NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder Fan Page

The blog lives... even if the Sonics don't...

2009-04-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

I feel so bad... I hadn't looked at my comments in ages, and found unmoderated comments I'd completely forgotten about. Sorry to anyone who felt ignored! (Including this blog. Sorry, blog.)

Ever since the Sonics became the Thunder, I guess I just kinda checked out...

2008-11-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

You know your team's dead when you google their name, and the first entry is Wikipedia!

2008-10-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

I don't care where you are! Make sure you get out and vote next Tuesday, November 4th!

2008-10-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

This article paints an interesting picture of the reaction to the Supersonics fans losing their team. Is it possibly true that support for the team has dwindled to rival George W.'s approval ratings? Damn!

Slap Happy Dancing

2008-09-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

Somewhere, this guy has a teenage daughter who is sure she is absolutely going to DIE. Just DIE from embarrasment. It almost looks like a really bad Macarena. LOL.

Uncle Sam...or At Least Sam

2008-07-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

I hope I never get too old to enjoy the Muppets. Here are the little patriots now, for your holiday pleasure.

Is there anything this man can't do?

2008-02-14T08:12:00.000-08:00

What a happy day... thanks to a link from my favorite Supersonics blog, it's Barack Obama playing basketball in Seattle! It doesn't get any better than that.

SuperSonics find new coach

2007-07-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

The search is over and the Seattle SuperSonics have hired P.J. Carlesimo as their new head coach. This marks his first head coaching gig since 1999 when he was fired by the Golden State Warriors, and with a roster full of young players, he has his work cut out for him. I'm sure he'll consider it a success if he doesn't get choked!

Livingston Signs with Sonics

2007-05-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

Sonics GM Rick Sund announced that the team has inked with Randy Livingston for the rest of the season. Livingston has played in 199 NBA games with nine different teams.

Sonics drop one to Houston

2007-04-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

The Sonics lost 95-90 last night, losing Earl Watson to a sprained ankle in the first quarter - Mike Wilks replaced him and considering the circumstances, performed like a champ. In other news, we're getting closer to seeing a deal for land for the King County Events Center - nothing's official yet, so stay tuned.

Home Sweet Home

2007-03-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

FIVE STRAIGHT HOME GAMES! Welcome home Supersonics. These Supersonics' victories are sweet and fans are loving every minute.

2007-01-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

Supersonics coach Bob Hill home sick during game against Cavs.

New best record, and it wasn't us

2006-12-16T22:57:00.000-08:00

I mentioned Ray Allen probably wishing he'd never gotten into that fight back in January... I'll bet at this point he's just wishing he could get back onto the court. Six games straight out now with a bone bruise in his right foot? Bummer.

Friday night marking the Seattle SuperSonics helping the Cleveland Cavaliers to become the holder of the best record in the Eastern Conference? Bigger bummer.

Collison's sunny start

2006-12-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

Looks like Nick Collison is settling in perfectly, with a career-high 21 points on Friday against Indiana. It's been three games now and he's looking good, averaging 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in each, shooting 60.7% from the field. Way to go, Collison - let's see more for the Seattle SuperSonics!

You can't take it back

2006-12-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

Remember when the Seattle SuperSonics' Ray Allen got into the brawl with Orlando Magics' Keyon Dooling back in January?

"Dooling was suspended five games, costing him $172,000 in game paychecks. Allen was suspended for three games and lost $441,000. Dooling received the harsher punishment. After the two were ejected, he tried to go after Allen in the locker-room area until being restrained by security.

Since the incident, Dooling and Allen have apologized to one other, meeting before the Sonics faced the Magic in Orlando on Nov. 8."

From the sound of that, I'm betting they'd both wished they'd laid off the fisticuffs that day. :/

SuperSonics Came Back

2006-11-04T18:31:00.000-08:00

The Seattle Supersonics had a pretty dramatic comeback against the L. A. Lakers, considering we were down by as much as 20 points in the first half. The Sonics even pulled ahead 102-100 with under 5 minutes to go. The Lakers' Ronny Turiaf turned out to be our nemesis, tying things up with a couple of free throws followed by a go-ahead jumper. Of course, there was also Kobe Bryant, evidently recovered from surgery; he chipped in 23 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Larry Odom put the nail on our coffin with 5 free throws in the final minute, bringing his game point total to 28.

