Tag: Detroit Pistons

Kings bounce back Saturday with a 103-101 “ugly” win over the Pistons on the road

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Graphic/Photo:@NBCSCA

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Kings began their longest road trip of the year on Thursday night with a disappointing 114-95 loss in Charlotte. That was a game that should have gone in the win column for the Kings on this six-city road swing.

Sacramento had the table set for them on Saturday night going into the game. The Pistons were playing the second game of a back-to-back set after having played the Miami Heat on Friday night. Detroit also lost center Andre Drummond in the first quarter of the Miami game when an arm in the face caused a nasal injury that would also keep him out of the game versus the Kings.

This was a snoozer for three quarters
In fact, you could make the case that this game was a sleep inducer for 44 minutes. After 36 minutes, the Pistons held an 82-74 lead over the Kings. Detroit was controlling the pace. Blake Griffin was leading the scoring for the Pistons and Luke Kennard was sinking 3-pointers with ease.

The Kings were just hanging on in the game. They were allowing the Pistons to set a slow-down pace. SAC was shooting poorly (26.3%) from downtown, and they were allowing Detroit to outrebound them. The Kings seemed satisfied to trail the Pistons by 10 points.

At the end of three quarters, things did not look good for Sacramento fans.

Welcome to the “Buddy Buckets Show”

pistons buddy zone
In the 4th quarter, Hield was in the zone Photo:@SacramentoKings

Buddy Hield scored 20 points in the first half of the game on Saturday night. He played the entire third quarter and scored no points while shooting 0-for-3 from the field. Things looked grim indeed for the men from Sacramento.

Hield scored his first points of the second half with 3:26 to go in the game. He hit a 27-foot 3-point jump shot set up by an assist from Iman Shumpert. That cut the Detroit lead to four points.

After a Pistons miss, Hield promptly cut the Pistons lead to one after he hit another 27-foot 3-point bucket.

Hield went on to hit a 17-foot field goal, a free throw, and another 3-point basket during his 12-point blitz.

The Kings regained control of the ball with 3.4-seconds to go in the game when they grabbed the rebound off of Reggie Jackson’s missed jump shot. Sacramento called an immediate timeout in order to be able to inbound the ball in the frontcourt.

Bogdan Bogdanovic inbounded the ball to Hield. Hield, who was surrounded by three Piston defenders, lost control of the ball but was able to regain control. He turned and jumped off one leg then shot a 28-foot 3-point shot that went through the bucket at the buzzer to give the Kings the win.

Sacramento escaped the Little Caesar’s Arena with a 103-101 win over the stunned Detroit Pistons.

“(It was) my first buzzer beater in the NBA,” said Hield after the game. “It was one of those things as a kid you wanted to do and you want to cherish. I hope I have many more to come.”

Kings’ numbers on the night (24-22)

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Kings starting five in Detroit Photo: @SacramentoKings

Hield was the Kings leading scorer with 35 points. He shot 13-for-22 overall and hit 7-of-9 from behind the arc. Hield also grabbed nine rebounds (3 OR).

Dave Joerger was full of praise for Buddy after the game, but he also wanted to point out the performances of some of his other players. “De’Aaron Fox had a terrific game even though he didn’t shoot the basketball (well). Iman Shumpert had a really nice night defensively. Marvin Bagley fought like crazy. Harry (Giles) fought like crazy. Those guys are getting better. It’s a great learning experience trying to learn. They’re learning it doesn’t take losses to learn.” Joerger also added that he thought, “Willie Cauley-Stein was solid tonight.”

Other contributors:

  • De’Aaron Fox had a double-double, scoring 14 points and dishing out 10 dimes
  • Marvin Bagley III put in 14 points–many with Blake Griffin in his face
  • Willie Cauley-Stein added 12 points and six rebounds
  • Bogdanovic and Giles scored eight points apiece

SAC team stats

  • The Kings hit 40-of-89 (44.9%) of their field goals in the game
  • They put in 10-of-25 (40%) of their 3-point attempts, thanks to Hield’s fourth quarter blitz
  • SAC converted 13-of-18 (72.2%) free throw attempts
  • They were outrebounded 46-39
  • Sacramento recorded 30 assists and made just 13 turnovers, which resulted in 17 Detroit points

Detroit by the numbers (20-25)

  • Blake Griffin was the game’s leading scorer with 38 points. He was also the game’s leading complainer as he had something to say to the officials after every play. He was especially boorish to referee Natalie Sago.
  • Luke Kennard put in 19 points off the bench.
  • Zaza Pachulla hauled in 12 rebounds
  • Bruce Brown recorded a career-high 10 rebounds

Up next
The Kings left the Motor City after the game for New York City. SAC will play the Brooklyn Nets (24-23) on Monday afternoon at 12:30 PM PST. The game can be seen on NBCSCA and heard on the Kings Radio Network.

