Kings-Rockets PBP for Dec. 19

[VF21]

Sorry I'm late. Shoveling snow can cause you to lose track of time...

7-2 KINGS

Udrih, Garcia, Salmons, Hawes and Miller for the Kings

Brooks, McGrady, Scola, Ming and Battier for the Rockets

9;27 left

Yao gets the ball deep, gets the bucket and draws the foul.

Bonus good.

7-5 KINGS

 

[VF21]

Non-shooting foul on Scola. Kings inbound. Udrih nice dish to Garcia for two.

9-5 KINGS

Ming with the dunk.

9-7 KINGS

Salmons miss; Rockets ball.

Ming inside, kick out to Scola at the stripe for two more and a tie.

9-9

8;14 left

Salmons to Hawes, fake to Udrih and Hawes spins and gets two off the glass.

11-9 KINGS

 

[VF21]

Hawes called for foul on McGrady, who limps badly, shakes it off and heads to the line.

Makes first; and second.

11-11

7;48 left

Garcia with the ball, over to Salmons, back to Cisco. Out to Hawes at top of the key - jumper good.

13-11 KINGS

McGrady not limping badly as he gets inside for teardrop off the glass.

13-13

6;56 left

Kings ball. Three second violation on Rockets. Garcia makes the freebie.

14-13 KINGS

 

[VF21]

Kings inbound.

Miller inside, totally smothered by Ming, tries to force it and loses the ball. Rockets find it.

Scola drive inside is disrupted by Hawes, who gets the rebound. Udrih circus shot does everything but fall. Rockets have it back.

McGrady to Scola for two.

15-14 Rockets

Miller from the perimeter for two.

16-15 KINGS

5;52 left

 

[VF21]

McGrady nice stroll inside for two.

17-16 Rockets

Udrih to Miller, back to Udrih, back to Miller, who drives inside and draws the foul.

5;24 left

Time out and commercial break. Miller to the line when they come back.

 

[VF21]

Brad at the line. Makes first; and second.

18-17 KINGS

McGrady miss, Hawes rebound and quick outlet. To Udrih, then Salmons for long two.

20-17 KINGS

4;48 left

Battier responds for three.

20-20

Udrih to Hawes, bounce back to Udrih and dish to Miller, who is fouled by Battier and heading back to the line. Udrih's passes (knock on wood) are really looking focused and good tonight...

Brad at the line.

 

[VF21]

Miller misses first; makes second.

21-20 KINGS

Rockets pass the ball around for at least 12 seconds, Ming in the paint the entire time, no call. Dish inside to Yao for the bucket.

22-21 Rockets

Kings respond with two more.

23-22 KINGS

Rockets answer back.

24-23 Rockets

 

[VF21]

Hawes hook looks good, rolls around and drops off. Rockets ball. Shot blocked by Miller but Rockets chase it down. Scola for two.

26-23 Rockets

Artest at the bench waiting to come in.

Salmons for two more right over Shane Battier.

26-25 Rockets

Rockets ball.

Time out and commercial break.

2;33 left

 

[VF21]

Artest in for Rockets, greets Garcia. Landry also in...

Rockets ball. Brooks for three.

29-25 Rockets

Salmons gets past three defenders, gets the bucket off the glass.

29-27 Rockets

1;56 left

Artest miss, rebound hits the shot clock. Kings will inbound...

Moore in for Hawes. Kings ball, Miller tries bounce pass to Garcia, but Cisco can't handle it and it goes oob. Rockets ball.

Scola drives inside, fouled by Moore. Scola to the line.

1;25 left

Misses first badly off lower front of rim; Jackson coming in for Garcia.

 

[VF21]

Makes second.

30-27 Rockets

Whoa. Artest is supposed to be guarding Salmons, but he's not looking very good at all. Miller miss; Rockets ball.

Rockets miss; Jackson rebound. Jackson inside, miss. Moore keeps it alive and MIller grabs it and gets the hoop.

30-29 Rockets

Rockets miss; Kings ball.

Jackson to the line on foul by Brooks.

27.0 seconds

Jackson makes first; Jason Thompson in for Miller. Jackson makes second.

31-30 KINGS

 

[VF21]

Brooks killing the clock, drives inside and tries for the shot. Moore blocks it away and it goes oob off Rockets.

Kings inbound.

Jackson long three doesn't go but Salmons is right there and gets the putback at the buzzer.

33-30 KINGS

End of the first quarter.

 

[VF21]

Pretty decent first quarter for the Kings.

Brooks, Head, Landry, Artest and Hayers for the Rockets

Brown, Jackson, Moore, Thompson and Salmons for the Kings

Landry gets bucket on nothing but sheer determination.