Our guys had some nice stats, too. Ray Allen had 30 and Rashard Lewis had 28. But the ultimate one (Lakers 118, SuperSonics 112) -- not so nice.

Still, I'd have to concede that ticket-holders got their money's worth of pro basketball on this one. And the season is just barely started.

Sonics Deal Signed and Sealed, But...

2006-10-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Now the big question for us Seattle fans is, will the SuperSonics (and the WNBA Seattle Storm) be delivered as well?

The new owners, Clay Bennett and a group of investors, are from Oklahoma City. That's significant because Oklahoma City has had a taste of NBA basketball that started when the New Orleans Hornets were blown out of their home by Hurricane Katrina. Oklahomans seem to be hooked -- tickets to the Hornets games at Ford Center sold out 24 times last season. Average attendance was over 18,000 per game...compared to 16,199 per game in Seattle's KeyArena.

Bennett has said he'll do all he can to keep the SuperSonics at least in the vicinity of Seattle. But when the Hornets go back to New Orleans next season, what then?

Old Home Week in Kansas

2006-10-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

The occasion was a preseason game between the Seattle Supersonics and the Chicago Bulls, but it happened at Kansas University, where key players from each team were once teammates. In fact, the Bulls' Kirk Hinrich and the Sonics' Nick Collison not only played together back in the years 1999 thru 2003, they led the Jayhawks to the national championship game their senior year. And you can see what they've been up to since then.

Hinrich ended up with 11 points to Collison's 12, but the Bulls pulled the game out in OT, 110-105. Pretty darn close, and that's how most fans in Allen Fieldhouse wanted it.

Supersonics & Gatorade promote health!

2006-10-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

The seattle supersonics team up with Gatorade to motivate students in seattles. Acheiving the nation's 85th percentile or above wins these students a "Hip To Be Fit" T-shirt. Including an opportunity to be recognized as a fitness leader at a sonics game.

back at camp

2006-10-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

The Sonics headed back to training camp yesterday, inviting six players to join them. Denham Brown and Mike Wilks are not really new faces, as Brown was the Sonics second draft pick in June, and Wilks came aboard at the trade deadline last season. This leaves a few others: Kenny Adeleke (Hartford ’06) will join up as a forward after an impressive college career. Desmon Farmer (USC ’04) spent two training camps with the Pacers but never made the cut at guard or forward. Last season he played for the Tulsa 66ers, laying down 42.8% of his 3-point attempts. Milt Palacio spent last year with the Utah Jazz, and he’ll be gunning for third point-guard on the roster. Kareem Rush, a 2002 first-round pick, has backed up the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant for the past two years.

What happened there then?

2006-07-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

The turnaround in the NBA Finals this year just blew me away! Rooting for the underdog is a particular hobby of mine, and to see the Dallas Mavericks perform with such heart (particularly the young Devin Harris) only to fall at the end in such a fashion was heartbreaking. I found some of the calls against Dallas (esp. in game 3) somewhat questionable.

From a Seattle Supersonics fan to y’all down in Dallas: See you in the finals next year!

A Little News and Whatnot

2006-05-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well the Seattle Supersonics landed the tenth pick in the NBA Draft lottery. Also we have resigned Detlef Schrempf, the assistant coach we brought on in the middle of the season. I am not sure who I am cheering for in the NBA Playoffs. I would like to see the Dallas Mavericks win because they never have bu it is hard not to like the Suns for what Steve Nash has done with them.

Playoff hopes and fears.

2006-04-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

The LA Lakers are up one game over the Phoenix Suns, yet I doubt they will win the series. I have said all season that the Lakers would go out in the first round if they made it at all. I am looking forward to watching the Dallas Mavericks beat the San Antonio Spurs this year. In previous years they have feared the Spurs but I see the Mavericks walking all over them this time around.

Another Celebrity Escapes Repercussions for Illegal Behavior

2006-04-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

Rashard Lewis was given a one year suspended sentence for reckless driving and failing sobriety tests. Why is it that famous people and athletes get a slap on the wrists when the rest of us get nailed to the wall for breaking the law? It is a double standard that needs to be addressed because it sends the wrong message to young and impressionable people. Why abide by society’s rules if the people we look up to don’t have too?

