kings crumble, seek redemption in Game 3

They were four minutes from a 2-0 series lead, but Minnesota spoiled that.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The Sacramento Kings were four minutes away from so many rewards: control of their second-round playoff series, two big wins in Minnesota and a decisive answer for those who still question their toughness and heart.
Instead, they made their biggest collapse in a season full of them -- and gave the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves ample reason to believe they're still in charge of this series.
"Confidence is fuel," MVP Kevin Garnett said Sunday. "Without confidence, we can't survive in this league, much less this series."
The Timberwolves made a 16-1 run to a 94-89 victory in Game 2, tying the series -- which now heads to Sacramento for two games in three days, starting tonight.
In command
The Kings had a 10-point lead and all the momentum leading up to a timeout with 4:05 remaining Saturday night. Everything was clicking for coach Rick Adelman and his experienced team of playoff veterans, who insisted their regular season struggles wouldn't extend to the postseason.
And then the Kings crumbled under the pressure.
"It'll test our mettle," Adelman said. "They're up in the air right now, and we're a little deflated."
Sacramento's six seasons of postseason experience were thought to be an advantage over the Timberwolves, who have four starters and two key reserves in their first season with the club. It didn't work out that way in the tense final minutes of Game 2, when veteran Sam Cassell had more tenacity than Sacramento's entire roster.
The loss humbled the Kings, who seemed ready to shake the memory of their late-season collapse. Sacramento lost eight of its final 12 regular season games to blow the Pacific Division title -- and suddenly, that same helplessness was back in the Kings' body language.
Though the Kings stole home-court advantage in Minnesota with a decisive win in Game 1, the pressure still is squarely on their shoulders. Minnesota was the only opponent to win two games at Arco Arena during the regular season -- and after their roaring comeback, the Timberwolves were energized by their first taste of second-round success.
Recovering
The Kings held a late-afternoon film session at their training complex, still reeling from the loss. Sacramento was cool under pressure in its first-round victory over Dallas -- but the cool evaporated in Minneapolis.
"We gave it away," guard Mike Bibby said. "This was a game we definitely should have had."
Except for Cassell, who scored 19 points and hit two clutch shots in the run, the Timberwolves weren't particularly good in the final minutes -- and they floundered early in the fourth quarter, clearly feeling the pressure of going down 0-2 at home in the franchise's first trip to the second round.
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