33-32 KINGS

Salmons gets inside off the dribble, gets the bucket off the glass and draws the +1 from Luther Head.

Bonus, however, eludes him...

35-32 KINGS

11;11 left

Artest for three.

35-35

 

[VF21]

Moore to Salmons, over to Brown and back to Salmons.

SALMONS FOR THREE right over Artest's head.

38-35 KINGS

10;31 left

Artest jumper from the foul line for two.

38-37 KINGS

Looks like it's gonna be the Ron Artest offense for the Rockets.

Salmons miss; Rockets rebound. Artest miss, Rockets lose the rebound and Kings pick it up.

Thompson driving the lane, gets up in the air, collides with Hayes and they both crash to the floor. Slow getting up, Jason limps back up the court...

Rockets ball. Brooks shot misses, rebound knocked oob off Kings. Rockets will inbound. Thompson looking a little better.

Landry miss; Thompson rebound.

 

[VF21]

BROWN FOR THREE!!!

41-37 KINGS

Artest running the Houston offense... over to Brooks, then to Landry, who tries the shot only to have it blocked by Thompson. Jackson picks up the ball, runs all the way and gets the bucket.

43-37 KINGS

8;43 left

Time out and commercial break.

Rockets will inbound...

 

[VF21]

Rockets inbound, ball oob off Kings and Houston will try again. Yep. It's the Ron Artest show, boys and girls. He tries the three, it doesn't even come close, but Landry gets the ball and will head to the line on foul by Jason Thompson. 2PF.

Landry misses first; makes second.

43-38 KINGS

Brown, Jackson, Garcia, Moore and Thompson for the Kings

Apparently, Hawes and Miller will rest as long as Ming rests...

Thompson for two after he gets past Hayes.

Rockets turnover; Kings with the ball on the run. Thompson out to Brown and over to Bobby J.

JACKSON FOR THREE!

48-38 KINGS

Garcia challenging ARtest and really getting into his face...



Blocking foul on Brown.

 

[VF21]

Ming back in. He easily gets a hook over Moore for two.

48-40 KINGS

Garcia pass knocked away, Rockets with the ball. Luther Head miss, loose ball foul called on Houston and Rick Adelman up off the bench and protesting, well as much as Adelman ever vocally protests.

Kings ball.

6;34 left

Jason Thompson with the ball, foul called on Chuck Hayes. Non-shooting. Kings will inbound.

Thompson airball; Rockets ball. Brown with the knockaway. Brown to Garcia, who almost loses it twice, kicks out to Brown, miss. Rockets rebound.

Rockets just as sloppy in their possesion and Kings have it back.

JACKSON FOR THREE!!!

51-40 KINGS

Rockets call time out and they head to commercial break.

 

[VF21]

Rockets inbound. They get it to Ming inside, who is foueld and heading to the line.

5;24 left

Makes first; Moore out, Miller back in. Makes second.

51-42 KINGS

Brown to Garcia, who is running all over like a headless chicken - in a good way. Jackson miss; Rockets rebound.

Rockets to Ming inside, Thompson guarding him. Jason pulls the chair out from under Yao and he falls to the floor. Kings ball. Garcia inside, he's called for an offensive foul but not sure who was set.

Rockets inbound.

Ming inside, miss and rebound knocked away by Thompson. Garcia with the ball, over to Salmons, who loses the ball and Rockets find it.

Battier cleanup for two.

51-44 KINGS

 

[VF21]

Brown pass intended for Garcia but never got there. Brooks over Miller for two.

51-46 KINGS

3;20 left

Time out and commercial break. Kings ball when they return.

 

[VF21]

Grant just said they're going to show a Chris Webber tribute at the half. I don't mean to burst their bubble, but if it isn't the tribute done by our very own Ryan, it's just not the best one out there!!!

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

Kings with another missed possession; McGrady for two.

51-48 KINGS

Udrih dish to Hawes for two.

53-48 KINGS

Rockets miss; Kings ball. Udrih pass to Salmons, he's fouled - grabbed on BOTH wrists - and there's no freaking call. Salmons protests and he's T'd up very quickly. The replay shows there should easily have been the obvious call.

Bonus for the technical is good.

53-49 KINGS

 

[VF21]

McGrady gets two.

53-51 KINGS

Hawes miss; Rockets rebound.

1;48 left

Battier miss; rebound oob off Miller.

McGrady inside for the dunk, but he misses it. He's fouled, though, by Garcia and heads to the line.

Misses first off front of rim; makes second.

