Feel free to discuss the proceedings of the day's playoffs Game 1s in this thread.

Some playoffs-related links.

- The Basketball Jones' playoff preview is absurdly entertaining (and, err, PG-13).

- Mascots are hopeful.

- My comrades at FanHouse ran through the gauntlet.

- Yahoo! did their thing with blogospheric representation. (Twice actually, as Skeets & KD offered their thoughts on the East and West.)

- Basketbawful and FreeDarko offer their visions at Deadspin. (They're all good, but this one's particularly awesome.)

- Hardwood Paroxysm looks at every team.

- BallHype remains the best spot to find the best everything. And don't forget to fill out your free playoff pick'em bracket for a chance to win an iPod touch and/or a forthcoming non-Peaches StR t-shirt.

Here is an actual game thread for the visit to Mordor this evening. If you haven not already, please do stop in the Beat L.A. thread to add to our army of spirit.

Since this is last night I'll be hearing Grant Napear's voice until October, how about a parting photo? Travis Mays Hayes, who lives in China, took Peaches to the Great Wall during a snowstorm. (Big ups to his brother for ordering the shirt and smuggling it over.)

Win this one for Peaches, fellas. Win it for us!

Kevin Martin and Ron Artest are both game-time decisions; I'm hearing Martin will sit but Artest would like to play.

We have roughly five hours until game time. Let's see how many folks we can get to post a quick "Beat L.A." in the comments. Just post it once, but let's try to get all the lurkers (and Hornets/Spurs fans) out there to put in the quick work. Wish StR 1.0 off calmly into the night!

I will begin: Um, beat L.A.!

Incidentally, as the last home game of the year, the time to get free Kings swag is now. Tickets are available (an understatement); if you desparately need a Brad Miller poster or Kings miniball, tonight's your night.

If Manu Ginobili doesn't play, this should be a fascinating battle. If he and Kevin Martin both play, also potentially fascinating.

Go Kings.

We have another 7 p.m. tip, this one against a team with something to play for. If you're attending, check in with Muff209, who would like to serenade our friend Napes.

Kevin Martin will not play, reports Amick. You'd almost prefer to see Anthony Johnson, Randy Brown and Lorenzen Wright start the game, if only because you can taste the Hornets getting out to a 40-point lead in the first quarter. Better to let Quincy Douby, Spencer Hawes and Friends walk away with a moral victory from slicing the final margin to something like 22.

Go Kings.

Game thread's early tonight. The Spencer Hawes Experience continues. Go Kings.

UPDATE: Cheer Hawes extra hard tonight, after reading this from Amick (with the nod to Carl for the heads up):

BEAT G.S.! BEAT G.S.! (Doesn't quite have the same ring, I know.)

Game's at 7:30 p.m. local time.

Don't stop believin'.

Another night, another spoiler alert. The Lakers visit Sacramento for the last time until next spring. And I hear the gym's sold out. (Praying for no M-V-P chants.)

As you'd expect, Kurt from Forum Blue & Gold has a thoughtful preview, which reminds us how potent the Kings' screen-roll and cut-focused offense was against the Lakers last time around. I have a pleasant memory from that game, and I'm sure you all recall it a bit too.

This should be a highly offensive game. 6:00 p.m. is the start. Go Kings.

We have a 6 p.m. tip-off tonight. Anything can happen with Denver. Anything... even John Salmons and Spencer Hawes leading a victory charge.

Well, maybe not anything.

Go Kings.

UPDATE: It looks like Martin will play.

Egads: The Clippers can sweep the season series with a win in Sacramento tonight.

Only Kurt Angle can save us now. (Actually, I'm most excited about Vincente Escobido.)

Game's at 7. Shock & Hawes is back. Start him at the point!

Go Kings.