RAPTORS ARE TOOTHLESS
SWEEtness

Like I promised, I didn't watch the game in real time, and we WON!!! They even wanted to turn the game on for me at work, but I declined. I'll do anything for the Kings.

I just finished watching the game. The first half looked superb! Bibby was on fire! I can't believe how well he is fitting in. It's like he's played with this team all along. He was all over the place and making plays and making mostly smart shots. A couple of bad ones, but we can't all be perfect.

Pollard was a rebounding machine!

Vlade is the man! He was the leader. I loved that he took that T for his teammate. I know that he and Peja are close, but I think that he would have done it for anyone on the team.

Christie had a good game. His offense was there, and his ever present defense kept Carter to a less than average game. He also helped with the interior defense when Clark was mismatched with Fundy. His shot looks better. It seems like he is more comfortable. The shoulder must be getting better.

Peja looked distracted. Not a good look for him. When he goes one on one with a smaller player in the perimeter, he has problems getting his shots off. I think it was more than that today. He just seemed overly frustrated.

I'm just going to pretend the second half never happened. Coach should bring it up, but I'm not going to because we WON! Looking forward to beating some Bull bootie. I've switched my work schedule around so that I will miss that game as well. Don't want to take any chances...esp. on a gimme game.

Critic

I got to see almost all of the game tonight. For a long time, the Kings really looked good. Vlade was their backbone tonight -- he looks in better shape than last year and his head and heart were really in the game all night. Their half court offense looked very good and they were boxing out. That said, I think Lenny Wilkens might not be my coach tomorrow night if I were the owner of the Raptors. Are you kidding? Carter was kicking ass and taking down names and the game was still in reach and he tips his king and pulls Carter, Davis and Mo Pete but left Old Man Akeem in there? Sheesh. The Kings "fade" was mostly just missing the wide open shots they were burying earlier and showing a little less tenacity on defense and Pollard sat out a lot of the bad stretch. Bibby looked good. To win with Peja having a bad shooting night to go along with CWebb sitting out, isn't half bad. If they give out game balls, this one was Vlade's, even tho Bibby and Pollard carried them for a stretch. If Vlade keeps playing like that there's no limit on the Kings' chances.

Reno Lady

They drive me C-R-A-Z-Y when they have those meltdowns - and it's nearly always in the 3rd quarter (at least this season so far). I want to slap every one of them when they do that. Maybe they're so used to coming from behind that they can't win unless there's pressure on them - so they put it on themselves. I agree that Wilkens made an error tonight - but I'm thinking he felt the game was lost and he was unhappy with his starters so he pulled them and put the bench in as a lesson - but leaving Hakeem in didn't make any sense unless he was there as the stabilizer. Actually the Raptors' bench did play better the last couple of minutes than the starters did the entire 4th quarter. The run the Raptors had in the 3rd was more a lapse on the Kings part than anything outstanding the Raptors did however. Maybe the Kings thought they could coast the rest of the game - if so, I hope Adelman is still chewing their butts out because that's not the mindset they need to achieve what they hope to achieve. When the other team's writhing in agony, stab them in the heart, pour it on, leave them no hope whatsoever. The Kings haven't done that enough and I hope someone takes time to explain it to them tonight, in terms they won't forget next time.

SactoGreg

I just returned from the game and I think it was a good one for the Kings. The Raptors never had the lead and the Kings responded to every move they made. I particularly liked several small things they did. For instance, I for one was very upset with how long RA left Fundy in the lineup. In the 2nd q, he looked simply awful! I mean, he never scored and he really looked like a place holder. However, in the 2nd half, he made a significant impact. I also liked DC's play. His D was sharp and his shots fell when required.

Bibby looked good again, and it's really time we put aside any controversy regarding the Williams trade. If he plays half as good as he did tonight it is an upgrade.

Anyway, good game tonight and there is no reason the Kings shouldn't be 7-2 going into LA on Sunday.

GO KINGS!

