So damn close.
Boxscore
Nocioni ( C- ) -- ooh boy. Got off to the poor start to this one. Not only poor results, but just did not like the flow/feel -- seems to be increasingly resistant to our playcalling, taking the ball and running away from plays, particualrly when Reke is involved, to go go one on one. But he's not and never will be a great one on one player and so we get ugly forces instead. Played a poor first half, and was getting minutes for no other reason than being a veteran after half, and in particular being used as a mini-PF against West with Jason in foul trouble again. At one point there in the 4th in fact our frontline was KT/Noc
. Finally seemed to justify the tactic and the minutes when he came up with a great block on Okafor in the mid 4th, then a couple of minutes later played good active defense on West with less than two minutes to go keying another Reke runout. But got posted up and beat by West at the one minute mark as we just could not get the key stops we needed. And then came the sequence everybody will be talking about. Came up with a potential game saving offensive rebound off the Evans miss with 1 second to go, got fouled, and went to the line with a chance to tie it and send it to OT. Unfortunately you know how this story ends. He choked the first FT. And then, jsut to finish things off, needing to intentionally miss the second so we could come up iwht the miracle tip follow, he insead got called for a lane violation. The Hornets got the ball back with us having nothing to show for the supposedly "free" points, and all they had to do was inbound it into their backcourt, and game over. There's really not much to say. Just choked. Am sure he feels worse about it than anyone, but I think we feel pretty damn bad too. Did underscore something for me though -- been years since I flopped back in the coach and groaned after we lost a tight game -- just hasn't mattered in a long time. Now all of a sudden we, and I, want them again. Much more fun this way.
Thompson ( B+ ) -- got off to another struggling start, wasn't staying with West on defense, but was at least trying to work the smaller West down in the post, to mixed effect. Was solid on the glass, although no more solid than West and Okafor, who both nabbed 12 to JT's 9 (Jason played fewer minutes however due to fouls). Started off the 3rd just turning and facing for the baseline jumper and playing solidly on the offensive side, but got beat by West repeatedly on defense as the two PFs dueled -- in fact for much of the game it was NO's PG and PF (CP3 and West) dueling with ours (Reke and JT) for control of the game. Fought through some physical defense by West to score and get the continuation in the late 3rd, but then blew the FT -- a common theme for us tonight. With West out of the game started off the 4th aggresively scoring inside against New Orleans' perennially scrubby backups (including our old friend Darius Songaila). Hit a wild high banking post move off the glass after returning in the mid-4th, but ever inventive in his quest for violations, discovered a new way to accumulate fouls and chase himself from the game, repeatedly yanking and pulling on jerseys + arms (mind you many excellent "saavy"/cheating post defenders over the years have gotten away with that, but its an art, and Jason is as subtle as a wardrobe malfunction). Came back at the 3:00 mark and fouled out immediately on the offensive foul pushing off with the off arm. Best he's looked in a while, but for the 1000th time in his young career, was not there when we needed him.
Hawes ( B- ) -- better effort than his last couple, but certainly not the one that is going to get people off of his back for soft play. Was doing a pretty good job of man defense early on both Okafor and West, and began to settle in and work he post as the half wore on. Nothing spectacular, but a solid 8pt 3-4reb type half. Came out of half and Okafor worked him in the early 3rd. Got his fast break dunk attempt blocked by 6'5" Devin Brown, which is NOT the way to shake those softness labels, and then got swatted by Okafor a minute later. Insisted on bricking up two more threes, but did hit a late long jumper to help keep us close. Grabbed an offensive board off of a Sergio miss down the stretch, but then did the too quick/panic thing he and Jason do and bricked the follow hook. Finished up with a respectable but uninspiring 12pt 7reb night, and so gets the respectable but uninspiring grade.
Greene ( C ) -- the wildly erratic production from Donte continued tonight, as he followed up his 21pt night with a 5pt night. Had a nice turnaround post move over by Paul but little else early -- it was his only score of the first half and he just wasn't involved offensively. Splashed in a three in the third and tried to post CP3 again -- is showing a definite mismatch post game right now that he can use against smaller guards, but has yet to prove he can post guys his own size. And that was kind of it. Forced one other drive and sat while others decided this one. Did not feel like a bad game so much as just an irrelevant one.
