In game observations: Kings vs. Blazers

This thing is just about over. Blowout city. Score sits at 110-78 with 35 seconds to play, so I think it's fairly safe to call this one. We saw everything you'd want to see out of the first game of the season. Should be another fun one tomorrow. See you then.

My main man Steven Hill gets on the board with two made free throws. You stay 100% from the line on the season and I'd bet you end up with a contract.

I don't really know what else to say about Rudy Fernandez tonight. Another alley-oop to Martell for another nasty dunk. Is he setting expectations tonight that he'll have a hard time living up to the rest of the season? I don't know, but for now, I'm just going to revel in the brilliance that is Rudy. Thank you Spain.

Rudy with another amazing pass to Webster for the dunk. This is some kind of introduction for Fernandez.

With 6:19 to play in the quarter, the Kings score for the first time in the fourth. That's domination folks.

G.O. finally gets the jumphook to fall, and that's 12 points for the big man.

On two consecutive plays, Nic Batum gets a sick block and a steal. That's the defense Kevin Prtichard envisioned when he made the move to grab our new French friend.

Spencer Hawes, you've officially been Odenized.

Sergio just can't help himself. He gets in the lane, passes it with two hands behind his head to Przybilla for the dunk. It's showtime.

Nic Batum gets in on the highlight reel with a powerful jam. This is getting to the point that Coach McMillan might have to call off the dogs. End of the third quarter and the Blazers have extended their lead to 85-63. That was a 30 point quarter for the good guys.

It's turning into an all Spanish And1 Tour here at the Rose Garden. Sergio with another alley-oop to Rudy, who this time finishes with the up-and-under off the glass acrobat. Each highlight seems to be better than the last.

Nic Batum joins the Trail Blazers books with a made free throw, the first points of his fledgling NBA career.

One preseason game in and Rudy already has a signature highlight. Rudy foul line extended threads a bounce pass to LaMarcus Aldridge through Jason Thompson's legs. Unreal.

Well, it took almost all of three quarters, but we have our first Sergio to Rudy alley-oop. Rudy cuts baseline, and Sergio fines him with the lob for the dunk. Again, lets hope to see more of that for the foreseeable future.

Oden and Roy work a textbook inside/out, resulting in an open tre for for Roy. Hopefully we'll see plenty of that for years and years to come.

Oden gets the second half moving with yet another dunk. He's got that down cold.

LaMarcus goes buckets for his first field goal of the game, at the buzzer no less. That's Blazers 53, Kings 50. Nice 16-5 rally by the good guys to get back into it.

A Sergio Rodriguez 3, then a Roy steal, resulting in an uncontested layin for Sergio gives the Blazers a rare lead. Kings tie it up again, but Sergio drains another three to take the lead back. Nice night so far for El Chaco.

After missing the first free throw, LaMarcus nets the second for his first point of the season. Bout time.

Martell Webster with a three and a fastbreak dunk gets the Blazers to within two. That's going to force Reggie Theus to call a timeout.

The surprise of the night so far has to be LaMarcus Aldridge without a point with 3:30 to play in the half. I figured he'd be holding court in this one.

Another dunk for G.O. That's 8 points, 3 boards and an assist for the big man. He did get out-maneuvered in the block by Kenny Thomas, but things like that are to be expected.

Oden with another missed jump hook, another successful dunk after missing said jump hook, and his first foul as a Trail Blazer. Having played as much as he has, the fact that he picked up his first foul with 6:37 to play in the second is impressive, maybe more so than the dunks, and certainly more so than the missed hooks.

Actually, scratch that last remark about pretty. Rudy just floated a a nice underhand layin for his first two of his Blazer career.

Ike Diogu gets his first two points as a Blazer. Wasn't pretty, but then again, nothing has been pretty so far in this one.

At the end of the first it's Kings 31, Blazers 21. I guess maybe I'm just out of game shape, but that quarter seemed to last forever.

Donte Green, who's sporting the close cut mohawk, makes an athletic move at the basket to get a putback two. Kings out-hustling and out-muscling the home squad.

Not a whole lot going on offensively for the Blazers right now. Between the missed free throws and mishandled passes, this one is rather ugly. Sacramento 24, Portland 18. Right on cue, Jerryd Bayless makes one of two.

And new Rudy Fernandez replaces Martell Webster. If Batum gets in sometime tonight the quad rookies will all have something to talk about tomorrow morning at shootaround.

Joel Przybilla and Jerryd Bayless check in. Welcome to Portland Jerryd, and welcome back from a broken hand Joel.

Greg is really going after it on offense. He hasn't found much luck with his jump hook, as it looks like he's over-rotating on his pivot away from the basket, but he's going hard after every miss.

The Blazers transition defense has been rather poor thus far. Mikki Moore, while svelte, shouldn't be beating every Blazer down the floor.

The Kings jerseys seem to be more purple this year. Must be a part of the rebuilding.

The crowd is roaring every time Greg gets his mitts on the ball. After a few failed attempts, G.O. gets a dunk and an And1 over Spencer Hawes. No away a guy Hawes' size can contain a motivated Greg Oden.

It's that time again. Back up in the Rose Garden with the resurrection. We've got a nice crowd on hand to see Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez and Jerryd Bayless go NBA-style for the first time in their careers. Should be exciting.

Kings are playing without Kevin Martin and Brad Miller, so on paper, the Blazers should roll. I've heard they don't play on paper though.

Greg Oden wins an ugly tip, and the 2008-2009 season is underway.