Kings-Suns PBP for Dec. 30

[VF21]

Greetings, fellow Kings fans!

Well, it's the end of 2007 and the last PBP of the year. I don't have a lot of illusions about tonight's game especially with the report from Artest that he's not going to play tonight...

I want to see energy and excitement, heart and hustle. I want to see Justin Williams. I want to see Francisco Garcia yanked by his ear off the court if his Bad Cisco/Good Cisco ratio exceeds 3:1. I want to see passing and TEAM play. I want to see focus. All these are possible, even with most of our starters in street clothes. It's all a matter of taking a bit of pride in your performance in front of the fans who have paid good money to come out and root for you.

No snow today but plenty of white stuff still on the ground. Luckily the temperatures warmed just a bit so the roads didn't turn into pure ice over night.

I've got my wood stove going and my coffee pot is working overtime. I'm having garlic clam chowder and I've got a little bit of brandy left over from Christmas to make sure I stay toasty and warm for the game.

I'll be back with the starting lineups right before game time.

GO KINGS!!!

 

[6th]

I've got a little bit of brandy left over from Christmas to make sure I stay toasty and warm for the game.

I'll be back with the starting lineups right before game time.

GO KINGS!!!

Hey, so do I. Time to get some egg nog and Brandy out for the game.

 

[VF21]

Okay, almost ready for the game.

Lineup for the Kings will be:

Udrih, Salmons, Garcia, Moore and Miller

Suns lineup:

Nash, Bell, Hill, Marion, Amare

Tip to the Suns.

 

[VF21]

Marion miss but Hill with the rebound. Amare inside for two.

2-0 Suns

First possession - Udrih quick pass outside to Cisco whose three misses badly. Suns ball.

Garcia gets down the court and blocks a shot, but Bell gets it back. Miss; Kings rebound.

Miller with a miss; Suns rebound.

Amare for two more.

4-0 Suns

 

[VF21]

Back to Garcia in the corner, good for long two.

4-2 Suns

Suns with two more after Miller called for goal-tending.

6-2 Suns

Miller alley to Salmons oop for two.

6-4 Suns

9;58 left

Bell three doesn't go; Amare tips the rebound right to Garcia. Kings ball.

Kings turnover; Moore called for loose ball foul as he trips over Hill. Suns ball.

Bell to Amare for two more.

8-4 Suns

 

[VF21]

Kings ball. Non-shooting foul on HIll. Still Kings ball. Inside to Salmons again for two more.

8-6 Suns

Suns miss; Amare called for loose ball foul as he and Miller go for the rebound. Kings ball.

Miller inside to Moore, who is fouled by Amare and heads to the line.

8;41 left

Moore makes first; and second.

8-8

Suns ball.

 

[VF21]

Hill miss but Amare gets the second chance bucket.

10-8 Suns

8;08 left

Salmons to Miller to cutting Udrih, who drives inside and misses but Moore right there for the putback.

10-10

Amare for two at the other end.

12-10 Suns

Salmons to Miller to Moore, who shoots. He misses and Garcia goes for the board. He's fouled by Marion. Non-shooting. Kings to inbound. 2PF on Marion, who goes to the bench and Diaw comes into the game.

Miller to cutting Salmons who gets two more off the glass.

12-12

 

[VF21]

Nash inside to Amare for two and +1 on foul by Beno.

Bonus miss.

14-12 Suns

MILLER FOR THREE!!!!!!!!!!

15-14 KINGS

Nash for three at the other end.

17-15 Suns

beno three short; Nash with the board.

Nash miss; Moore knocks the rebound forward. Udrih gets it and passing to Salmons for two more.

17-17

Hill for two.

19-17 Suns

5;20 left

 

[VF21]

Miller open behind the line but passes up shot and drives inside. Tries to pass out to Beno but ball goes oob.

Time out and commercial.

Suns ball after the break.

 

[VF21]

5;12 left

Barbosa from the corner for three.

22-17 Suns

Barbosa grabs Garcia's arm RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE OFFICIAL, holds him from shifting and then tries to protest when he's called for the foul.

LOL!!!

Cisco to the line.

Makes first; and second.

22-19 Suns

Amare miss; Salmons board.

