Pistons clobber Kings after pregame intro

[Guest_Randy]

Looks like SacTown is trying to break out more than just cowbells these days!

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - When the Detroit Pistons were introduced before Tuesday night's game, the Arco Arena scoreboard flashed images of abandoned buildings, burned-out cars — nearly every outdated, offensive stereotype of their hometown.

Most of the Pistons didn't see the display, but they went out and wrecked the Sacramento Kings' home opener anyway.

Tayshaun Prince scored 25 points while making 10 straight shots, and the Pistons emphatically snapped an eight-game losing streak in Sacramento with a 102-88 victory.

The Kings quickly apologized for the scoreboard montage, and the Detroit players didn't hear about it until they got dressed in their locker room after an impressive victory — their first in Sacramento since Feb. 26, 1996.

"To do something like that, it's embarrassing," said Detroit coach Flip Saunders, who saw the video. "It's not called for. There's no excuse for that. Whoever did that owes us an apology. ... I know the Maloofs pretty well, and they've always been nothing but classy. I'm sure they didn't have anything to do with that."

John Thomas, the president of Maloof Sports and Entertainment, claimed he didn't know who was responsible for the video, but promised immediate discipline.

"It was a terrible mistake," Thomas said. "That's not how we do things. We apologize to the great Detroit organization and to the city of Detroit. ... There's no explanation. It was a mistake, and it won't happen again."

The Pistons played with plenty of motivation even though they didn't see the show. Chauncey Billups had 16 points and eight assists, and Richard Hamilton added 21 points and six rebounds as Detroit (4-0) extended the club's best start since 1996.

"I just heard about it," Billups said. "I wasn't really paying attention. That's cold. Bet they won't do that again."

"Don't tread on D," forward Rasheed Wallace said with a grin.

Detroit played a remarkably proficient game against the Kings, who couldn't keep up despite big performances from newcomers Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Bonzi Wells in their regular-season home debuts.

In the opener of a three-game road trip, Detroit scored easy fast-break baskets and hit countless difficult jumpers while taking a 21-point lead early in the fourth quarter — and shutting down Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby on the other end.

"I walk away from this game feeling like we let them do what they wanted to do," said Abdur-Rahim, who had 14 points. "They made everything easy. Tonight, we got pushed around."
After just four games, the defending Eastern Conference champions already look comfortable with the marriage of their usual hard-nosed defense and Saunders' up-tempo offensive mentality.

Prince scored 19 points and hit three 3-pointers in the second half for the Pistons, who made a 24-4 run spanning the third and fourth quarters. Detroit scored the first 11 points of the fourth, sending home much of the sellout crowd.

"In that situation, I'm going to shoot until I miss," Prince said. "And with this coaching staff, we're going to ride whoever is hot. It's definitely a big confidence-booster. What's most important is the coaching staff is behind you."

Wells scored 16 points in the first game at Arco Arena in 21 days for the Kings, who were stuck with the NBA's last home opener for the second straight season.

After draining exhibition visits to Fresno, Albuquerque and Las Vegas, the Kings opened the regular season with a three-game road trip featuring a 26-point loss to the New Orleans Hornets in Oklahoma City.

"I don't care if we're playing home or not," coach Rick Adelman said. "We just ran into a better team. Their starting five has played together for a while. They executed very well, and they shot it very well. We looked like a team that is inexperienced playing together."

Detroit started slowly but soon made a 21-4 run in the first quarter, killing the Kings with transition baskets and tough jumpers. The Pistons maintained a steady lead for the rest of the night, even though Sacramento played mostly good defense and got 28 points from its reserves.

The Pistons were so impressive in the second half, making big defensive stops and hitting one difficult basket after another, that Billups and Saunders repeatedly stood and clapped for the players on the court near the Detroit bench.

The Pistons held Sacramento scoreless over the first 5:08 of the fourth quarter, scoring 11 straight points.

Maurice Evans, who left the Kings to sign with Detroit in the offseason, scored 12 points on his 27th birthday.

[msc]

Randy, you're much more diplomatic on your post than I.  This is a classless, bush-league move by the Kings organization.  I know, I know, the Maloofs are wonderful guys and didn't have any knowledge of the "incident".  They've been doing damage control all last night and this a.m. (I heard Joe on local sports talk radio on the way in to work).  Unfortunately, whether it's one dumb employee's fault or not, it reflects poorly on the entire organization.  If the Kings want to be considered a top-tier NBA franchise, this certainly won't help.  It's sadly ironic that an organization that took such great offense to Phil Jackson stereotyping their city would perpetuate another stereotype of another American city.  

