Kings-Suns PBP thread for March 15

[VF21]

Greetings, fellow Kings fans!

This game will not be a walk in the park. Phoenix is tough and they're not going to look past the Kings. Our team will have to step it up and keep focus and intensity every single minute of the 48 minutes in the game.

Purple slippers are on hand.

French Vanilla coffee is on hand.

I have a left-over toilet paper roll holder Shaq voodoo doll from back in the day. I may update the # and put it to use.

Let's watch for heart and hustle, energy and excitement.

GO KINGS!!!

 

[VF21]

Kings lineup: Udrih, Martin, Artest, Moore and Miller
Suns: Nash, Bell, Hill, Amare and Shaq

 

[VF21]

Ready for the tip...to the Kings.

Udrih alley intended for Martin but no oop. Suns ball.

Amare for two.

2-0 Suns

Moore jumper miss; Udrih rebound and short jumper for two.

2-2

11;16 left

Hill miss; Martin rebound.

Miss, Moore rebound over to Udrih, miss but Martin flies in for the tip-in.

4-2 KINGS

Shaq inside for two and the +1 on "foul" by Miller who apparently doesn't have a right to be standing in the way of O'Neal. Stupid freaking call...and they'll make it all night.

Bonus good.

5-4 Suns

 

[VF21]

Moore miss on an attempted second chance; Suns rebound.

Amare inside, draws the foul from Artest.

Amare at the line.

10;00 left

Makes first; misses second. Artest rebound.

6-4 Suns
Martin miss; Nash rebound.

Nash to Bell, who is fouled.

9;42 left

Bell misses first; and second. Miller rebound.

Kings ball.

 

[VF21]

Martin to Moore, back to Martin.

MARTIN FOR THREE!

7-6 KINGS

9;16 left

NaSh for two.

8-7 Suns

Udrih stumbles, loses the ball in traffic, Suns find it.

Bell misses first but gets putback.

10-7 Suns

8;37 left

Non-shooting foul on Amare. Kings to inbound.

 

[VF21]

Udrih inside, fouled on Shaq. Shot rolls around but won't fall. Udrih to the line.

Makes first; and second.

10-9 Suns

Amare miss off the glass but Shaq is there and has the dunk for two.

12-9 Suns

Udrih inside for two.

12-11 Suns

Reggie called for the technical who has been very upset with the officiating.

Nash to the line. Freebie good.

13-11 Suns

 

[VF21]

Suns ball.

7;59 left

Amare off the glass gets a lucky roll for two.

15-11 Suns

Udrih inside, draws another foul and heads back to the line. Foul on Amare. 2PF.

Udrih misses first; makes second.

15-12 Suns

Amare out, Diaw in.

Hill inside, misses first but gets second chance.

17-12 Suns

Artest three doesn't go; Suns rebound.

 

[VF21]

Nash three doesn't go; Shaq able to save the rebound over three Kings. Miss; Kings ball.

Udrih miss; Suns rebound.

6;37 left

Nash for three.

20-12 Suns

Udrih to MIller, pass to Martin but Shaq blocking his way; kicks to Udrih, who gets it back to Martin. Martin steps away from Nash and gets two on the fallaway jumper.

20-14 Suns

Time out and commercial.

5;56 left

 

[VF21]

Suns inbound.

Bell inside to Skinner for the dunk.

22-14 Suns

Artest inside, fouled by Bell. Artest to the line.

Makes first; and second.

22-16 Suns

5;27 left

GOOD Kings defense causes 24-second violation by the Suns.

Kings ball.

Martin to Miller on the give and go, Martin fouled by Barbosa and heading to the line. Hawes in for Miller. Giracek in for Bell.

 

[VF21]

Martin makes first; and second.

22-18 Suns

4;44 left

Nash for two off the Diaw screen.

24-18 Suns

Udrih miss; Moore rebound and a miss; another Moore rebound and the dunk.

24-20 Suns

Skinner running hook for two.

26-20 Suns

4;03 left

Martin to the line on foul by Skinner, I think.