It’s just too bad. You know?

2006-03-19T11:08:00.000-08:00

The Seattle Supersonics pulled out a win against the Philadelphia 76ers coming from behind and taking the lead in the final seconds. Rashard Lewis grabbed a steal with little time left to seal the deal and secure the Sonics 102-98 win. He has been a reliable and constant force on this Sonics team. It is just too bad his influence hasn’t helped us pull off a Sonics winning season.

Cover Dirk and Terry Well

2006-02-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

The Seattle Supersonics are going up against the Dallas Mavericks again on Saturday and after our 97-104 loss to them at Key Arena, I don’t hold out a lot of hope that we can beat the Mavericks at their American Airlines Center. We can count on Rashard Lewis for a lot of points but need to play good defense on Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry to win.

Question?

2005-06-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

Who is better Shaquille O’Neal or Wilt Chamberlin?

Now before anyone decides to answer this question, one should take time to think about it. To think about all the factors that comes into play.

For one I am not a big fan of Shaq but the man is very good at what he does and will some day join Wilt in the Basketball Hall of Fame. But consider it was two different eras and two different styles.

Re-Signing, Hopefully?

2005-05-31T15:47:00.000-07:00

With many different contracts coming to an end, the SuperSonics are looking to re-sign some people of extreme potential and some that have just done many a good thing for the organization.

For example, Nate McMillan, deemed ‘Mr. Sonic’ and current coach of the Sonics, has not solidified whether he will stay with the team or not. As of now, his contract will expire on June 30th, unless he works out an extension.

On top of this, GM Rick Sund and all-star player Ray Allen’s contracts also will be expiring soon. Sonics president Wally Walker is doing all that he can to keep these three to stay and lead the Sonics even further.

Ray Allen

2005-05-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

- from the official site of the SuperSonics

Voted Second Team All-NBA, his third All-NBA Team appearance.

Averaged a career-high 23.9 ppg, ranking 10th in the NBA.

Scored double-figures in 77 of the 78 games he played.

Twice named Western Conference Player of the Week (week ending 11/15 and week ending 3/27).

Made his fifth All-Star appearance and scored a game-high 17 points.

Leading NBA scorer in the First Round of the playoffs at 32.4 ppg.

Scored a playoffs career-high 45 points in Game 4 at Sacramento

Tough Decisions For Sonics This Summer

2005-05-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

- from the official site of the Seattle SuperSonics

Last Thursday's Game 6 loss to San Antonio ended the Sonics Playoff run. Now, with nine players expected to become free agents and the contracts of Coach Nate McMillan and GM Rick Sund also expiring, the Sonics face an important summer as they look to remain atop the Northwest Division. McMillan, Sund and Wally Walker addressed the off-season Monday in their season wrap-up meeting with the Seattle media.

3-2: Advantage Spurs

2005-05-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

The series between the Spurs and Sonics has come to 3-2 with the advantage going to the Spurs. In their most recent semi-final game, the Spurs posted the win with a 103-90 lead over the Sonics. But, this does not mean the end just yet.

As of now, the Sonics are yet to lose a postseason game at home. The Spurs have also never defeated the Sonics at home during this series.

Ray Allen was able to post 19 points last game even though defensively the Spurs were pushing at him with extreme poise. Manu Ginobili, on the other hand, made a Playoff career-high with 39 points.

Sonics Win #1

2005-05-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

- from the official site of the Seattle SuperSonics

With 1:59 to go in Thursday's Game 3, Antonio Daniels calmly drained two foul shots that proved to be the decisive points in Seattle's 92-91 win over the visiting Spurs. Tim Duncan had a chance to win the game for San Antonio, but his hook shot bounced off the rim as the clock expired. Daniels, who scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, amassed eight boards and three assists. Ray Allen notched 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Jerome James added 15 points on the night. The Spurs lead the Western Conference Semifinals 2-1, and the teams will stay in Seattle for Game 4 on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.

