Thursday, March 01, 2012

2012 Kings versus Clippers


Sharon, Janie and I went to the Sacramento Kings versus Los Angeles Clippers Basketball game. When we drew the season tickets in December, this game was actually my first pick. I was very interested in seeing Chris Paul and Blake Griffin play. It is probably only the second time in ten years that I have seen the Clippers live. With the season roughly half over, the Clippers are in third in the Western Conference with a record of 21 wins and 12 losses.

The game had an odd feel to it. The Clippers won the game by the score of 108 to 100. Although the score was tied at 57 at half-time and the Clippers only led 85 to 79 at the start of the fourth quarter, it seemed like the Clippers were toying with the Kings. The Clippers opened a 19 point lead with 2:34 left in the fourth quarter, before the Kings scored the last 11 minutes to make the final score look more respectable.

The Clippers played all 13 players on their roster. Three of the bench players played more than 20 minutes. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin played the most minutes of the starters with 32 and 30 minutes, respectively.

Chris Paul was the high scorer for the Clippers with 22 points on 9 for 18 from the field, 1 for 2 from three and 3 for 3 from the free throw line. He added 9 assists. Griffin had 14 points on 7 for 12 from the field; I swear that every one of those baskets was a dunk on an alley-oop.

DeMarcus Cousins was the high scorer for the Kings with 23 points on 9 for 17 from the field, 1 for 1 from three and 4 for 6 from the free throw line. He added 10 rebounds.

Jimmer Fredette played 13 minutes for the Kings. I focused on him when he was in the game. He had a nice series in the first half. Left open beyond the three point arc, he hit 3 three point shots in a row. At this point, the Clippers put Chris Paul on him defensively and Jimmer never got open for another shot. Jimmer played about three minutes in the fourth quarter. Chris Paul and Mo Williams stripped him of the ball on successive plays and the coaches took him back out. Jimmer looked so overmatched in the sequence that he looked like he did not belong on the court.

Robbie Hunter was sitting in Kurt and Bobbie's seats; he and I texted back and forth. Norma and her son were sitting in the association's second row seats. Sharon has those seats for the Clippers game in early April.

The Kings now have 2 wins and 2 losses in games that I have seen in the 2011-2012 season.

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