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Luckily, one of the remaining players was Taj Gibson, who impressed in his rookie debut with a team-high 19 points, nine rebounds and all-over-the-court hustle.
"Taj is the Energizer bunny," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He just keeps coming at you. He shoots better than you think. He's long. He had some nice box-outs and rotations defensively."
Said Gibson: "My heart was beating really fast. The veterans told me to calm down, but this was my first game in the NBA. I just tried to add some energy and help us win."
Gibson's fellow rookie, James Johnson, finished with four points on 1-for-6 shooting and fouled out.
Perhaps he will be a positive surprise. Don't expect him to score and rebound very many in the regular season. But perhaps he can be a good role player from the bench.