Down in Conference Semifinals

2005-05-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

The second-seeded Spurs have been showing the Seattle SuperSonics why they were in that position. Overall, the Sonics have been pushing hard, but the distribution that is being laid down by the Spurs is too much.

Manu Ginobili scored 28 points; Tim Duncan added 25 and Tony Parker 22 to press against the Sonics. The San Antonio Spurs put out two fantastic performances during these first two games.

"I think we had two very solid performances. We did what we wanted. We prevented them from making so many threes, from running the fast break. Of course, we made mistakes, as always, because it's a game of mistakes. But overall, I think we did a very good job and we gotta try to play the same way over there."
- Manu Ginobli

Sonics Prepare To Face Spurs

2005-05-06T14:31:00.000-07:00

- from the official site of the SuperSonics

After dispatching of the Sacramento Kings in five games, the Sonics will take on the San Antonio Spurs in their first Semifinals appearance since 1998. There are plenty of intriguing matchups and storylines in the series, which tips off Sunday in San Antonio (5:00 p.m., TNT).

SACRAMENTO at SEATTLE

2005-05-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

- from FOXSports.com

Sacramento failed to cover for the fifth time in its last seven games with Sunday's 115-102 home loss to the SuperSonics.

The Kings, who trail 3-1 in the series, last exited the playoffs in the first round in 2000. They led by as many as 19 points on Sunday, but missed 26 of 36 second-half field-goal attempts in losing to the Sonics.

Sacramento is on a spread slide of 1-5 on the highway and has failed to win or cover in four straight at Seattle.

Sacramento is 9-5 straight-up and 6-8 against the spread in first-round playoff games the last three seasons. In that same stretch, the Kings have covered six of eight when trailing in a series.

Sacramento has sailed over in nine of its last 13 overall and in five of its last seven versus the Sonics. However, the first two games in this series in Seattle stayed under the posted price.

Seattle has won and covered three of four games in this series with Sunday's 13-point road win.

Ray Allen poured in a playoff career high 45 points in Game 4 and has led the Sonics in scoring in each contest in the series. His 45 points tied Fred Brown's 1976 total for tops in the team's playoff history.

The SuperSonics are on spread runs of 6-2 overall and 6-2 versus the Kings.

Seattle has covered seven of 10 when installed as a home chalk of 3½ to 6 points this year. However, it's only 7-11 against the number in its last 18 home games overall.

Seattle has stayed under in seven of its last 10 overall and in seven of its last eight at home.

ATS ADVANTAGE: SEATTLE

Sonics 2-0

2005-04-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

The Sonics are now two games up on the Sacramento Kings with game 3 coming on Friday. In their latest game, the Sonics took down the Kings with a score of 105-93. The Sonics go to Sacramento for Game 3.

In Game 2, the Sonics held the advantage through the game. At one point, they were up around 26 points. This difference was brought back by an extreme fourth quarter on the side of the Kings. The Kings rallied to bring the score back to only a 12 point difference.

Sonics/Rockets Matchup: Not Happenin

2005-04-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Recently, a fellow blogger wrote to me about an article of comparison he made between the Sonics and the Rockets. He took some in depth analysis into it, so I'd suggest taking a gander at it. It takes a look at why he is glad that the Sonics will not face the Rockets in the first round due to their previous games. Enjoy!

Sonics and Mavs

2005-04-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

- from FOXSports.com

Dallas is 8-1 straight-up and 6-3 versus the spread in its last nine following Monday's 110-89 home win over the Grizzlies.

The Mavericks have covered five of their last seven on the road.

Dallas has topped the posted number in 22 of its last 33 away from home.

Seattle is on slides of 1-6 straight-up and 0-7 versus the spread after Monday's 12-point home loss to the Rockets.

The SuperSonics have covered seven of their last 10 in this series.

Seattle has stayed under in 10 of its last 14 at home. Forward Rashard Lewis is listed as questionable with a foot injury.

ATS ADVANTAGE: DALLAS

Sonics drop to Mavericks

2005-04-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

Seattle is keeping itself one game away from clinching the Northwest title. This has actually been going on for some time. The Sonics have lost the last six games in a row. Hopefully, it’s just stress related.

