Kings-Nuggets PBP for Saturday, Dec. 8

[VF21]

Greetings, fellow Kings fans!

I truly don't have many expectations about tonight's game. What I'll be watching for is positive team chemistry even when things may not look good...

The Kings flew out of Sacramento last night and landed in Denver really, really late. That's bad enough but to have to play at altitude in addition to that is just unfortunate.

I've got a busy day here in the forest, so I'll forgo the rest of the introduction and be back right before game time. Reminder, tonight's game is on News10 so there won't be any HPL.

GO KINGS!!!

 

[VF21]

Starting for the Kings: Udrih, Salmons, Artest, Moore, Miller

Nuggets: Carter, Iverson, Anthony, Martin, Camby

 

[VF21]

tip to DEN.

Ball oob off Camby. Kings ball.

Salmons for two and the +1 on foul by Camby.

11;35 left

Bonus good.

3-0 KINGS

 

[VF21]

Anthony shoves Artest in the chest, moves to his left and misses the bucket. Kings rebound.

Beno from the corner for two.

5-0 KINGS

Carter to Camby - jumper for two.

5-2 KINGS

10;46 left

 

[VF21]

Miller bounce-pass interecepted. Quick break and two by Melo.

5-4 KINGS

Moore over Camby doesn't go; Melo rebound.

Martin for two.

6-5 Den

9;51 left

Miller jumper is good.

7-6 KINGS

ANOTHER quick break and two more by Melo.

8-7 Den

 

[VF21]

Another Miller jumper for two.

9-8 Den

Carter loses ball oob. Kings ball.

9;00 left

Artest miss; Iverson rebound and the quick break again. Iverson fouled in the paint by Moore. Still Den ball.

Iverson for two.

10-9 Den

Beno miss; reb tip to Melo. Ball to IVerson, around the horn and back to Martin for two more.

12-9 Den

 

[VF21]

8;08 left

Kings call 20 second time out.

Kings inbound.

Salmons inside, kicks out to Miller. In and out; Denver rebound. Miss; Moore rebound.

Beno miss; Melo rebound.

Miller with pass interception. Over to Beno. NICE dish inside to Salmons for two and the +1 on foul by AI.

Bonus good.

12-12

 

[VF21]

Martin miss; Miller rebound. Artest drives inside off the dribble and powers up for two.

14-12 KINGS

6;50 left

Iverson from the elbow for two.

14-14

Beno to Salmons, around the Moore screen and drives inside for two off the glass.

16-14 KINGS

Melo ties it up at the other end.

16-16

This is NOT going to be a defensive battle.

Artest dish to Salmons.

SALMONS FOR THREE!!!

19-16 KINGS

Time out and commercial after AI is fouled. He'll shoot two after the break.

 

[VF21]

AI at the line.

Makes both.

19-18 KINGS

5;46 left

Beno to Salmons. AI tries for the steal but hits Salmons' arm instead. Non-shooting foul. 2PF on AI. Still Kings ball.

Beno to Salmons, pullup jumper is good.

21-18 KINGS

 

[VF21]

Garcia with the steal from AI, Salmons and Garcia on the run, Salmons with two more.

23-18 KINGS

AI for three.

23-21 KINGS

Note; Beno comments in post #9 should read "Garcia"...

Martin protesting as he's called for foul on MIller. Hawes in for Moore as Miller heads to the line.

4;34 left

Miller makes first; misses second. Den rebound.

 

[VF21]

Oops. Miller out for Hawes. Garcia, Salmons, KT and Douby with Hawes.

Melo with the hard throwdown.

24-23 KINGS

Cisco long miss; rebound goes all the way out to Douby, whose three also misses and Denver gets the rebound.

Melo fouled and heading to the line on foul by KT.

Grant and Jerry explain that Theus is doing a lot of early subbing because of the altitude.

Melo makes both.

25-24 Den

 

[VF21]

Kings ball.

Douby over to Salmons, he hesitates and shoots, misses. Douby with the rebound but he loses it to Najera. Denver shot broken up by Garcia.