 

[VF21]

Misses first as it goes in, rolls around and pops back out; makes second.

26-21 Suns

4;00 left

Nash alley to Diaw oop.

28-21 Suns

Artest muscles in for two.

28-23 Suns

3;27 left

Suns ball. NOn-shooting foul on Udrih. 4th team foul. Suns inbound.

 

[VF21]

Skinner miss; Martin rebound.

3;05 left

Artest over Giracek for two.

28-25 Suns

Suns miss but get the putback on rebound by SKinner.

30-25 Suns

Kings ball. Hawes NICE pass inside to Moore, who is fouled by Skinner.

Moore to the line for two after the time out and commercial.

2;37 left

 

[VF21]

Moore makes first; misses second. Suns rebound.

2;28 left

Hawes covering Shaq; Shaq pass stolen by Artest. BAD pass by Artest, intended for Hawes but stolen.

Suns on the run; Giracek called for offensive foul as Moore was able to get ahead of him and get position.

Kings ball. Offensive foul called on Spencer Hawes.

Suns get it back.

1;51 left

 

[VF21]

Garcia and Salmons in for Moore and Udrih.

Artest with the deflection, gets the ball and he's called for a double dribble?!?!?!?!? Hrm. Didn't see that one coming.

Suns ball and two points.

32-26 Suns

Artest out to Salmons, three misses. Barbosa rebound. Ball to Shaq, who's building up steam and heading for the paint. Good for two and the +1 on foul by Hawes.

Bonus isn't good BUT lane violation called on Hawes. Shaq tries again, makes the free throw BUT this time the Suns are called for the lane violation because of how weirdly Shaq shoots the free throw. FT doesn't count; Kings have the ball.

34-26 Suns

Martin to the line.

Makes first; and second.

34-28 Suns

50 seconds left

 

[VF21]

Giracek miss; Artest rebound.

ARTEST FOR THREE!

34-31 Suns

28 seconds left

Giracek for three.

37-31 Suns

12 seconds left

Kings holding for final shot of quarter.

Martin top of the key, kicks over to the well-planted Cisco.

GARCIA FOR THREE!!!!

37-34 Suns

End of the first quarter.

We've got a good one going, fellow Kings fans.

 

[VF21]

Suns turnover; Kings ball. Salmons miss; rebound oob. Suns ball.

Douby in for Martin, with Garcia, Salmons, MIller and Moore. They showed Artest walking into the locker room.

Giracek for two.

39-34 Suns

11;01 left

Miller to Moore, back to Miller on give and go and inside to Moore for the dunk.

39-36 Suns

Shaq inside, fouled by Miller. Big Cactus to the line.

10;34 left

Makes first on another weird FT shot I've never seen before; makes second.

41-36 Suns

Garica to Salmons, cross court to Douby who goes inside and is hit hard as he dishes to Moore for two.

41-38 Suns

 

[VF21]

Hill miss; Moore rebound.

Douby flies in for two off the glass.

41-40 Suns

9;46 left

Amare inside for two and the +1 on foul by Moore. 2PF for Mikki.

Bonus good.

44-40 Suns

Diaw back in for Shaq.

Salmons turnover; Nash gets it.

Giracek for two.

46-40 Suns

 

[VF21]

Lots of ball movement but no cohesive plan; 24-second violation on the Kings.

Time out and commecial.

Suns ball after the break.

 

[VF21]

Suns inbound.

8;33 left

Amare dunk.

48-40 Suns

Miller off the glass for two.

48-42 Suns

Udrih, Martin, Garcia, Artest, Miller for the Kings

Amare to Diaw for two.

50-42 Suns

Miller to Artest inside, tries to force foul call off Amare, doesn't work. Suns rebound.

Giracek for three.

53-42 Suns

 

[VF21]

Artest inside, miss. Diaw rebound.

Barbosa for two.

55-42 Suns

6;45 left

Time out and commercial. Kings ball after the break.