53-52 KINGS

1;27 left

As fluid as the Kings looked earlier, they're looking stilted and forced right now. Another Kings miss; Rockets rebound.

 

[VF21]

Scola fouled by Udrih and heading to the line.

1;06 left

Misses first; makes second.

53-53

DO SOMETHING GOOD, KINGS!!!

Udrih miss from right around the stripe; Ming rebound.

Scola for two.

55-53 Rockets

36 seconds left

Kings with only 1 bucket in the past five minutes, according to Grant.

Hawes with the ball, draws the double team, sees Miller cutting to the line and gets him the ball. McGrady fouls Miller to prevent the bucket.

 

[VF21]

Miller makes first; and gets a lucky bounce for the second.

55-55

18 seconds left

Rockets ball. Battier airball from the corner. Garcia with the ball. He misses at the buzzer...and comes up grimacing and limping off the court. Grant says he hopes Garcia didn't reinjure his calf...



So to summarize, we have Jason Thompson who landed flat on his back on the court and will definitely be hurting and then we have Cisco, who might have reinjured his leg...

Yep, it's Kings basketball.

 

[VF21]

Excuse me now...

I need a tissue while I watch the tribute narrated by Gary Gerould. Damn... just damn. Chris Webber, you took my breath away and made me remember exactly why I love the game of basketball.

Those were the days, my fellow Kings fans. And we're lucky to have been a part of it.

Damn...

 

[VF21]

"Thanks for the memories, C-Webb. They'll certainly last forever." - Gary Gerould

"I loved my time here. I'm gonna miss everybody. It was a wonderful ride." - Chris Webber

...

Sometimes there just aren't any words, even for someone with over 58,000 posts. This is one of those times...

 

[VF21]

Grant reporting that he asked Cisco if he was okay and Garcia shook his head and said, "No, not really."

They had his leg wrapped in ice during half-time, and just showed Pete Youngman massaging the calf muscle. There was no expression on Garcia's face, which is in and of itself unusual...

Grant asks Jason Hamm about Cisco, and Jason says, "He's fine." Whew.



GO KINGS!!!

 

[VF21]

John Salmons, BTW, leads all scorers with 18, followed by Yao with 16...

Rockets ball to start the 3rd. Nice defense by the Kings. Scola tries to fake Hawes, who doesn't bite, and Scola misses. Kings rebound.

Salmons fallaway for two more.

57-55 KINGS

Ming turnaround over Miller in and out. Kings rebound.

Miller to Garcia for the midrange jumper.

59-55 KINGS

Cisco, BTW, looked just fine.

 

[VF21]

Battier for three.

59-58 KINGS

Garcia in the air, tries to pass and Rockets get it. Hawes with the rebound, runs the court, over to Salmons and then to Garcia for two more.

61-58 KINGS

Grant says Garcia not running well. As long as he can still shoot, however, no problem.



Battier miss; Miller rebound. Miller starts to bring it up court, thinks better of it. Over to Garcia, inside to Hawes - shot blocked by Ming. Rockets ball.

Quick break and two for Houston.

61-60 KINGS

Udrih pass goes oob. 1st turnover for Beno this game. Rockets inbound.

 

[VF21]

McGrady around Salmons for two.

62-61 Rockets

Udrih to Garcia, out to Hawes, and over to Salmons, back to Udrih. Illegal screen set by Hawes and Rockets have the ball back. 2PF on Hawes.

8;24 left

McGrady to the line on over-the-back foul by Salmons trying to block the shot.

Makes first; and second.

64-61 Rockets

Kings ball. Udrih to Garcia, to Miller, to Salmons. Over to Garcia, finally kick to Hawes in the corner ... miss. Rockets rebound.

Brooks for three.

67-61 Rockets

 

[VF21]

the crowd starts to get into it and Kenny Natt calls a time out.

7;34 left

Kings will inbound after the commercial break. I like that Natt called the time out to break the rhythm the Rockets were getting into... I think coaches sometimes hoard their timeouts too greedily and don't use them to change the pace of the game.

 

[VF21]

Hawes miss, Miller literally takes the rebound away from Yao. Brad is fouled after making the bucket and heads to the line.

Bonus good.

67-64 Rockets

Rockets ball. Non-shooting foul and Rockets inbound again. McGrady miss after Salmons knocks it away, Scola miss and Rockets called for 24-second violation.

Kings ball.

6;49 left

Udrih to Salmons, who cuts around three defenders, dishes to Hawes deep inside, who doesn't have room to get up in the air and loses the ball. Rockets ball. Turnover; Miller rebound.

Garcia for two.

67-66 Rockets