The second half slowed down and the Kings' enthusiasm noticeably wavered. Give credit to Michael Malone's Nuggets, who never quit on the game, and just kept plugging away. They were able to slice the lead down to five points in the final minute, but simply ran out of time. They tried to hack Rondo, but Rondo was making his free throws.

As for scheme changes? Ehhh, not feeling it. Defensively, the Kings seemed more reluctant to go into their zone, staying as long in man-to-man as possible, leading to less lazy-looking switching and defenders hovering out in open space. There was an emphasis on getting more defensive pressure on the ball, which I liked. But they were still defending the screen-and-roll the same way, still not focused on protecting against penetration in the middle of the paint. That scheme still has big pockets that can be exploited, and were exploited from time to time.

Ultimately, its clear that this roster has not quit on this season just yet. They are still being good sports trying to make what Karl is selling them work. The playoffs look far in the distance, but I think Kings fans can be satisfied with a team that fights down the stretch. At the very least, its not going to be a repeat of the soulless Ty Corbin era. Onto the observations!