Either way, as of now the Sonics are scheduled to play against the Rockets with T-Mac and the gentle Yao in the first round. With how the Sonics have been playing, they better start getting ready for some competition.

SEATTLE at DENVER

2005-04-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

- from FOXSports.com

Seattle is on slides of 0-3 straight-up and 0-5 versus the spread following Friday's 23-point home loss to the Lakers.

The SuperSonics have failed to score the spread win in three straight on the road.

The last three meetings in Denver have gone over the total.

Denver has won six straight and is 5-0-1 against the number in those wins with Friday's 107-104 outright victory at Minnesota.

The Nuggets are 18-3-1 versus the spread in their last 22 games. However, they're only 1-5 against the number in their last six versus Seattle after their 116-110 outright road victory on January 18.

Denver has stayed under in four of its last five overall.

Updates

2005-04-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

As of now, the Seattle SuperSonics are matched up to first go against the Houston Rockets in the Playoff run. Both teams have been playing pretty poorly the last few games. This brought Houston down from the 5th spot to the 6th.

Rashard Lewis has been sitting out the last two games after having pain in his right foot. It turns out to be nothing serious and Lewis will return for the following game. The injury was a bone bruise and a bruise on his tendon.

"Everything's cool. Rashard will sit out a few more days to heal, then we'll re-evaluate it this weekend. We'll know more after that."
- GM Rick Sund

Seattle falls to Spurs

2005-03-31T14:41:00.000-08:00

In their most recent game, the Supersonics were overpowered in a very defensive game against the Spurs. The Sonic have solidified their Playoff berth, but could this show that they do not have the might to go all the way?

"We knew coming into this one that we had to keep them out of the paint right from the start, the opening tip and Ginobili took it right to the basket. In the first quarter, Parker did it twice, Manu (Ginobili) did it twice, their first eight points were layups. We gave up 50 points in the paint. We have to be more physical."
- Sonics coach Nate McMillen

This makes the record for the Sonics 49-22 while the Spurs have a record of 53-18.

The Spurs have shown that they are able to work around the absent Tim Duncan. Duncan, who sprained his leg and may stay out the rest of season, was compensated for by Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

Sonics Head Down I-5 To Play Blazers

2005-03-24T17:02:00.000-08:00

- from FOXSports.com

The Sonics will put a three-game winning streak on the line tonight when they take on the Trail Blazers in Portland (7:00 p.m., FSN). Insider Preview reports the Blazers have lost six straight games while employing a youth movement after falling out of the playoff race. Ray Allen and Danny Fortson could return to the lineup tonight. Allen is a game-time decision after not practicing Wednesday.

Sonicin

2005-03-22T17:16:00.000-08:00

Seattle is 3rd in the Western Conference. San Antonio and Phoenix have already clinched their Playoff berths. The Sonics are still rocking it out. Currently, they just stacked up another two wins; most recent against the Lakers.

This win was not too simple though. Seattle came out on top 102-100, even though they had to do so without the assistance of Ray Allen. Allen, being the team’s top scorer, was put out after the first quarter due to a sprained right ankle.

"We're hoping (Allen) won't be out long. We had it X-rayed and the results were negative, but it was still too sore to come back in the second half. We'll see how he feels tomorrow."
- Seattle coach Nate McMillan

Sonics loss to Pistons

2005-03-17T16:52:00.000-08:00

- from official site of Seattle SuperSonics

The Sonics had a five-point halftime lead, but fell to the host Pistons 102-95 Wednesday, wrapping up a three-game road trip. The loss ended a four-game road winning streak for the Sonics. Rashard Lewis scored 26 points and Ray Allen chipped in with 20 for Seattle, which went 2-1 on the road swing and hosts Orlando on Friday.

Bulls Victory

2005-03-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

With two previous wins under their belt, the Chicago Bulls added up a third by defeating the Seattle SuperSonics. The Bulls put in a very passionate victory only winning by the small margin of 100-97. Ben Gordon came out burning in the fourth, making 14 of his 22 points. Seattle was making some very costly turnovers close to the end, including missing some pertinent free throws.

"You've got to make them (free throws) and it didn't happen. We had some costly turnovers and we were just careless with the ball."
- Sonics coach Nate McMillan

Rashard Lewis ended the game scoring 27 points.

