Kings-Pistons PBP for Jan. 18

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VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
Greetings, fellow Kings fans!

So which will it be? The team that has shown energy and excitement, heart and hustle? Or the retread from last season that was so painful to watch people quit in droves?

I realize I may be jumping the gun, so to speak, but the team I saw against the Toronto Raptors wasn't the team I want to watch the rest of the season. I don't want to see major minutes going to Mike Bibby and Ron Artest while Beno Udrih, John Salmons and Francisco Garcia, not to mention Dahntay Jones, are relegated to either scrambling for crumbs or sitting on the inactive list for the night.

That's NOT fun and it's NOT Kings basketball. At least not my definition of Kings basketball. I've been accused of going over to the "dark side" and, if wanting to see my team go forward and be fun again is the "dark side" I've stayed in the sunlight far too long.

I will forever be grateful to Mike Bibby for all the excitement he's provided over the years but he's not the future of the Kings IMHO. He's being paid quite handsomely regardless of how many minutes he plays. We - the Kings fans - however, don't get that luxury. We have to pay premium prices for tickets to games. I go for the fun and the excitement and the joy of seeing basketball. If I pay nearly $100 for a ticket I want to come away - win or lose - with the feeling I've received my money's worth. I would have been heartily disappointed had the game on Wednesday been one I shelled out money to attend.

It's not about winning or losing as much as it is about the quality of the product. You can see an excellent game that your team loses having tried their best OR you can see a poor game that your team loses with little chemistry and nothing to get the fans out of their seats. I'd opt for the former.

-------------------------------

Okay, that's it. I'm putting my soap box away. The game tonight is against the Detroit Pistons and the one player in the league to whom Kevin Martin is most often compared - Rip Hamilton. I think it could be interesting to see how well they play against each other.

Now, let's get ready for some Kings basketball. I've got my purple slippers on, a fresh pot of French Vanilla coffee is brewing and the garlic clam chowder is simmering on the stove. I've done my part - the rest is up to the team and Coach Reggie.

GO KINGS!!!
 
Just a reminder - We do have chat at mIRC, server irc.bludgeon.org, channel #kingsfans. Hosted by our own Mr. S£im, it's worth checking out!
 
Starting for the Kings: Udrih, Salmons, Garcia, Moore and Miller

Pistons: Billups, Hamilton, Prince, McDyess and Wallace (Rasheed, of course, not Ben)

:p

Coach Theus adopting the "no tie" casual look for tonight's game...
 
Kings get the tip. Good ball movement so far, Garcia splits the defense as he drives inside and draws the foul from McDyess. Garcia to the line.

Makes first; misses second. Pistons with the rebound.

Billups down the court and the game is tied.

2-2
 
Udrih drives inside, ball knocked out of his hands and oob. He might have gotten away with an extra step or two. Still Kings ball.

Salmons to inbound, doesn't see Moore open until he's already passing. Tries to shift his target and the Pistons get the ball.

Oops. Score correction.

2-1 Pistons

Make that

4-1 Pistons.

Billups miss, Pistons rebound.

10;35 left

Billups wide open three doesn't go; Miller rebound.
 
Miller to Salmons, back to Miller who puts the ball on the court and goes inside as Moore screens off Rasheed. Miller to the line on foul by Wallace.

Brad makes first; misses second. RIP rebound.

4-2 Pistons

Billups to Prince, kick out to Hamilton and over to Rasheed in the corner with the highly predictable result.

7-2 Det

9;36 left
 
Kings turnover, but they get it back.

Udrih high off the glass for two.

7-4 Detroit

Pistons ball. McDyess to the line, not sure who was charged with the foul.

Misses first; misses second. Kings go for the rebound but unlucky tip gets it back to Pistons.

RIP for three.

10-4 Detroit

RIP and then 10-4??? I hope that's not an omen of some sort.

Kings for two.

10-6 Det
 
Hamilton miss, McDyess with the rebound, tries to draw foul from Moore, no call. Shoots, block by Garcia. Kings ball.

7;56 left

Salmons in to Garcia, who passes up jumper and kicks out to Miller. Brad drives inside and gets nice shot off the glass.

10-8 Det

Pistons ball. Whistle.

Non-shooting foul. Pistons inbound. Billups drives inside, lay-up rolls around and around and around and finally drops in.

12-8 Det

Salmons kicks out to Miller for a long jumper.

12-10 Det
 
McDyess for two.

6;44 left

14-10 Det

NICE dish insie by Garcia to Miller and two more points for the Kings.

