If three months ago I'd told you we'd be crushed because John Salmons couldn't go, you'd have laughed. And cried. And cried some more.

I'm not sure how the Kings are going to score. If the Kings can't score, they'll have trouble coralling their own misses — Orlando's #5 in defensive rebounding.If you don't think defense is going to be a huge problem, I'd like to introduce you to Dwight Howard. You may have met his less awesome friends already this year… Big Baby Davis, Eddy Curry, Tyrus Thomas, Chris Kaman, Andrew Bogut, <any big man who has killed the Kings this year>. The only thing keeping Howard from 30 points is an early blowout.

It's going to be a long night, I'm afraid. Pay my boy Ben Q. Rock at Third Quarter Collapse a visit; he's got all the angles between the team's covered.

7 pm tip. Go Kings.

UPDATE: Salmons will fight! John Salmons will fight!