Udrih shot blocked by Amare, Suns rebound.

 

[VF21]

Diaw for two.

24-19 Suns

Miller from the baseline for two.

24-21 Suns

Barbosa drives inside for two.

26-21 Suns

3;45 left

Brad to Garcia, back to Miller and then back to Garcia, who drives inside and is tripped, sending him to the line. KT in for Miller; Skinner in for the Suns.

Garcia back at the line. Makes first; Lots of whining going on by the Suns over pretty obvious calls... Makes second.

26-23 Suns

 

[VF21]

Illegal defense called on the Kings. Nash to the line.

3;26 left

bonus good.

27-23 Suns

suns ball.

Nash bounce pass intended for Marion is oob off Salmon's leg. (Nash' fault, not Salmons.) Still Suns ball.

Skinner trying to go off the dribble against Salmons. Draws the foul, non-shooting. Still Suns ball.

Marion miss; Moore sails in for the high rebound.

Kings ball.

3;00 left

Salmons misses from outside; ball goes off the clock and oob.

2;56 left

Time out and commercial.

 

[VF21]

Suns ball.

Douby in for Udrih.

Barbosa three doesn't go; KT going for the rebound, Suns knock it oob. Kings ball.

Marion knocks Garcia to the floor but no call. Moore miss, loose ball foul on Skinner, sending KT to the line.

2;10 left

KT misses first; and second. His FT shot still has that odd counterspin to it.

Suns ball.

Offensive foul on Barbosa. Kings ball.

 

[VF21]

Garcia is leveled by Grant Hill, and completely run over. 2PF on Hill.

Garcia back at the line.

1;32 left

Grant saying they don't know about Artest's elbow yet; they'll need more tests to determine whether or not he'll actually need surgery.

Garcia one of two.

27-24 Suns

Hill from the side for two.

29-24 Suns

Kings miss; HIll rebound. Running floater doesn't go; Salmons rebound.

Kings with two.

29-26 Suns

 

[VF21]

That last bucket was courtesy of John Salmons, who has 10 points.

Suns ball. Garcia called for non-shooting foul.

Suns miss; KT rebound.

Jones in for Salmons.

Kings miss but Garcia is there and will not be denied the putback bucket.

29-28 Suns

Time winding down. Suns ball.

Barbosa long three at the buzzer is good.

32-28 Suns

 

[VF21]

Kings ball to start the second quarter.

Garcia bumped by Skinner, no call, goes inside and the pullup jumper is good.

32-30 Suns

Barbosa rainbow from the side is good.

34-30 Suns

11;06 left

Garcia inside, tries to get the reverse teardrop but he's actually too close. He and Marion go for the rebound - jump ball. Garcia is really taking a beating so far... Jones out, udrih back in.

Suns ball.

Hill drives inside, foul called on Udrih. Hill to the line.

 

[VF21]

Hill makes first; as an aside, it's nice to see Grant Hill finally having a full season - at least so far; makes second.

36-30 Suns

Garcia to Miller, back to Garcia -

GARCIA FOR THREE!!!!!!!!!!

36-33 Suns

10;18 left

Barbosa responds with three.

39-33 Suns

10;08 left

20 second timeout by the Kings.

 

[VF21]

Kings to inbound. Garcia to Udrih, who cuts inside, dishes out to Miller, who goes inside, and misses. KT keeps the ball alive, Miller called for loose ball foul. Suns ball.

9;55 left

Suns with two more on tip-in by somebody.

41-33 Suns

Udrih miss; Suns rebound.

Barbosa drives inside, Miller called for the foul.

JUSTIN WILLIAMS SIGHTING!!! He's in for KT.

Whooooooo! Come on, Justin. Don't screw up!!!

 

[VF21]

Barbosa at the line. Makes first; and second.

43-33 Suns

9;19 left

Salmons jumper in, rings around and pops back out; Suns rebound. Good transition D by the Kings...

Suns lose the ball and Salmons finds it. Salmons and Douby on the run, Douby for two.

43-35 Suns

Marion miss; Justin rebound.

Udrih NICE pass to driving MIller for two.