[guest-koast]

Does management really think these pre-game intros hype up the crowd?  Let alone one that paints a picture that Detriot has a violent history?

[Ted]

Randy, you're much more diplomatic on your post than I.  This is a classless, bush-league move by the Kings organization.  I know, I know, the Maloofs are wonderful guys and didn't have any knowledge of the "incident".  They've been doing damage control all last night and this a.m. (I heard Joe on local sports talk radio on the way in to work).  Unfortunately, whether it's one dumb employee's fault or not, it reflects poorly on the entire organization.  If the Kings want to be considered a top-tier NBA franchise, this certainly won't help.  It's sadly ironic that an organization that took such great offense to Phil Jackson stereotyping their city would perpetuate another stereotype of another American city.

But what if the stereotype is true?  :couch:  

[msc]

Of course both stereotypes are true.  In fact, by Sac showing that clip it only reinforces the perception they're all a bunch of inbred, rednecks that are only at the Kings game b/c NASCAR isn’t on that night.  It still doesn't change the fact that it's bush league.  

 

[Joe Vancil]

But what if the stereotype is true?

Then you, your wives, and all your kids can make a mission trip to Detroit to rebuild houses, fix up abandoned buildings, etc. and distribute all those video cassettes I see advertised on TV.

 

[Guest_Randy]

You know what's sad?

They could have shown a similar video for LA just celebrating a Laker's NBA Title!   :eek2:  

[JoMal]

I apologize for what has to be one of the dumbest pregame intro's in history - to Detroit, to the NBA, and to any and all who found this incident insulting. I have the weak hope that few in Sacramento outside the production crew at Arco who put that dumb video together think this was amusing.

But, if this were an isolated incident, that would be one thing. After the Laker jersey burning, bombarding the Arco floor with glo-sticks during a playoff game, and defacing Shaq's milestone basketball, it would seem that there does exist an element here in Sacramento who find great satisfaction in displaying a level of classlessness that is incomprehensible, considering our history.

On top of that, the product on the floor so far this season looks sluggish, unatheletic, uninspired, lacks a quality bench, and is being coached by a lame-duck Rick Adelman. Plus, in 14 games this season, the players will be wearing these gold lame' jersey's that make them look like rejects from a third class Vegas strip show, supposedly in "honor" of the sixth man - the fans who have supported the team through thick and thin.

If this is to "honor" the jackals who have worked so hard to maim the reputation of the team and the city through these classless acts, they got the color scheme all wrong. A burning jersey with glo-sticks sticking out the armpits with a logo of a dump truck emptying its contents on the heads of, say, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson, and playing with basketballs inscribed with epitaths directed at referees and unpopular behemoth centers around the League would have undoubtedly been received with more enthusiasm by the Arco loyalists.

I am losing interest in the NBA this year and this type of thing does not help matters. I may take a sabbatical for a while.

[Guest_Randy]

Did you hear what the Maloofs said the other day?  That they aren't going to fire Adelmann -- "the year is still young and we have the best starting 5 in the NBA."

I was like "WHAT?"  

The Kings starting five of:
  Bibby, Bonzi, Peja, SAR and BMill

How is that better than:
  Spurs:  Parker, Manu, Bowen/Finley, TD and Mohammed

Actually, I would disagree that the Kings starting five is close to the best.  Bonzi is WAY overrated and the Kings don't have a defensive player on the court at all with the exception of BMill and while BMill is a very good defensive player -- he's a good post defender -- he isn't all that great of a team defender and he doesn't protect that middle well (at least not without help).  Bibby is okay and Bonzi, Peja and SAR are all less than adequate, IMO.

Offensively, this team has soo many problems it isn't even funny.  First, with the exception of Bibby and BMill -- none of these guys are very good passers.  Peja is decent -- SAR and Bonzi are lacking.  Also, these guys aren't guys who move all that well without the ball.  The present Kings would be better with a triangle offense (with SAR in the post) than Adelmann's motion offense.   The problem is that the Kings best post player is Bonzi (and who wants him with the ball in his hands initiating the offense?) -- SAR is best facing up to the basket and taking his man off the dribble.  

Geoff Petrie for all his past accolades deserves to be fired for putting together a team like this!!!  They would have been MUCH better off keeping Cutino Mobley than trading for Bonzi!

[Ted]

But what if the stereotype is true?

Then you, your wives, and all your kids can make a mission trip to Detroit to rebuild houses, fix up abandoned buildings, etc. and distribute all those video cassettes I see advertised on TV.