Evans ( A ) -- did not challenge Paul for the first few minutes, just moving the ball around to various teammates when pressed, but then the little feeling out session over, cranked it up and went on the attack. And for the second time this season we saw that there was little that Chris Paul, the best PG in the world, could do about it. Was dominating the first quarter for us again, and then on the very final play of the quarter got upended as he scored the final layup for us, and took a bad fall on his face/chest to close the quarter. Was down for a long time and I suspect young kids all over the Sacto area were learning fun new words from their daddies as he rolled around on the ground and had to be helped to the lockerroom. But it turns out little Johnny now knows how to swear like a sailor for no reason -- Reke was back out of the lockerroom by the mid-2nd quarter, and went straight to the scorer's table to check back in. And immediately he put the kabosh on any silly idea that he might be sore or tentative or whatever, and just squared up Devin Brown and blew right past him off the dribble to finish with the +1. Was doing a soild job defensively on Paul as well, just using his size, not going for fakes, not shutting him down, but just...depressing him. Interfering and preventing him from ever dominating. And when he swung over to guard fellow rookie Marcus Thornton he just repeatedly disrupted him -- the difference between a good rookie and a great rookie. And unlike certain members of the Kings who will go unnamed, Reke is also displaying excellent bball IQ and has quickly learned how to avoid picking up cheapie fouls. After the half drew a lot of attention from the Hornets defense -- many doubles, and his scoring was not there for long stretches of the 3rd/4th -- even joined the missed FT parade with 2 missed FTs at the end of the third. That syndrome has always been oddly cacthing. On the other hand just repeatedly found people all night long on the drive and kick and was racking up the assists. Got clobbered by a major pick from Okafor in the open court that somebody forgot to call out (he's going to be sore tommorow from these blows), but turned it to his advantage when in true NBA fashion he sprang back up to his feet and raced back the other way for the open court layup as soon we got the ball back. With us hanging on by our fingernails late, suddenly took off the silly Clark Kent glasses and exploded with the full on superstar rush in the final minutes, completely carrying us as he slashed to the rim again and again for layups and FTs (which he hit). Scored our final 9 points, and if he could have just made it 11 there might have been a "+" attached to this grade along with even more collective "wows" from around the country. Unfortunately his final layup attempt to tie it at the buzzer rolled off the iron, leading to Noc's O-rebound and FT line disaaster. Somehow I am thinking he'll have more of those moments, and sooner rather than later that last one is going to roll in. As an aside, this performance put him up over the 20pt 5reb 5ast plateau, something that as I recall has only ever been accomplished as a rookie by a trio of scrubs named Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James.
Boxscore
Nocioni ( C- ) -- ooh boy. Got off to the poor start to this one. Not only poor results, but just did not like the flow/feel -- seems to be increasingly resistant to our playcalling, taking the ball and running away from plays, particualrly when Reke is involved, to go go one on one. But he's not and never will be a great one on one player and so we get ugly forces instead. Played a poor first half, and was getting minutes for no other reason than being a veteran after half, and in particular being used as a mini-PF against West with Jason in foul trouble again. At one point there in the 4th in fact our frontline was KT/Noc
. Finally seemed to justify the tactic and the minutes when he came up with a great block on Okafor in the mid 4th, then a couple of minutes later played good active defense on West with less than two minutes to go keying another Reke runout. But got posted up and beat by West at the one minute mark as we just could not get the key stops we needed. And then came the sequence everybody will be talking about. Came up with a potential game saving offensive rebound off the Evans miss with 1 second to go, got fouled, and went to the line with a chance to tie it and send it to OT. Unfortunately you know how this story ends. He choked the first FT. And then, jsut to finish things off, needing to intentionally miss the second so we could come up iwht the miracle tip follow, he insead got called for a lane violation. The Hornets got the ball back with us having nothing to show for the supposedly "free" points, and all they had to do was inbound it into their backcourt, and game over. There's really not much to say. Just choked. Am sure he feels worse about it than anyone, but I think we feel pretty damn bad too. Did underscore something for me though -- been years since I flopped back in the coach and groaned after we lost a tight game -- just hasn't mattered in a long time. Now all of a sudden we, and I, want them again. Much more fun this way.Thompson ( B+ ) -- got off to another struggling start, wasn't staying with West on defense, but was at least trying to work the smaller West down in the post, to mixed effect. Was solid on the glass, although no more solid than West and Okafor, who both nabbed 12 to JT's 9 (Jason played fewer minutes however due to fouls). Started off the 3rd just turning and facing for the baseline jumper and playing solidly on the offensive side, but got beat by West repeatedly on defense as the two PFs dueled -- in fact for much of the game it was NO's PG and PF (CP3 and West) dueling with ours (Reke and JT) for control of the game. Fought through some physical defense by West to score and get the continuation in the late 3rd, but then blew the FT -- a common theme for us tonight. With West out of the game started off the 4th aggresively scoring inside against New Orleans' perennially scrubby backups (including our old friend Darius Songaila). Hit a wild high banking post move off the glass after returning in the mid-4th, but ever inventive in his quest for violations, discovered a new way to accumulate fouls and chase himself from the game, repeatedly yanking and pulling on jerseys + arms (mind you many excellent "saavy"/cheating post defenders over the years have gotten away with that, but its an art, and Jason is as subtle as a wardrobe malfunction). Came back at the 3:00 mark and fouled out immediately on the offensive foul pushing off with the off arm. Best he's looked in a while, but for the 1000th time in his young career, was not there when we needed him.