43-37 Suns

 

[VF21]

Suns miss; Salmons rebound. Salmons inside, pass intercepted.

Suns ball, Miller with the steal.

Kings ball.

Miller bounce-pass to Quincy, who is set behind the line but the shot doesn't fall.

Suns ball. Foul called on Salmons.

Time out and commercial.

7;27 left

 

[VF21]

Okay, I need a kleenex. The question of the day was what NBA team was the last to lead in scoring that didn't have Steve Nash on it?

The answer? The 2000-2001 Sacramento Kings

And, to really make it bittersweet, they showed clips of Jason, Doug, Peja, Chris and Vlade.



45-37 Suns

Grant talking about going right to Beno and clarifying how his name is pronounced. It's pronounced Bay-no...

Udrih with two more.

45-39 Suns

Suns ball.

 

[VF21]

Suns miss; Amare rebound. Marion for three.

48-39 Suns

6;06 left

Beno to Moore, over to Salmons who drives the lane, takes the shot and it's blocked. Raja Bell knocked to the floor. He gets up and gingerly goes to the sidelines, grabbing his lower left side/upper hip area.

Time out and commercial.

 

[VF21]

Salmons to the line. Makes both.

48-41 Suns

5;40 left

amare inside, well defended by Moore. Ball oob off Suns.

Kings ball.

Salmons teardrop doesn't go; Mikki second chance good. Nice job, Mikki!!!

48-43 Suns

Barbosa inside for two and +1.

bonus misses; Salmons rebound.

50-43 Suns

Kings ball. Oob off Skinner; Kings to inbound.

 

[VF21]

5;08 left

Garcia inbounds, over to Miller, back to Garcia, to Miller in the corner - three won't go. Moore saves it, kicks out to Miller, who takes the same shot and it doesn't go. Moore hustling with Amare, who gets the loose ball but is called for double-dribble. Ball right back to the Kings.

Moore showing a LOT of hustle.

Kings ball.

4;40 left

Miller jumper won't go; Suns rebound. Nash forward pass to Amare for two.

52-43 Suns

Miller bad pass to Mikki, but Moore saves it and gets the hook for two more.

52-45 Suns

 

[VF21]

Nash miss; Amare with the rebound. Amare to the line. Not sure who foul was on - might have been Udrih, who goes to the bench for Douby.

Amare makes both.

54-45 Suns

3;41 left

Salmons drives inside, shot doesn't go but Miller gets the rebound to Mikki who gets two more.

54-47 Suns

Suns miss; Kings ball. Steal by Nash, dish inside to Amare who heads to the line on a bad call. Amare misses first; makes second.

55-47 Suns

3;02 left

 

[VF21]

Miller tip-in for two.

55-49 Suns

Nash for two.

57-49 Suns

Kings ball.

Douby, Garcia, Salmons, Moore and Miller for the Kings.

SWEET dish by Miller to flying Moore for a tough two.

57-51 Suns

Amare to Nash, who drives inside and is fouled by at least three Kings. He is NOT gonna stroll the paint without getting mugged.

Time out and commercial.

Nash to the line after the break. NO idea who they'll charge with the foul. It was truly a team effort.

 

[VF21]

Nash makes first; and second.

59-51 Suns

2;07 left

Douby inside, floater goes nowhere near the basket. Suns ball.

Nash bounces the ball oob off Miller's leg. Pretty tricky way to reset your offense. SUns inbound.

Nash three doesn't go; Miller rebound.

1;30 left

 

[VF21]

Kings ball. Jones inside, draws foul from Bell. KT in for Moore.

Jones to the line.

Makes first; and second.

59-53 Suns

Suns ball. Amare showtime dunkage.

61-53 Suns

douby miss; Amare rebound.

Barbosa miss; Moore tips rebound to Jones.

Jones off-balance jumper for two.

61-55 Suns

 

[VF21]

Suns ball.

Barbosa from the corner at the 23rd second.

64-55 Suns

Salmons three at the buzzer doesn't go.

End of the first half.

 

[VF21]

ACK! Sorry, got caught up in my garlic chowder.



70-62 Suns

9;50 left

Suns ball. Hill miss; Suns rebound. Marion for three.

73-62 Suns