Possible Start to a Streak

2005-02-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

After taking down the Rockets in a very close game and ruining a beautiful 8-game winning streak, the SuperSonics go on to defeat the New Orleans Hornets. It was pretty much a predictable game on account of how well the Sonics have been doing. They are currently number 1 in the Northwest Division. The Hornets, on the other hand, have been doing very poorly and have been keeping a solid last position (11-43).

Rashard Lewis scored 26 points and Ray Allen added in 25.

Baron Davis of the New Orleans Hornets has been recovering from an ankle sprain. He had to put the ankle on ice anytime he was taking a break from the game.

"I was out of shape. It was obvious. I was in bad condition.”
- Baron Davis

Seattle vs. Phoenix

2005-02-13T12:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight, Seattle will be battling it out with the Dallas Mavericks in Key Arena. This will be the deciding factor to see if the streak continues. As of now, the SuperSonics are on a five-game winning streak; Phoenix being their last win.

In that game, Rashard Lewis kept the team alive for the first half pushing with all his force. Lewis, who is a first-time All-Star, made 23 points. At first, it seemed like Ray Allen was having a pretty bad game, missing 13 of 16 of his shots in the first three quarters. But, in the fourth he came back with a fury scoring 14 of his 21 points and giving Seattle a vantage point.

"The first three quarters, it didn't seem like I had it. It seemed like every corner I turned they were on my shot, knocking the ball away. It was one of those games that I had to fight."
- Ray Allen

Seattle now will go up against the Mavericks. Both teams have very strong records, so it should be a great game. Go Sonics!!!

Last minute game, comes out in our favor.

2005-01-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

With their Seattle teammates breathing heavily and shooting poorly, Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen decided they would take care of this win themselves.

Lewis scored 24 points and hit a key jumper with 46 seconds left, and Allen had 26 points in the SuperSonics' 88-85 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.

The Sonics' top two scorers did most of the work in another uneven effort by a club struggling for consistency after its tremendous start. With their third win in four games, the Sonics improved to 8-6 in January after losing just six games in the first two months of the season.

This one could have been trouble as well, because Golden State had several chances to tie or go ahead in the final minutes. But Allen and Lewis both hit big shots down the stretch to help Seattle snap a three-game losing streak at Golden State.

``In the last couple of possessions, we did what it took to win,'' said Allen, who hit four 3-pointers. ``Knowing how to win those games down the stretch is going to help us in the end. This team is slowly starting to round itself out and go to the next level.''

Luke Ridnour scored 14 points and Reggie Evans had a career-high 17 rebounds for the Sonics, who got the best and the worst from their quick-strike offense.

Seattle scored the first 16 points of the game, but lost the lead in the third quarter in a flurry of bad passes and missed shots. The Sonics' vaunted bench players struggled, going 4-for-23 with just 18 points, and Seattle managed just 11 assists.

``We just have to remember what got us to this point: scrapping, defense, unselfish play and ball movement,'' coach Nate McMillan said. ``We have to get back to that point. I know we have some guys that are tired, and bodies are aching, but the (All-Star) break is a few weeks away, and we have to finish this thing out strong.''

Calbert Cheaney scored 14 of his season-high 21 points in the second quarter for the Warriors, who lost for the 13th time in 14 games despite several chances to steal one from the first-place Sonics.

Jason Richardson scored 20 points but couldn't get open for a 3-pointer on the Warriors' final possession, and Derek Fisher badly missed the potential tying shot to complete his 2-of-11 shooting performance.

``We can live with this kind of effort,'' Golden State coach Mike Montgomery said. ``I thought everybody was really working hard to make plays, and that's a huge step. We played with heart ... (but) it just came down to a couple of shots.''

After Allen hit a 3-pointer with 4:20 left to give Seattle a 10-point lead, Golden State made an 11-2 run. Cheaney missed a potential tying free throw before Lewis hit his baseline jumper with 46 seconds to go.

The Sonics might think they slumped in January until they compare themselves to the Warriors, who lost nine straight after New Year's Day. Still, Montgomery's cautious optimism was echoed by his players just two days after Richardson ripped his teammates for a lack of passion in a blowout loss to New Jersey.

