Vince Carter was asked, repeatedly, why he signed with the Sacramento Kings this summer instead of a contender. He always had the same answer, that he still wanted the opportunity to play. Well on Wednesday night, Vince Carter came to play. Vinsanity turned back the clock with a team-high 24 points, five rebounds, 3 assists, a block and a steal. It was great to watch.

Bogdan Bogdanovic was equally critical to the win, leading the team with his effort and playmaking. He finished with 16 points and eight assists, and stood out whenever he was on the floor.

Willie Cauley-Stein also had a big night, with 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Garrett Temple may not impress with his stat line or his plus-minus, but he played tough defense on LeBron James and slowed him as much as you can realistically ask anyone other than JaKarr Sampson.

Joerger started a weird lineup, with Temple, George Hill, Zach Randolph, Malachi Richardson, and Frank Mason. It wasn’t terrible effective, but gave a preview of how lineups would look all night. The Cavs have a small lineup, and Joerger matched it by playing Temple and Carter as his power forward for much of the night. Skal Labissiere, Kosta Koufos, and Georgios Papagiannis were all DNPs.

The Kings will next face off against the Phoenix Suns on Friday.

For the opponent’s perspective, visit Fear The Sword.