14-12 Det

Kings in the zone defense for the first time. And Prince immediately burns them for a three from the corner.

17-12 Det
 
Udrih smothered by Billups, Beno is called for the offensive foul - using the off-arm.

Time out and commercial.

5;53 left
 
Martin in for Salmons. Pistons ball.

Martin guarding RIP, who has to kick it out to McDyess. Miss; Martin rebound.

Kings ball.

Garcia fallaway jumper doesn't go, Pistons rebound.

5;09 left

Rip shot over Martin doesn't go, Martin with the rebound but it goes oob. Bibby in for Udrih. Still Pistons ball.

Bibby on Billups. Billups to Rip, who gets open and immediately gets the ball and two points.

19-12 Det

Bibby jump fake, kick to Garcia who misses by a mile a three. Pistons ball again.

Rip inside for two off the glass.

21-12 Det

Bibby miss; McDyess rebound.

3;51 left
 
Prince from the corner doesn't go but Pistons able to chase down the loose ball, until Garcia gets it. Pass to Bibby, transition three doesn't go. Pistons ball again.

Grant and Jerry saying Bibby didn't miss a shot during all of the shootaround.

McDyess with two more.

23-12 Det

Boy this is a prime example of a championship caliber team having their way with a ... well ... less talented team.

...sigh...

Time out and commercial. Kings ball after the break.
 
Sorry, had something come up outside I had to deal with...

1;42 left

Maxiell is at the line. Misses, Kings ball.

26-17 Det

Bibby, Martin, Artest, Moore and Miller for the Kings.

Martin with the running one-hander.

Pistons miss; BIbby rebound.

Bibby alley to Moore oop.

26-21 Detroit
 
Prince miss, battle for the rebound but Pistons get the lucky fingertip bounce. Artest battling with Maxiell under the bucket. Pistons for three.

29-21 Detroit

Artest misses a long three, he is really upset about something and yelling at Coach Theus! He almost called a time out on his own and was prevented from doing so by the coaching staff.

Artest inside to Moore for the one-handed dunk.

29-23 Detroit

End of the first quarter.

I do NOT have any idea what got Artest all torqued but I'd bench his arse for the way he just acted. That's bull****.
 
Grant and Jerry making excuses for Ron Artest's behavior, saying it's not always bad for a player to disagree with a coach. They need blah, blah, blah...

Pistons miss, Moore tips the rebound to Bibby. Bibby to Miller and out to Kevin.

MARTIN FOR THREE!!!!!!!!!!!

29-26 Detroit

Kings with 9 assists already...

Pistons ball.

24-second violation after the Kings really lock it down.

Kings ball.

10;57 left

Pistons starters back on the court. Kings "starters" still on the bench.

Bibby pull-up jumper is short - probably because he was fouled hard. Bibby to the line.

Salmons in for Artest.

Bibby at the line.
 
Makes first; and second.

29-28 Detroit

Pistons ball.

Sheed floater for two.

31-28 Detroit

Bibby to Miler, back to Bibby who drives inside and despite a foul gets a basket. No call.

31-30 Detroit

Pistons ball.

Bibby looking pretty darned good, BTW. RIP miss; Miller rebound.

Bibby alley to Martin oop. And Kings have the lead.

32-31 KINGS

Time out and commercial.

Bibby, Martin, Salmons, Moore and Miller on the court right now for the Kings.
 
I feel a rant coming on but I'll try to contain myself to merely saying:

I am completely and totally over Ron Artest as far as excusing his atttitude, etc. Kick him to the curb, throw him off the plane, leave him in Detroit or trade him for last week's garlic fries. I don't care, just do something... sooner rather than later.

Okay, rant over ... at least for now.

:)
 
Hayes miss; Martin rebound.

9;25 left

Salmons bounce pass inside to Moore, who kicks out to Mike in the corner.

BIBBY FOR THREE!~!!!

35-31 KINGS

Pistons miss; Salmons rebound. Bibby miss; Pistons rebound.

Maxiell miss, Miller rebound.

Now this team at least doesn't make me want to kick a tree. Bibby to Martin, who fakes and drives inside, drawing the foul and heading to the line.

Hawes in for Moore.
 
Martin makes first; and second.

37-31 KINGS

8;17 left

Detroit ball. Miss on good defense; Miller rebound. Grant and Jerry talking about Martin';s potential to be player of the week.

Hawes miss; Pistons rebound. Pistons miss but Maxiell with second-chance bucket and the +1 on foul by Hawes.

Bibby out, Udrih in. Miller out, Artest back in - to the usual boos which is how I knew he was back in.