Hawes has the ball roll off his hand on the way up, AI finds it and runs the court for the layup.

27-24 Den

AI appears he may have slightly pulled something but he stays in...

Kings for two on the other end.

27-26 Den

Eduardo Najera, long known for his incredible flopping, goes to the floor and appears to be suffering from multiple limb displacement. He was fouled by Hawes, and I could be wrong, but I don't think he was hurt anywhere near as badly as he's letting on. Is it time for the NBA equivalent of the Oscars?

Time out and commercial.

Note: If Najera is in fact truly injured I will apologize but I've seen this before from him.

 

[VF21]

As we come back from the break we see Najera on the bench, sitting up and still in possession of all his limbs. Najera heads to the line to shoot two...

Misses first; and makes second. And stays in the game so the injury could not have been too significant.

28-26 Denver

Salmons out for a breather.

Kings ball. Artest inside, dishes out to Garcia and gets free. Signals for the ball but Garcia loses it.

Garcia with a steal on the other end, gets ball to Douby and cuts to the corner. Garcia miss from the corner. AI rebound but he's oob. Still Kings ball.

AI out.

Garcia with a "wild" attempt and a miss.

Denver ball. ANOTHER quick two by Melo.

30-26 Den

 

[VF21]

Artest for two.

30-28 Den

AI with the steal, forward pass to Garcia who doesn't drop it this time and gets the nice dunk.

30-30

48 seconds left

Camby for two.

32-30 Den

 

[VF21]

Garcia off the dribble, Melo called for reach-in foul. Cisco to the line.

40.2 seconds left

Makes first; and second.

32-32

Melo pass forced inside, intended for Camby but stolen by Artest. Ball to Douby, who misses elbow jumper.

Denver ball.

Camby drives inside, met by Hawes with good effort and a hard foul. 2PF on Hawes.

Camby to the line. Carter in for Najera, who heads to the locker room.

Camby makes first; and second.

34-32 Den

Garcia pullup jumper and he's fouled by Smith.

 

[VF21]

Garcia to the line.

Makes first; and second.

1;8 seconds left

Melo at the buzzer - shot right online but just a little short. End of the first quarter.

34-34

 

[VF21]

Udrih, Artest, Garcia, Miller and Moore for the Kings

Kings for two.

36-34 KINGS

Denver miss; Kings rebound.

11;11 left

Beno to Moore, kick out to Miler, who drives inside and misses. Moore with the putback but he misses. He grabs his own rebound but Kings lose it on a bad pass.

Denver ball. Garcia called for the foul, sending J.R. Smith to the line.

Makes first; and second.

36-36

10;42 left

Kings ball.

 

[VF21]

Artest to Garcia to Artest, shot rims out. Oob off Miller. Denver ball.

Udrih called for foul on Iverson. Non-shooting. Still Denver ball.

Melo drives inside, tries a behind-the-back pass but Kings end up with it.

Beno inside to wide-open Moore who doesn't miss this time, slamming the ball down with authority.

38-36 KINGS

Carter to Martin for two.

38-38

9;28 left

Garcia inside, tries to draw the foul but just ends up turning over the ball. Denver ball. Smith miss; Iverson rebound. Iverson miss; Moore rebound.

Kings ball.

 

[VF21]

Beno with the nice drive and lay-up.

40-38 KINGS

Smith misses another three; Moore rebound.

Garcia quick three doesn't go. Denver rebound.

8;30 left

Kleiza for three.

41-40 Denver

Another Kings turnover.

Kleiza miss but Iverson tips it in.

43-40 Denver

 

[VF21]

Artest shot blocked, Denver with the ball.

Denver fouled and heading to the line after the time out and commercial.

 

[VF21]

Udrih, Salmons, Artest, Moore and Miller for the Kings.

Carter at the line for Denver.

Makes first; and second.

45-40 Den

7;28 left

Miller miss, long rebound goes to Salmons. Pass to Artest, miss. Ball oob off Denver. Still Kings ball.

Martin tries to pick off the inbound pass but steps oob. Still Kings ball.

Offensive foul (illegal screen) called on Moore. Denver ball.