The Pistons also play on Martin Luther King Day as they will be in Washington to take on the Wizards.

pistons buddy post
One happy “Star of the Game” Photo: @SacramentoKings

Kings falter following fast start, fall to Hornets 114-95

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Photo credit: atthehive.com

By: London Marq

On Thursday evening, the Kings traveled to Charlotte, kicking off the first of 6 games on the road. Winning 4 of their last 5 games, the Kings have recently gone all in with their youth movement. Harry Giles, the former college and high school standout who redshirted his first season with Sacramento after an injury, has been seeing more of the floor and has shown that he may be exactly what the Kings need around the basket. Combined with the talents of the number two overall pick from last year’s draft, Marvin Bagley III, they look like they could be the long-term future for the Kings’ backcourt. Sacramento hopes to ride it’s youth to playoff berth, continuing with a good start to this road trip.

The Kings started the game out hot, going on a 15-3 run to open the game. Buddy Hield, who has been on fire this season and is on pace to break the Kings record for threes in a single season, poured in 9 from beyond the arc. Charlotte’s Kemba Walker would help his team get back into the game, scoring 5 in the first. De’Aaron Fox helped keep the Hornets at bay with excellent facilitation, dishing out 4 assists in the quarter. The quarter would end 25-20 in the Kings’ favor.

At one point, the Kings held an 11-point lead in the second quarter, but the half ended with Charlotte going on a monster 39-13 run over 10 minutes. The game would go to halftime with Charlotte leading 63-50. The Kings would continue to fall apart. While Bogdan Bogdanovic and Marvin Bagley had good games off the bench, a lack of ball movement and poor shooting would plague them and the lead for Charlotte would balloon to 20 in the fourth quarter. The Kings starters would fight back, but it would be too little, too late.

It was a poor was for the Kings to open up a long road trip, but there is still time to turn it around.  The Kings travel to the Palace in Detroit to take on the Pistons on Saturday. After beating them 7 days ago at the Golden 1 Center, they should go in with a high level of confidence. And, after one of the most disappointing losses of the season to Charlotte, they should be hungry for a bounce back win.

FINAL: Charlotte defeated Sacramento 114-95.

UP NEXT: Kings stop by Detroit to take on the Pistons Saturday at 4:00 pm PST.

Kings use team effort to down Pistons 112-102

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

By: Jeremiah Salmonson

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Kings were back home on Thursday night to host the Detroit Pistons. For the Kings, they desperately needed a win to bounce back from the worst loss of the season. On Tuesday, the Kings had a 21-point lead going into halftime. However, those points would not hold up against the worst team in NBA as the Kings would lose the game 115-111. The Pistons came into Thursday nights game also coming off a tough loss to the LA Lakers 113-100. The tip-off was set for 7 PM PST.

In the first quarter, the Kings came out strong. Lead by De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield for a combined 15 points the Kings scored 34 to take an early lead. The Pistons, on the other hand, seemed to being the same game that cost them in LA. The Pistons’ sluggish play on the second day of a back to back wasn’t unexpected, but disappointing nonetheless. Blake Griffin, the Pistons’ arguably best player, was out for a rest day which showed early on.

In the second quarter, it was more of the same from both sides. The Kings managed to put up 31 compared to the Pistons’ 27–three of which came at the buzzer to end the first half. Notably good performances for the Pistons in the first half were Stanley Johnson and Langston Galloway, who combined for 17 points. For the Kings, they had five players who had eight or more points for the half. Those five were Iman Shumpert, Willie Cauley-Stein, Buddy Hield, De’Aaron Fox, and Yogi Ferrell. The first half ended with the Kings up 65-48.

Headed into the third, the Kings clearly had the advantage, and they didn’t waste it. The Kings didn’t do enough to further the lead, but they were able to keep the game exactly where it was going to the half. The Kings and Pistons both scored 26 points to keep the Kings 17-point lead intact. Through the third, the leading scorer in the game was Hield with 18 points. Heading into the fourth, the game appeared to be everything but over with the Kings leading 91-74.

In the fourth, that prediction would come true. The Kings managed to score 21 points to put the Pistons in the ground for the second straight night in California. The Kings played well coming off a tough loss to the Suns earlier in the week. Hopefully, this signals a rebound from the poor basketball the Kings have been playing of late as they look to get back on track. The Kings now sit at 21-21 while the Pistons drop to 17-23.

The Kings host the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night at 7:00 PM PST.