 

[VF21]

Garcia inbounds to Miller, Udrih is behind Giracek and is hit across the bridge of the nose by Giracek. Totally inadvertent. Beno on the floor, slow getting up... Nash talks to him for a moment and play resumes. Udrih still in the game.

Udrih inside, a bit of a force, miss. Amare rebound.

Amare inside, fouled by Miller. 3PF. Amare to the line.

6;24 left

Amare misses first; makes second.

56-42 Suns

Udrih to MIller, then to Artest, who drives inside, kicks out to Garcia in the corner, miss. Suns rebound.

Nash alley to MAJOR Amare oop, right over Garcia who tried to go for the block?!

Amare to the line to shoot the +1 on probably the dumbest foul in the universe by Garcia. That shot was NOT going to be blocked.

5;57 left

Bonus good.

59-42 Suns

 

[VF21]

Udrih to Martin, miss. Shaq tips the rebound to Amare. Giracek for two more. He has 14.

61-42 Suns

Garcia to Udrih, back to Garcia - airball. Garcia arguing with the official, misses a chance to get the ball back and Suns run it out for two more.

63-42 Suns

Another BAD shot by the Kings, Suns rebound. Maybe the Kings can just head for the airport at halftime.

Amare for two more.

65-42 Suns

4;11 left

Oh, good grief. Artest goes inside for one-handed dunk against Amare and Shaq. Needless to say, he didn't get it. Suns rebound.

Nash to Giracek for three.

68-42 Suns

Time out and commercial...

 

[VF21]

The wheels have fallen off the wagon. And the bottom planks of the wagon bed are dragging on the ground...

This has turned very ugly very quickly.

 

[VF21]

Udrih miss; Suns rebound.

Nash pass intended for Amare but goes oob. Kings ball.

Kings three attempt doesn't go. Suns rebound.

Moore called for the blocking foul on Shaq. 3PF on Moore.

2;59 left

Shaq makes first; misses second and once again the Kings are called for a lane violation, giving Shaq another chance. Miss; Artest rebound.

Artest inside, hand off to Moore for two.

69-44 Suns

Nash miss; martin rebound.

Good ball movement by the Kings, kick out to waiting Cisco, who misses. Suns rebound.

Suns miss; Garcia rebound.

 

[VF21]

Artest going against Amare, with help from Shaq, travels and then is called for the offensive foul. Amare to the line. Shaq and Giracek out for Diaw and Barbosa. The Suns have DEPTH!!!

Amare makes first; Shelden in for Moore. Amare makes second.

71-44 Suns

1;52 left

Shelden jumper doesn't go; Suns rebound.

Diaw jumper off the glass for two more.

73-44 Suns

Artest miss; Suns rebound. Artest with the steal and the dunk at the other end.

73-46 Suns

53 seocnds left

Bell for three.

76-46 Suns

Oh, this is not pretty... or much fun.

 

[VF21]

Martin for two.

76-48 Suns

Barbosa from the corner for three more.

79-48 Suns

Udrih inside, shot off the glass just won't go. Suns rebound. Diaw shot from midcourt is good - but too late.

End of the first half.

...

 

[VF21]

So, the Phoenix Suns actually scored more points in the first half than the high temperature in Phoenix today. They scored 79; the high temperature was around 74. That's just not right...

In other news, the Blue Angels soared above the Sacramento skies today at the California Capital Air Show. The precision flying team, piloting FA-18 Hornets, represents the U.S. Navy. The pilots were in attendance at the last Kings home game and received a very nice standing ovation. Here's a promo picture of the planes:

 

[VF21]

86-58 Suns

8;21 left

...

In other news, Phoenix is in Arizona. My grandparents lived in Tucson, Arizona. The neatest thing I remember about our last visit to them was a trip to Old Town.

 

[VF21]

If you think of Tucson and Old Town, you have to also think of Boot Hill in Tombstone, Ariz.

 

[VF21]

And if you hear the word Tombstone, who among us doesn't at least think of the movie? I have to rank it among my all-time favorite westerns, with top kudos to Val Kilmer for his riveting portrayal of Doc Holliday:

92-63 Suns

5;29 left