SandB Bill

Any win is a good win.. The Kings played superb ball in the first half. I was kind of disappointed in Peja, not because of his play, but he let Toronto get under his skin and he just got that much more frustrated.. I'm not worried about him though, he will be back just as good. Vlade, I loved the way he took the T for Peja.. Vinces dunk, He traveled, no doubt about it, but I'm glad they didn't catch it or call it.. it would of been a shame. All and all, I think the team had this game in hand through out, I don't think it would of made a difference if Vince came back in or not, they seemed to respond with enough to keep the lead safe.

MORE GAME NOTES...

RPO

I saw the game on TBS, and I also thot the announcers were gushing over the Kings, maybe a bit too much. They seemed to think the Raptors were dread-awful in every respect and the Kings could do no rong, even when they were doing rong. I think the announcers had an off-night. But I thot Ainge's comment about "can we just give Petrie Dish the GM award now?" comment was pretty cool, considering

the Kings were playing the Rabbits and a lot of us thot that Grunwald was gonna win the award this year.

And add me to the list of peoples that's wondering why Carter was sitting on his butt in the 4th. When the lead got down to 8, it coulda been anyone's game. I figure either Carter, Davis, and Peterson were in Wilkens' doghouse or Wilkens decided they were probably gonna lose and wanted to save some of his starters for a more winnable game against the Worriers.

But other than the second half of the 3rd 1/4, I thot the Kings played really, really well, esp Vlade, B(i/o)bby, and Crispy.

Pondo

Sure wish they would play the whole game like they played the 1st quarter and part of the 2nd quarter. Like other posters I felt the team was passing and moving great at times. I would like to comment about Fundy. I liked the way he was going to the basket to put the ball down or rebound. Have not seen him so active before and hope he keeps it up! He was not as quick as Clark but kept trying to make him work hard to get off his shot.
Was glad to see RA was able and did rest Vlade and Peja during the 2nd quarter as they were needed later in the game. Maybe Vlade can get some rest and only play about 38 minutes a game this season. Hope he does this with CWebb when he gets back.
Go Kings!!!

Q

The Kings could have blown out the Raptors but fell apart (again) in the second half; but somehow managed to eek out a win, and are now 6-2 (just as I hoped).

Peja and Hedo were out of it; Mike (who plays more like a shooting guard than a point guard - five Kings dished out more assists than he but he shot the ball quite well - 20 pts.) and Doug (20 pts.) and Scot (12 rbs.) played well, but it was Vlade who lead and refused to allow the Kings to lose. When he wants to be, Vlade is the man.

It is hard not to take the Bulls for granted and look past them to the Lakers; but I hope the team does a better job of it than I am doing right now and goes after the Bulls hard. It would be nice to see them play a complete game against the Bulls next, be able to rest their key players in the fourth quarter and end up 7-2 before their trip to L.A. to play the Lakers. (Prediction: If the Kings play like they did in the first half against the Raptors, they beat the Bulls going away and the Lakers; if they play like they did in the second half, they lose and then lose big. So here is hoping the Kings play well and quit choking at the end of games.)

Bonsy

I have to agree with the TBS guys. Getting Bibby was a steal. I would credit him with the win last night because of his 20 points and level-headed play.

What would this team be in our first 8 games without that trade?

Hard to say, since last year we didn't have Jason for the first 5 games. There's an upgrade for Bibby right there.

Secondly, Bibby is a consistent scorer. Our poor scoring from our guards, including Christie, last year lost us several games. It allowed opponents to leave our guards pretty much open and focus on defending our other 3 players. This year, they simply can't do that, not just because Christie is scoring better, but because Bibby is also. Our guards scoring is one reason Vlade is able to get a lot of single coverages. I don't think the Raptors doubled him all night.

In 8 games, Bibby has 16 turnovers. In 7 games, Jason has 26 turnovers.

In 8 games, Bibby is shooting 46%. In 7 games, Jason is shootin 35%.