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Kings, win or lose, look to hang with the best of them

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Photo credit: @SacramentoKings

On Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 The Sacramento Kings in a close game with Golden State only to lose, but turned around and beat Orlando on Monday night and played in a close game with the Phoenix Suns.

#2 De’Aaron Fox has been a leading scorer for the Kings to lead the offense.

#3 Buddy Hield and Willie Cauley-Stein have also getting double figures to keep the Kings in their games.

#4 Despite the loss to Golden State, you can still see the transformation of this team.

#5 It’s Detroit and Sacramento Thursday night at Golden One Center. London talks about this matchup.

London Marq does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Warriors lose second straight, fall to Pistons 111-102

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Photo credit: @warriors

By: Ana Kieu

It just wasn’t the Golden State Warriors’ night as they lost their second straight game in a 111-102 loss to the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday.

The Warriors were prepared and ready to go from the get-go or at least they seemed to be a prepared group of players prior to the tipoff against the Pistons. The Warriors’ starting five featured Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Jonas Jerebko and Damian Jones.

Both teams were tied at 24 apiece at the end of the first quarter.

The Pistons, however, picked up the pace in the second quarter and outscored the Warriors 30-22. This allowed the Pistons to lead the Warriors 54-46 at halftime.

Of course, halftime doesn’t last forever, so the Warriors had to head back onto the court to show the Pistons what they got. Klay Thompson shined in the third quarter as Vintage Klay came out to play. At the time, Thompson had 21 points and tied his career-high for most consecutive 20-point games with his eighth consecutive 20-point performance. Moreover, you can’t forget about Steph Curry, who made a good amount of 3-pointers.

The Warriors trailed the Pistons 85-78 at the end of three quarters.

The Warriors continued to hustle in the fourth quarter in hopes of finishing the game with a win, but that didn’t happen. Sure, there were solid efforts by Curry, Thompson, Durant and vice versa, but the Pistons had the upper hand and picked up yet another impressive win. This time, it was over the defending NBA champions.

The Warriors fell to the Pistons 111-102 for their second straight loss. Durant led the Warriors with 28 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. Curry had 27 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Thompson had 21 points and 8 rebounds. Jones had 9 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Andre Iguodala had 4 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Jerebko had 4 points and 4 rebounds. Jordan Bell added 4 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

The Warriors continue their road trip against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, December 3 at 4:30 pm PT.

Warriors beat Pistons 102-98 to finish perfect road trip

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) takes a shot against Detroit Pistons forward Anthony Tolliver (43) during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

by Jerry Feitelberg

For the first time in team history, the Golden State Warriors won all six road games after defeating the Detroit Pistons 102-98. The Warriors were without the services of Steph Curry, Zaza Pachulia, and Patrick McCaw. Head coach Steve Kerr inserted JaVale McGee in for Pachulia, and Shaun Livingston started in place of Curry.

Quinn Cook, who had started at point guard, was relegated to the bench, but he played well when Kerr put him into the game.

The Warriors were trying to avenge a loss to the Pistons when the two teams met in Oakland earlier this season. The last time they met, the Dubs committed 26 turnovers, and they were not in sync that night. The Dubs were determined to not let that happen. They were also committed to shutting down the Pistons’ offense. The Dubs did just that as the had a season-high 15 blocks. Both teams played defense Friday night at the Little Caesars Arena in Motown, but the Dubs were just a little better.

The Warriors lead in the first quarter 30-24. They held the Pistons to just 31% from the floor. The Pistons were making three-point shots, and the Dubs were shooting bricks from a three-point range. The Pistons held the Dubs to 16 points in the second quarter and scored 24 to lead 50-46 at the end of the first half.

The Dubs shot 48.6% from the floor but made just one three-pointer in 13 attempts. The Pistons shot 38.8% from the floor but connected on seven three-point shots in 14 attempts. The Dubs committed just five turnovers in the first half and knew they would have to make adjustments if they were to beat the Pistons. Kevin Durant was the only Warrior in double figures with 14. Thompson and West were next with six each.

Whatever Kerr and the coaches told the Warriors at the halftime break must have worked as the team outscored the Pistons 31-17 and finished the period with a 10 point lead (77-67).

The Dubs, behind Thompson and Durant, continued to keep the Pistons at bay. They increased the lead to 12 (81-69), but Detroit would not fold.

The Pistons closed the gap to three (87-84), but Thompson and Durant made two key buckets to up the lead to seven.

The Dubs were ahead 100-93 when Detroit cut the lead to two (100-98) with 22.7 seconds left in the game. The Pistons went for the tie, but they missed a layup and Thompson got the rebound and was fouled. He nailed both free throws with just 5.3 seconds left. Detroit failed to score, and the Warriors picked up the win.