``A loss is a loss, don't get me wrong, but I thought we showed a lot of competitive spirit,'' Cheaney said. ``We showed a lot of character coming back and getting right back at it. Seattle scores a lot of points in bunches, but at the same time, they also miss a lot of shots in bunches.''

The Warriors appeared headed for another flop in the opening minutes, missing their first 12 shots while Seattle went up 16-0 with 5:42 left in the first quarter. But they made seven of their next eight shots, and Cheaney's second-quarter burst kept them in it.

Golden State starters Speedy Claxton (bruised thigh) and Cliff Robinson (back) sat out for the fourth straight game. Robinson has missed four straight games only three times in his 16 NBA seasons.

Allen and Lewis really stood out this game. They brought everything they had to the table, and we eventually came out with the W. Although it was definatley not the prettiest game, we did beat them where it counted. Lets stay at the top you guys, and not have any more games like the Jazz game. GO SUPERSONICS!

We can't get the early wins, get to our head.

2005-01-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

From the Seattle Times:

Sonics

Of course they peeked.

Wouldn't you if you had just defeated Miami and Cleveland and redeemed a 30-point loss to the lowly Los Angeles Clippers?

So the Sonics, everybody's underdog when the season started, tore a small corner off the wrapping for their postseason surprise, restlessly wondering what could be inside. After some allowed themselves to dream of home-court advantages, top seeds and maybe an in-your-face slam for all those doubters out there, they sort of bopped into Tuesday's game against Denver.

And got smacked themselves.

"It kind of slowed us down a little," forward Danny Fortson said of the 116-110 overtime loss.

Fortson said the early thoughts about the playoffs could have played a part.

"It's one of the first things I said when we were in the locker room," he said. "Our mental focus of the game was more relaxed. We were bitten in the butt for doing that." Still, the facts are there. If the Sonics can defeat the slumping Minnesota Timberwolves at KeyArena tonight, they'll have a 9½-game lead in the Northwest Division. Under the NBA's new playoff system, the top team from each of the three divisions in both conferences receives an automatic berth. Those top three teams are then ranked by record and given home-court advantage in the first round. The best record receives home-court advantage in the remaining rounds.

If the season ended today, Philadelphia (18-20) would be a No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs while Detroit (23-15, tied for the Central Division lead but losing out to Cleveland on a tiebreaker) would be slotted fourth. And if the season were to end today, the Sonics (27-10) would be the No. 3 seed in the West and host the No. 6 Lakers (21-16) in the first round.

Crazy, isn't it?

"We haven't been here in a long time," Sonics coach Nate McMillan said.

The last time the Sonics were a contender, dot-coms were booming, flannel was acceptable, and McMillan was in uniform. The Sonics have missed the playoffs in four of the past six seasons. But Seattle joins Phoenix, Orlando and Cleveland as leading newcomers to the postseason party after spending last season below .500. Orlando brought up the NBA's rear with a 21-61 record.

Now, the Suns (31-9) lead their division, the Cavaliers are tied with the Pistons on top of theirs and the Magic (21-17) would be a six seed in the East.

The oddity will be magnified tonight if the Timberwolves continue their funk. Last season they were two games from reaching the NBA Finals, finishing with a franchise-best 58-24 record during the regular season. Now, they're 19-19 and out of the playoff picture — if it ended today.

It's a scenario none of the Sonics expected when the league changed to a six-division lineup.

"It looked tough," guard Ray Allen said. "With Utah getting (Carlos) Boozer, Denver and Kenyon Martin, Minnesota coming back and who knew about Portland, we were sitting at the bottom. But that's just on paper."

Instead of the Northwest Division being one of the toughest, it's actually the weakest, aside from the Atlantic Division. The Sonics would be the division's only representative in the playoffs.

"I'm excited the table is reversed a little," Allen said. "(But) we're still learning what it means to be at the top. We've been on teams separately that have been at the top, but we're still learning what it means collectively."

And it's still January. The All-Star break hasn't hit, so things can change.

The Denver loss was one of the worst games the Sonics played this season, turning the ball over 16 times while forcing only six turnovers, and it could be the turning point to the season.