Well played Joe.  :hail:

You damned Missourian. :bash: No, No, I'm wrong to say that. We must "move past the past." And besides, we're Jazz brothers. Please thank your legislature for revoking the extermination order.

By the way, if anyone's interested I've got these videocassettes . . .  :rofl:

[guest-koast]

But what if the stereotype is true?

Then you, your wives, and all your kids can make a mission trip to Detroit to rebuild houses, fix up abandoned buildings, etc. and distribute all those video cassettes I see advertised on TV.

Well played Joe.  :hail:

You damned Missourian. :bash: No, No, I'm wrong to say that. We must "move past the past." And besides, we're Jazz brothers. Please thank your legislature for revoking the extermination order.

By the way, if anyone's interested I've got these videocassettes . . .  :rofl:

Chose The Right..........and burn them =]

[Ted]

Chose The Right..........and burn them =]

Thanks koast. We religious nuts appreciate all of the tolerance we can get.

BTW, did anyone watch any of Trading Spouses last night? It's another pointless reality show, but last night was different. It was like watching a train wreck. I felt like hurling, yet couldn't look away.

[guest-koast]

Chose The Right..........and burn them =]

Thanks koast. We religious nuts appreciate all of the tolerance we can get.

BTW, did anyone watch any of Trading Spouses last night? It's another pointless reality show, but last night was different. It was like watching a train wreck. I felt like hurling, yet couldn't look away.

HAHA I was just talking about that at lunch with some co-workers.  I have it tivo'd and will NEVER delete it off there.  Just to damn funny.  Especially her being extremly overdramatic once she got home.  The homosexual psychic part was the greatest moment in reality tv history IMO.

[Ted]

HAHA I was just talking about that at lunch with some co-workers.  I have it tivo'd and will NEVER delete it off there.  Just to damn funny.  Especially her being extremly overdramatic once she got home.  The homosexual psychic part was the greatest moment in reality tv history IMO.

Was it not like watching a train wreck?

The image of that mountain of a gap-toothed woman calling on God was a horrific scene. Seriously. I felt like I was watching Christianity's version of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. That freak-ho is not that far away from strapping a bomb on herself and walking into a New Age bookstore . . .

which reminds me . . .

Have any of you seen that video where sanitation officials blow up the rotting whale carcas on the beach, sending globs of putrefying blubber on to spectators hundreds of yards away.  :puke:

Sorry, stream of consciousness . . .

I wonder what the good Lord thought of the way that beast shows her devotion to him. The best part is the last subtitle: "Upon further review, Margaret decided to accept the money."

[westkoast]

HAHA I was just talking about that at lunch with some co-workers.  I have it tivo'd and will NEVER delete it off there.  Just to damn funny.  Especially her being extremly overdramatic once she got home.  The homosexual psychic part was the greatest moment in reality tv history IMO.

Was it not like watching a train wreck?

The image of that mountain of a gap-toothed woman calling on God was a horrific scene. Seriously. I felt like I was watching Christianity's version of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. That freak-ho is not that far away from strapping a bomb on herself and walking into a New Age bookstore . . .

which reminds me . . .

Have any of you seen that video where sanitation officials blow up the rotting whale carcas on the beach, sending globs of putrefying blubber on to spectators hundreds of yards away.  :puke:

Sorry, stream of consciousness . . .

I wonder what the good Lord thought of the way that beast shows her devotion to him. The best part is the last subtitle: "Upon further review, Margaret decided to accept the money."

I was thinking more like a train wreck where a 747 happend to crash into the same spot.  

A few friends were over last night and were making comments along the lines of thats how christians act.  I quickly jumped into let them know that this is an isolated case and 99% of christians DO NOT act like that.  She really is like the Al-Zarqawi of the southern bible belt.  I just could not get over her lying and being overdramatic.  Did you feel like the other man on the show (the new age hippy guy) was pushing her  hard into the 'dark arts' ?  She made it sound like he tied her to a pentagram (LOLOLOL @ the painted regular star scaring her last week), put goat blood all over her, and started to read the satanic bible in tongue.

The end was classic.  The only thing that confused me was that the woman did not leave anything to that little girl she seemed to be drawn too.  I assumed by her giving the oldest daughter and her child money to move out she was trying to indirectly help her get out from under her two mothers.  Still, she didnt get anything.  Did you think that was kinda weird?

On a side note:  Both our respective teams are doing well  out the gate and we are discussing reality tv together.  I am disapointed myself.