Game notes and stats — Kevin Durant had a double-double Friday night. He knocked down 36 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and blocked five shots. Klay Thompson added 22, David West 11 and Shaun Livingstone 10. Draymond Green tallied just two points on offense, recorded 13 assists, and was basically a monster on defense. Green had six rebounds and led the club with six blocked shots.

Quinn Cook, coming off the bench, scored seven and he made a three-point shot as the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter.

Leading scorers for the Pistons were former Boston Celtic, Avery Bradley, with 25, Reggie Jackson 16, Tobias Harris 11, Anthony Tolliver 10, and the seven-foot-three big man Boban Marjanovic from Serbia also had 10. Pistons star center, Andre Drummond, was held to eight points, but he recorded 17 rebounds in a losing effort.

The Warriors improve to 21-6 and Detroit falls to 14-11.

The Warriors return home to face the Portand Trailblazers Monday night at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 7:30 pm PT.

Kings Press Row Podcast NBA Week 3 : The Key Phrase is “Player Development”

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Podcast host Charlie O. Mallonee

1-alt kings

 

  • Welcome to Week 3 of the NBA

  • The phrase that pays in 2017-18 is “Player Development”

  • The Kings need to score more points – seriously

  • The free throw line could be Sac’s best friend

  • What is coming up in NBA Week 4?

Warriors play another sloppy game as they lose to the Pistons 115-107

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Detroit Pistons’ Reggie Jackson, left, looks to pass away from Golden State Warriors’ Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland – The Warriors were not able to pull a rabbit out of the hat Sunday night as they fell to the visiting Detroit Pistons by a score of 115-107.

The Pistons are now 5-2 for the season, and the Warriors dropped to 4-3. It was the Warriors second home loss of the season. The Warriors know that every team is gunning for them as they are the champs but they are not playing like the champs so far this year. They are committing too many turnovers, and they made twenty-six of them Sunday night, and Detroit was able to score thirty-three points off the turnovers.

The Warriors led by five at the half, but they lost both the third and fourth quarter to the Pistons. The Dubs led by fourteen with 8:30 left in the third quarter but they played fast and loose with the ball and were outscored by six in the third and seven in the fourth.

Draymond Green scored just two points. He did have thirteen rebounds, but he committed a game-high six turnovers. Zaza Pachulia also scored two points, and he turned the ball over four times. The Big Three of Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry scored 29,28, and 27 respectively. Klay turned it over four times, KD three, and Steph five. Avery Bradley, the former Boston Celtic, paced the Pistons attack with 23. Reggie Jackson had 22, Tobias Harris 16, Stanley Johnson 15, big Andre Drummond, 8, and Ish Smith, coming off the bench added 16. The Detroit bench outscored the Warrior bench 31-19.

Game Notes – Many of the fans are worried that something is not clicking with the Warriors. The Dubs are still a team loaded with talent, but they do not seem to be in sync. Some nights they are outrebounded. Some nights the defense is not there. So far, they are committing too many turnovers. Coach Steve Kerr had these thoughts about Sunday’s performance: “”It just has to matter enough. Right now it just doesn’t seem to matter. Our guys are lacking in energy and focus and discipline,” Kerr said. “We finally started caring with six minutes left when we were threatened, and we immediately cut it to three because we cared. But the right team won, karma was in the right place tonight.”

The Warriors will not have too much time to correct the flaws as they travel to Los Angeles to face the Clippers Monday night.

The Warriors send the Pistons down to defeat 127-107

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors, after a very close first half, outscored the Detroit Pistons 41-19 in the third quarter to defeat the Pistons 127-107. The Warriors and Pistons played a very highly contested first half that was featured by 21 lead changes. The Dubs finished the first half leading 60-58

The third quarter belonged to the Warriors. They scored 41 points to put the game out of reach. The Warriors Big Three, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson all scored more than 20 points in a game for the 13th time this season, and they have won all the games when that happens. With the win, the Dubs improve to 34-6 while Detroit drops to 18-23.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors shot 56.2% from the floor and made 15 3-point shots in 29 tries. They had good ball movement as they recorded 39 assists. It was the 27th game this season that they have scored 30 or more assists in a game. They continued to play defense, They had 14 steals and 4 blocks in the game. They outran the Pistons as they outscored the Detroiters 29-2 on fast break points. Kevin Durant scored 25, Steph Curry 24, and Klay Thompson 23. Detroit had 5 players in double points. Marcus Morris 21, Tobias Harris 18, Andre Drummond 12, Reggie Jackson,14 and the 7 foot 3 inch Boban Marjonavic had 13.