Hawes ( B- ) -- better effort than his last couple, but certainly not the one that is going to get people off of his back for soft play. Was doing a pretty good job of man defense early on both Okafor and West, and began to settle in and work he post as the half wore on. Nothing spectacular, but a solid 8pt 3-4reb type half. Came out of half and Okafor worked him in the early 3rd. Got his fast break dunk attempt blocked by 6'5" Devin Brown, which is NOT the way to shake those softness labels, and then got swatted by Okafor a minute later. Insisted on bricking up two more threes, but did hit a late long jumper to help keep us close. Grabbed an offensive board off of a Sergio miss down the stretch, but then did the too quick/panic thing he and Jason do and bricked the follow hook. Finished up with a respectable but uninspiring 12pt 7reb night, and so gets the respectable but uninspiring grade.
Greene ( C ) -- the wildly erratic production from Donte continued tonight, as he followed up his 21pt night with a 5pt night. Had a nice turnaround post move over by Paul but little else early -- it was his only score of the first half and he just wasn't involved offensively. Splashed in a three in the third and tried to post CP3 again -- is showing a definite mismatch post game right now that he can use against smaller guards, but has yet to prove he can post guys his own size. And that was kind of it. Forced one other drive and sat while others decided this one. Did not feel like a bad game so much as just an irrelevant one.
Evans ( A ) -- did not challenge Paul for the first few minutes, just moving the ball around to various teammates when pressed, but then the little feeling out session over, cranked it up and went on the attack. And for the second time this season we saw that there was little that Chris Paul, the best PG in the world, could do about it. Was dominating the first quarter for us again, and then on the very final play of the quarter got upended as he scored the final layup for us, and took a bad fall on his face/chest to close the quarter. Was down for a long time and I suspect young kids all over the Sacto area were learning fun new words from their daddies as he rolled around on the ground and had to be helped to the lockerroom. But it turns out little Johnny now knows how to swear like a sailor for no reason -- Reke was back out of the lockerroom by the mid-2nd quarter, and went straight to the scorer's table to check back in. And immediately he put the kabosh on any silly idea that he might be sore or tentative or whatever, and just squared up Devin Brown and blew right past him off the dribble to finish with the +1. Was doing a soild job defensively on Paul as well, just using his size, not going for fakes, not shutting him down, but just...depressing him. Interfering and preventing him from ever dominating. And when he swung over to guard fellow rookie Marcus Thornton he just repeatedly disrupted him -- the difference between a good rookie and a great rookie. And unlike certain members of the Kings who will go unnamed, Reke is also displaying excellent bball IQ and has quickly learned how to avoid picking up cheapie fouls. After the half drew a lot of attention from the Hornets defense -- many doubles, and his scoring was not there for long stretches of the 3rd/4th -- even joined the missed FT parade with 2 missed FTs at the end of the third. That syndrome has always been oddly cacthing. On the other hand just repeatedly found people all night long on the drive and kick and was racking up the assists. Got clobbered by a major pick from Okafor in the open court that somebody forgot to call out (he's going to be sore tommorow from these blows), but turned it to his advantage when in true NBA fashion he sprang back up to his feet and raced back the other way for the open court layup as soon we got the ball back. With us hanging on by our fingernails late, suddenly took off the silly Clark Kent glasses and exploded with the full on superstar rush in the final minutes, completely carrying us as he slashed to the rim again and again for layups and FTs (which he hit). Scored our final 9 points, and if he could have just made it 11 there might have been a "+" attached to this grade along with even more collective "wows" from around the country. Unfortunately his final layup attempt to tie it at the buzzer rolled off the iron, leading to Noc's O-rebound and FT line disaaster. Somehow I am thinking he'll have more of those moments, and sooner rather than later that last one is going to roll in. As an aside, this performance put him up over the 20pt 5reb 5ast plateau, something that as I recall has only ever been accomplished as a rookie by a trio of scrubs named Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James.
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