Bonus miss.

37-33 Detroit

Martin heading back to the line.
 
Makes first; and second.

39-33 Detroit

7;26 left

Udrih, Martin, Salmons, Artest and Hawes on the court.

Hamilton to the line on foul by Artest. Artest took a pretty tough hit to his ribs by Hamilton's knee.

Hamilton makes both.

39-35 KINGS

Udrih all the way, reverse off the glass doesn't go but Udrih heads to the line after being hit by Stuckey. 2PF.

Beno at the line.
 
Beno makes first; Billups back in for Stuckey. Pistons in the penalty. Beno makes second.

41-35 KINGS

Hawes, BTW, looks funny with his buzzcut... :p

Pistons ball.

Long three doesn't go; Salmons box out on Hamilton for the rebound.

Hawes running floater off the glass for two.

43-35 KINGS

Pistons ball.

Time out and commercial.

6;26 left
 
Jerry says Flip Saunders asked him before the game if "that Martin kid is for real." ...

Well, no, Flip. He's not. He's actually a cyborg.

:p
 
Gavin and Joe in attendance, both looking relaxed and composed. Of course, leading the Pistons can do that...

Pistons inbound. Good D by the Kings force a turnover as Martin chases it down. Kings bal, knocked oob... ah crap. Martin grabbing his left hand as he apparently jammed a finger during the give and go to Hawes that was knocked oob. Still Kings ball.

Artest jumper from the side is short; Billups rebound.

5;43 left

Hey, Artest? Knock off the jumpers, okay? Thanks...

Pistons miss; Udrih rebound. Artest drives inside, kicks out to Kevin.

MARTIN FOR THREE!!!

46-35 KINGS

Whoooooooooooo!!!

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Pistons miss, Kings ball.Martin for two more and he signals to the bench to come out of the game. Rip for two.

48-37 KINGS

Just shoot me now...

TIme out ... Kevin to the bench to have his finger examined.
 
Garcia in for Martin. Billups miss; McDyess turnaround miss. Kings ball. Artest inside, ball oob off Pistons but Artst oob. Pistons ball.

McDyess for two.

48-39 Detroit

Artest three is off; Udrih rebound. Oh crap. Kick back to ARtest who misses another quck three. Pistons ball.

Prince drives inside, draws the dumb foul from Garcia, scores anyway and heads for the line for the +1.

3;28 left

Bonus good.

48-42 KINGS

No word yet on Kevin...
 
Kings ball. Salmons inside, kicks out to Artest for long two. I freaking HATE those damn jumper players.

50-42 KINGS

Pistons ball. Sheed to the line on foul by ????

2;53 left

Time out and commercial.
 
Latest word on Kevin is he's in the locker room for an x-ray of his middle finger of the left hand. DAMN IT!!!!!!

Sheed at the line.

Misses both and Moore snags the rebound.

50-42 KINGS

2;45 left

bibby, Garcia, Moore, Miller and Atest for the Kings

Garcia need feed inside to Moore for the dunk.

52-42 KINGS

Rip for two as though Garcia isn't even there.

52-44 KINGS
 
Artest inside, kicks to Moore. Miss. Pistons rebound.

1;44 left

McDyess able to put Artest on the floor with a screen, ball in to McDyess for two.

52-46 KINGS

Kings ball. Artest taking over, kicks to Bibby in the corner who hits the long two.

54-46 KINGS

Wallace miss; Bibby rebound.

GO KINGS!!!!

Bibby miss, Pistons rebound. Moore fouls Billups.

Chauncey to the line.
 
Billups makes both.

54-48 KINGS

48 seconds left

Ball knocked out of Bibby's hands and oob. Pistons ball.

Pistons return the favor when Rip passes it oob. Kings ball.

34 seconds left.
 
Bibby wide open jumper for two.

56-48 KINGS

Garcia with the steal attempt once and gets it the second time. Kings ball. Kick to Miller outside the arc. Shot at the buzzer doesn't go.

End of the first half.

Kings shooting 55%...

Keep your fingers crossed that Kevin Martin is okay...
 
First half impressions (besides the obvious "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH" when Martin got hurt and left the game):

• Props to Reggie and the coaching staff for making the adjustments to get this team looking like a team again.

• Props to Reggie for not killing Ron Artest in the middle of the game despite being yelled at and pretty much disrespected by his mercurial. The old Reggie Theus would not have maintained his cool.

• Props again to Brad Miller. The guy is showing skills, heart and hustle every single game.
 
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