[Izulde]

It feels so strange, having a team GM'ed by me without a true PG in the starting lineup. I mean, it's working, but I still have trouble reconciling it, given my usual team-building methods.

Goodbye to Indiana's dreams of Sweet 16-0 as we beat them in a thrilling 112-108 game at home. What an amazing output as four Kings score 20+ points: Vladimir Raschupchin (22 points, 10 rebounds), Justin Richler (23 points) and Vladimir Tupolev and Jim "Twizzler" Johnson with 22 points a piece. William Tackett paces the bench with 11 assists. Oh by the way, David "50 Ninja" Jackson is starting at C while Luke Smith recovers from a nasty toe injury.

Ferdinand Kallenberger hasn't been getting much in the way of minutes and has been playing badly in that limited PT, so I send him down to Bakersfield.

Justin Richler looks a real-live PG with 39 points and 13 assists as we roll Boston 131-114. Vladimir Tupolev scores 26 and Patrick Weston powers the reserves with 16 points.

It's not a one-off either as Justin Richler rips the Bobcats for 39 points and 11 assists in our narrow 114-110 win. Vladimir Tupolev hauls in 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Jim "Twizzler" Johnson pops off for 23 points.

A road doubleheader's up next and we split it. The T-Wolves go down 113-102 due to Vladimir Tupolev's 23 points and 10 assists, Jim Johnson's 17 points and 10 rebounds and William Tackett's 18 bench points in 12 minutes. The Pacers avenge their spoiled perfect season the next night, beating us 120-110 in Indiana despite Vladimir Tupolev's 33 points and William Tackett's explosive 22 points off the bench.

Justin Richler and Vladimir Tupolev combine for 30 and 26 points in our 109-98 smackdown of Milwaukee. William Tackett sizzles with the second team, hitting 11 of 13 from from the floor for 23 points. What an amazing season he's having!

The Lakers have to feel frustrated. First they lose 113-112 to us in November and now, here in December, we nip them 128-126, bailed out by a 50 point fourth quarter. Vladimir Tupolev scores 33, Justin Richler puts up 27 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, Jim Johnson doubles for 14 points and 10 rebounds and William Tackett continues to be a fearsome third guard with 26 bench points.

For the first time all year, our offense takes a nap and we lose 95-86 to the Hornets. Justin Richler may have scored 25, but he was 4 of 17 from 3 point range. Far more efficient was Vladimir Raschupchin with 22 points.

But we've yet to lose two in a row this season and shake it off for a 119-112 win over the Wizards. Justin Richler gets back to shooting form for his 32 points and 10 assists, Vladimir Raschupchin scores 20 and Luke Smith, who got back to the starting lineup a few games back, doubles for 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Miami ambushes us 97-90 as Vladmir Raschupchin chokes against his former team, shooting just 4 for 13. Double-doubles of 15 points and 11 rebounds and 16 points, 11 rebounds from Vladimir Tupolev and Jim Johnson don't get the job done, even with William Tackett's 15 bench points.

We've had a very uneven home performance so far this season and that continues on Christmas Eve versus Golden State. It takes OT to get the 129-124 win. OT and Vladimir Tupolev's 40 points, Justin Richler's 26 points and 10 assists, Luke Smith's 17 points and 12 rebounds and 10 bench points a piece from David Jackson and William Tackett, the latter of whom also had 9 assists.

Off to Utah we go for a 128-116 victory over the Jazz keyed by three Kings with 20+ points: Vladimir Tupolev (25 points), Justin Richler (24 points, 11 assists) and Jim Johnson (24 points). The second team is headed up by William Tackett's 18 points and David Jackson's 13 points. I'm loving 50 Ninja contributing to this team and happy. He's mellowed out some now that he's in his 30s, but he still knows how to get the team hyped up.

The Spurs are furious after they win the first three quarters and still lose 102-98 on New Year's Eve in Sacramento. Justin Richler singlehandedly carries us with 30 points, with no other Kings making statistical highlights.

I love that we beat San Antonio. Great win to end 2029's calendar year.

21-7 gives us the #1 seed in the West and a 5 game lead on the Pistons. Denver's 20-10, 3.5 games ahead of the Jazz, while the Southwest is a murder's row. To wit:

Dallas Mavericks - 20-10
San Antonio Spurs - 21-11
New Orleans Hornets - 18-10 (1 GB)
Memphis Grizzlies - 20-12 (1 GB)
Houston Rockets - 15-16 (5.5 GB)

...Yeah. I'll be honest, San Antonio and Denver are the two teams that scare me the most. The Nuggets have the defense to contain our firepower and the Spurs have a brilliant young team.

Indiana tumbled in December, but they're still leading the East at 22-6, 6.5 over the Bucks in the Central. 20-9 New Jersey enjoys a 3.5 game lead on the Celtics while the Southeast continues its fine tradition of being the worst division in the East, with 16-16 Miami leading the division and Bobcats by a half-game.