Ah, opening night! Hmm, looks like a late arriving crowd…

Inactive for tonight: Francisco Garcia (calf) and Kenny Thomas (parvo).

New item for 2008 – they have a lighting system that now illuminates the floor with a waving flag, instead of unfurling the big the flag for the national anthem.

A Maloof label band (Red Fury? Rev Theory? Ren & Stimpy?) plays during the Kings intros. The starters come out of the tunnel this year instead of off the bench. Loud applause for Hawes, loudest applause for Martin.

The podium that the band is playing on is behind one of the baskets and must take up about 70 seats. I don't think that anyone is going to mind – this place is kind of empty (10,000?), with the downstairs emptier than the upstairs.

Kevin Johnson sitting with Gavin Maloof. Joe is at a luxury suite, nursing those artificial knees.

Big Mike has been replaced by Arman (Armand?), a smooth talking young man who I think will do a pretty good job as "emcee." No sign of sign man.

And we're underway…

We don't need a game clock for Kings game. Every Kings turnover signifies the equivalent of two minutes of game time.

Hey Reggie, that's two on Mikki. Time for JT. Reggie? Hello! Is this thing on?

OK, JT is finally in. Good God he has big feet.

Bobby Brown…nice!

17 for Memphis in the quarter. Was that us that did that to them or did they do that to themselves?

2nd quarter –

Almost six minutes without a turnover…woo-hoo!

KJ gets a nice ovation from the crowd. He does a little sucking up…hey Kev, you got the job!

Darko!

The crowd just love's JT's hustle. He seems a little anxious in front of the home crowd for the 1st time.

Hawes is really smooth on those wing threes.

Nothing against Mikki Moore or his game, but once Brad comes back I could easily subsist off of a diet of Miller/Hawes/Thompson/Williams.

The Kings jumbo tron shows this "mystery karaoke" piece, where Kings sing to other Kings until they can guess the song. In this case Shelden Williams singing to Mikki Moore beat Kenny Thomas singing to Donte' Greene. Pretty damn funny.

Now it's singalong time at ARCO, but can someone tell me why they chose a Garth Brooks song? For the first time I think I'm glad that this place is kind of empty.

Spencer Hawes works and works and works. JT may hustle, but Hawes does all of the little things. He switches, he helps. This is a guy that is going to do a lot of those little things that don't always show up in the stat line. He's Pollard with talent.

Halftime –

OK, there is a guy painting with both hands, and in five minutes he has created an awesome 4'-5' portrait of B-Jax. Amazing.

The band comes out and plays another song. Fun, though watching some of the older fans try to keep time with their thundersticks is rather disconcerting.

3rd Quarter –

I notice that Donte' Greene is always the first guy off the bench to cheer on his teammates, and he always is the first to greet his team at timeouts. I like this kid.

WTF? Reggie calls a timeout in the middle of a Kings fast break. Reg, you're supposed to figure out a way to slow down the other team.

B-Jax enters for the first time with 2:55 left in the 3rd to a standing ovation.

Bobby Brown has been solid.

4th quarter –

Martin lands a little funny but waves off Theus' offer of substitution. Gamer.

If you subtracted Hawes' help fouls he'd never be in foul trouble.

JT playing a lot more within himself in the 2nd half.

Beno, Beno, Beno. It's called a 24 second clock.

JT +1! JT on D! The crowd loves this kid.

53 seconds left and the crowd is chanting for B-Jax. I think this is the alternative to an outright Beno sucks chant.

Salmons comes up big on both ends.

Kings win! I'm not sure of the final numbers, but it seems that if the Grizz had not been so hot from three the Kings would have blown this game wide open. Other than a few post ups by Rudy Gay and a couple of drives by O.J. Mayo, it didn't seem like Memphis got much underneath.

Come to ARCO, buy a $10 or $22 seat and enjoy the game. I'm not shilling for the Maloof's here. Between Martin, Hawes, JT and Bobby Brown, my $40.50 ticket was well worth the price of admission. No long lines, plenty of parking.

Until next time, end transmission.