6;59 left

 

[VF21]

Bounce pass by Iverson ends up in the Kings hands. Udrih miss; Martin rebound.

Martin to the line on foul by Miller.

Misses first; makes second.

46-40 Denver

6;33 left

Udrih pass, intended for Salmons, knocked away by Jones, who's called for non-shooting foul. Kings to inbound.

Beno to Salmons, miss. Carter rebound. Artest with the steal, runs straight at Melo, is fouled but no call, but makes basket anyway.

46-42 Denver

Kleiza three misses badly; Salmons rebound.

Beno shot blocked by Melo. Shot blocked by Salmons but Kleiza gets the putback.

48-42 Denver

 

[VF21]

Kings ball. Oob. Disagreement on who should get the ball.

Time out and commercial.

Jump ball after the break.

5;07 left

 

[VF21]

Miller and Martin to jump...

Tip to Denver.

Iverson alley to Martin oop.

50-42 Denver

4;43 left

Artest powers inside, starts to put it up and Camby knocks it into the cheap seats. Still Kings ball.

Beno to Artest, shot partially blocked. Denver comes up with it.

Melo to Iverson, who gets inside and scoops it in for two more.

52-42 Denver

Beno alley to Moore oop.

52-44 Denver

 

[VF21]

Inverson pass nearly stolen by Artest; Melo miss, Martin tips ball to Iverson. Denver turnover. Kings ball.

Kings turnover; Denver ball.

Denver miss - basket interference by Brad but not called. Beno with the rebound. He's called for traveling.

Denver ball. Camby from the corner doesn't count - 24-second violation on Denver.

2;44 left

Time out and commercial.

Kings ball after the break.

 

[VF21]

Kings ball. Non-shooting foul on Denver. Garcia in for Moore.

2;33 left

Salmons shot blocked by Carter. Martin on the run. Martin to the line on foul by Miller. 3PF.

Theus yelling at the officials, "If that's a foul you have to call it both ways!!!"

Martin misses first; KT in for Miller. Makes second.

53-44 Denver

Kings ball.

If there are fans there in Denver, they're certainly quiet. Artest airball; Camby rebound.

 

[VF21]

Martin for two.

55-44 Denver

1;43 left

Beno to Artest. Illegal defense called on Denver. Salmons gets the bonus to fall after it bounces twice and rolls around, finally falling in the direction of the net.

55-45 Denver

Kings ball.

Salmons doubled, kick out to Beno, and then over to Garcia, who is trapped in front of the Kings bench AND totally and completely mugged on the left arm right in front of Theus.

Kings called for 24-second violation. Theus real close to a technical as he is NOT happy!

Denver miss; KT rebound. Salmons tries to drive inside in traffic and loses the ball oob.

Denver ball.

52 seconds left.

 

[VF21]

Denver ball. Steal by Artest, who kicks it to Beno. Garcia running the court, gets the ball over to Salmons.

40.6 seconds left

Theus still appears to have steam coming out of his ears...and a part of me likes to see it.



Salmons makes both.

55-47 Denver

Denver ball. Stripped by Garcia. Cisco doesn't see WIDE OPEN Salmons and loses the ball. Denver ball.

Douby fouls Iverson with 8.2 seconds left, sending AI to the line.

 

[VF21]

Makes first; Grant and Jerry aren't saying it, but we're seeing the Bad Cisco right now and it's hurting us. Makes second.

57-47 Denver

Kings ball, turnover by Salmons. Iverson on the break, fouled by Salmons with 1.0 seconds left.

AI at the line again. Theus looks ... well, not happy. It is NOT going to be fun in the locker room at half-time. AI makes both.

59-47 Denver

End of the first half.

 

[VF21]

Beno, Salmons, Artest, Moore and Miller for the Kings

Kings ball to start the 3rd quarter.

Kings slow back down, take their time and move the ball.

BENO FOR THREE!!!!

59-50 Denver

Martin flying half-hook for two.

61-50 Denver

Beno shot rims out; Carter rebound.

10;54 left

Melo cross-court to Carter for two.

63-50 Denver