The Warriors are off until Monday. The face the Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena. Game time is at 5 pm.

The Warriors and Pistons go at it tooth and nail in Detroit. Golden State hangs on to win

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by Jerry Feitelberg

Detroit- The Warriors and Pistons duked it out Friday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.The game was highly competitive and thrilling from start to finish as the Dubs won their seventh game in a row 119-113 over the Detroit Pistons.

Last year in Detroit, the Pistons beat the Dubs and were hoping to upset the Warriors’ apple cart once again. Didn’t happen as the Warriors were just a little bit better on offense and defense in the last two minutes of the game and were able to record the win. Warrior defensive star, Draymond Green, played just 24 hours after returning to the Bay Area to be with his newborn son on Thursday.

The Warriors led by one 33-32 after the first quarter. The biggest lead was seven, but Detroit went on a 9-0 run and took the lead 24-23. JaVale McGee scored four and Steph Curry had two 3-point shots in the stanza. The Pistons outscored Golden State 27-24 in the second quarter. The Warriors were ahead by four 47-43 when they suddenly couldn’t make a field goal. They went over four minutes in the quarter without a bucket and that allowed the Pistons to regain the lead. The Dubs trailed by four when Steph hit another 3-pointer to trail by one 52-51, but Detroit would come back, and score and the half ended with Detroit in the lead by two points 59-57.

The Warriors, who usually own the third quarter, did not break the game open. They did outscore Detroit by six and led 88-84 at the end of the quarter, but the outcome of the game was still in doubt. JaVale McGee was one of the key players for the Dubs in the quarter. McGee scored nine of his fifteen points in the quarter, and that helped Golden State regain the lead.

The Pistons, at one point in the quarter, fell behind by eight but they would not fold as they came back to trail by four at the close of three. The Pistons and Dubs slugged it out in the final quarter. The Dubs fell behind 91-90 but went ahead by three 102-99. Detroit clawed back and led 104-102. Steph Curry made a layup to tie the game at 104.

Steph made a three to make it 107-14, but Detroit scored the next four points and led 108-107. Kevin Durant hit a three to regain the lead 110-108. Detroit came back and tied the game at 110 with just one minute and forty seconds left to play. The Dubs took the lead for good when Draymond Green made a slam as he was all alone on the weak side and was able to walk in uncontested.

Klay Thompson made a bucket to put the Dubs up 114-110 with 53.2 seconds left in the contest. Detroit scored a deuce, but Klay hit a three and the Warriors led by five 117-112 with 22.1 seconds left. The Warriors could have iced the game then and there but they turned the ball over on an inbound pass the bounced off Kevin Durant’s hands. The Dubs fouled Andre Drummond, and he made just one free throw. The Pistons fouled Steph, and he iced the game with two free throws with just 2 seconds to play. Dubs win 119-113

Game Notes- The Warriors played a very sloppy game as they committed twenty-three turnovers that nearly cost them the game. Detroit scored thirty-three points off the turnovers. The Dubs, however, did play well on defense. They had 41 rebounds, nine steals, and two blocked shots. They also moved the ball well as they had another game with over 30 assists(35 to be exact).

Kevin Durant led the Dubs in scoring with 32 points in 31 minutes of action. Durant had three assists and 8 boards. Draymond Green had another double-double. Green had 12 assists, ten rebounds, 1 blocked shot and just five points in Friday’s game. Steph had 25 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds. Klay Thompson had seventeen, but he had two key buckets in the fourth quarter.

JaVale McGee, continuing to improve, had a season-high 15 points. Zaza Pachulia, who had a season-high 15 points against Brooklyn, scored seven and had 7 boards. Ian Clark, David West had six each while Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala each had 4. Golden State shot a blistering 55.8% from the floor. The Pistons shot well, too, as they shot 50.6% Leading scoring for Detroit was Tobias Harris, coming off the bench, with 26. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 25. Reggie Jackson knocked down 17, and big Andre Drummond added 15. The Warriors are now 27-4 for the year and Detroit drops to 14-18.

After the game, Steve Kerr had this to say about the team’s performance:”I think there were some good things at the end.” He was not pleased about the “23 turnovers and a lot of careless defense.” He thought the Warriors performance at the end of the game “was a good way to finish but not a good performance overall.”

The Warriors are on their way to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers for the first time since game 7 of the NBA Finals last June. The Cavaliers will be without J.R.Smith who injured his wrist and will be out for a while. Nonetheless, the Warriors will have to still contend with LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and company.  The game will be played on Christmas Day at 11:30 am.