In 8 games, Bibby has 37 assists. In 7 games, Jason has 57 assists.

I think none of that is a surprise to anyone. Jason is averaging 38 minutes a game, Bibby is at 35. We all know the Kings have great passers in other positions which is why Jason's assists were lower here and why Bibby's are also lower here.

The difference is somewhere in those turnovers and shooting percentage. The disclaimer is, it's still real early in the season and both players are still getting familiar with their teammates.

Even so, there is also no question the Kings are much, much better with Mike instead.

THANK YOU, GEOFF PETRIE!!

Doc

That was a fun game to watch for the first two-and-a-half quarters! From our upper deck seats, my friends and I were laughing, high-fiving and cheering every back door lay-up the Kings dropped in. Something like 58 points in-the-paint last night and most of those were easy lay-ins on a cut under the basket. Pete Carrill had to be loving that. The Raptor D didn't catch on for quite some time. At half time we were celebrating what had been (up to that point) a great game to attend. About half way through the third the Raptor coaches must have said something to get the team's attention because they turned up the defensive intensity. That 13-1 run was not just por shooting by the Kings - The Raptors worked for it. They just could not maintain it and the Kings stretched out the lead again.

For most of the game, the Kings had great ball and player movement, got easy baskets, and looked to be playing joyful basketball. Vince got a couple of impressive dunks and one mighty put-back that was blocked by the rim . Overall, a great night of basketball. The slow ending brought the energy down, but still a very satisfying win.

Jeff

Last night Peja looked horrible. He looked visibly frustrated. He wasn't getting to the open spot on his cuts, and made some really stupid passes. At one point he seemed to be laboring and holding his hip; could he have bruised it when Mo Pete jumped on his back (why isn't that flagrant, by the way?)?

I disagree with whoever said Fundy looked bad last night. He looked nothing of the sort to me. He took a few illadvised long-midrange jumpers, but his offensive rebounding, athletic moves to the basket and dunks and his block on Clark were all key to this win.

Christie had a very solid game. I wish he could be more consistant with his shot. It was on tonight, likely it will be off on Friday. But, you can always count on him for the big D. Carter seemed really on tonight, but Christie still held him below his season average. Against a one-star team like Toronto, that alone will usually win a game.

Vlade, Vlade, Vlade. The guy is really on right now. Yet, he was working so hard to get Peja going. There aren't a lot of guys in the NBA who have their shot falling, their defender outmatched, and yet they are looking to get easy points for a teammate having a bad night. I would have preferred he didn't try to squeeze so many passes into traffic, and that he just tried to take advantage of his advantage over Davis or Hakeem or Clark, but he did so much to help his team win, it is hard to criticize.....But, 5 TO's from the center is a bit high.

Pollard had some key boards and a couple really sweet dunks on back cuts. He really needs to work harder on his post D though. Hakeem made him look silly a couple times with his now ultra-slow-motion postup moves. Pollard is more athletic and more active than Hakeem, he should assert himself more in my opinion.

I am very pleased with Jackson. His shooting is so much better this season, and his agressiveness has become a key to the Kings game. I love seeing rebounds out of the backcourt.

Bibby runs the two man game GREAT. That alone makes the trade good for the Kings. His ability to work WITH his teammates in the halfcourt offense is key to how efficiently this team works in their half court sets.

Other thoughts:

5:00 starts suck. The traffic to get to ARCO at that time of day is horrible. How about a 6:00 start for Turner games?

Carter sure is fun to watch.

Wilkens is a fool. How do you pull your starters in a game you have a real chance to win just so they are rested for a game the next night vs a weaker opponent? Golden State could shoot 65% tonight and blow Toronto out. You have to play to win the game you are in today, because you never know what tomorrow brings.

Comeon refs show Peja some respect. The guy was ice cold, but that doesn't mean that his defender should get away with raping him all night long.

Wasn't Bobby Jackson inbounds on that rebound?

It is torture to have to watch Dream out there unable to move like he used to.