Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Monday, there are 29 days remaining.The Lakers finished roughly 403 games in front of my beloved Kings last season. But hey, I'm used to it. The Lakers have been sticking it to Sacramento for a long, long time. And one could argue the 2008-09 Kings got off easy. At least compared to the 1986-87 Kings.
That bunch, led by Reggie Theus and Otis Thorpe, suffered utter humiliation in L.A. on February 4, 1987. The Showtime Lakers ran out to an amazing 29-0 lead in the first quarter. Derek Smith finally ended the drought with a pair of free throws late in the quarter, leading to something more amazing: a standing ovation from the Forum crowd ... for the visitors.
Thanks to the magic of YouTube, you can see the full first quarter (Part I, Part II). (Sorry, it's not embeddable.) As a tolerant Kings fan, I have reached the acceptance phase, and I can appreciate all the hilarity of these clips ... including the shutting of the refrigerator door halfway through the first quarter.
Kings coach Phil Johnson (now a longtime Jerry Sloan assistant) got canned after this game (an eventual 36-point loss -- hey, the Kings played 'em even after the first quarter!). Sacramento finished the season with 29 wins, and the Lakers finished the season winning the Larry O'Brien. (Life just isn't fair.)
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
If you hadn't seen it before, and I haven't, it's ugly. Even worse if you're a Kings fan (which I am).
What I find more amazing is that Luke brought in Bill Russell while keeping Phil Johnson around. (Or, was the AS break after this game vs LA? I can't remember.) Either way, it was bad news for Phil, Luke, and Russell ultimately.
There isn't going to be a tip off timer about Bobby Hurley's accident is there?
I remember watching that game and it was just unbelievable. As I recall the Kings ended the quarter with a total of 4 points all from free throws. I love to see the Lakers win but I think that night I felt sorry for the Kings.