Meanwhile, Minnesota, which is 3-7 in its past 10 games, remains loaded with talent and is one trade from turning its season around.

"In my opinion, nothing has really changed," McMillan said. "I told the team we're still not in the position to be talking. We gotta play ball. You got two months to go. Try to get to the break; don't start that break too early."

I have to admit, it has been a great season so far, but in our last couple of games, we have been slacking quite a bit. Lets flare our season back up Sonics!

Living through the Heat wave without a scratch.

2005-01-11T16:06:00.000-08:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

For one week at least, Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat met their match in Danny Fortson and the revitalized Seattle SuperSonics.

Vladimir Radmanovic scored a season-high 27 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, and the Sonics beat the Heat for the second time in six days, 108-98 on Sunday night.

The Sonics ended the Heat's franchise-record 14-game winning streak on Monday night in Miami.

``It was a physical matchup,'' Dwyane Wade said of the inside duel between O'Neal and Fortson. ``Shaq got the best of that matchup, but the Sonics got the best of the Heat.''

Radmanovic hit three of his five 3-pointers in the final period and the Sonics ended a two-game losing streak by outscoring the Heat 13-1 in the final 4:40.

Radmanovic came within two points of his career high and shot 11-for-17, including 5-for-9 from 3-point range, after being limited to a total of 12 points in losses at Washington and Orlando.

``Two games don't mean much during the season,'' said Radmanovic, a four-year veteran from Bosnia-Hercegovina. ``You don't lose your confidence because of just two games. You have to come back and not even think about it.''

O'Neal had 28 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Heat, who had an eight-game road winning streak broken, but Radmanovic, who had 21 points in the second half, and the Sonics' reserves outscored their Miami counterparts 66-17.

``That's been a big part of our success when we've had the second unit playing well,'' Sonics coach Nate McMillan said.

Fortson had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Sonics, who got only 15 points from Ray Allen. Allen had 35 points in Monday night's game.

``You know that doesn't happen a lot,'' McMillan said of Allen's offnight.

Eddie Jones scored 19 points and Wade 16 for the Heat.

Acquired in a July trade with Dallas for center Calvin Booth, Fortson's rebounding and inside toughness have been a major part of the Sonics' success. They won only 37 games last season.

The 6-foot-8 Fortson said he gets extra motivation to play against the 7-1, 325-pound O'Neal.

``You've got to kind of lean a little bit on him, too,'' Fortson said. ``He leans people so you've got to give him a little bit of the same thing he does. I think at the end of the night, we both were just out there sucking wind.''

O'Neal didn't score a point after getting a dunk and a free throw with 7:38 left. He acknowledged Fortson wore him out.

``They get it going on the pick and roll and he just bulldozes his way in there,'' O'Neal said.

Miami coach Stan Van Gundy agreed with his new starting center.

``It was the same deal for us as it was in Miami,'' he said. ``They just took us apart with pick and rolls in the second half. They were great on pick and rolls.''

Leading 97-95 after a driving layup by Eddie Jones with 5:07 to go, the Heat had only a free throw by Wade with 43.9 seconds left.

The Heat were limited to 41 points in the second half.

``I felt like our defense really picked up in the third quarter,'' Seattle's Antonio Daniels said. ``When we play well defensively, it kind of carries over.''

Luke Ridnour tied the score at 97-all for the Sonics with two free throws with 4:40 to go and Fortson put Seattle ahead to stay with a free throw with 4:10 left. Radmanovic followed with a fastbreak dunk on a pass by Ridnour with 3:40 on the clock.

The Sonics led by 10 points at 93-83 with 7:56 left after Radmanovic hit a 3-pointer. But O'Neal had a three-point play and Damon Jones made consecutive 3-pointers to cut the Heat's deficit to 93-92 before Wade converted a three-point play to put Miami in front 95-93 with 5:55 on the clock.

The Sonics grabbed their first lead since 2-0 when Radmanovic sank a 3-pointer with 23.6 seconds left in the third quarter. That put them ahead 79-78 and Ridnour added two free throws with 3.7 seconds on the clock for an 81-78 advantage after three periods.

The Heat led 57-49 at halftime and had their biggest lead at 61-49 in the first minute of the third period.

I think finally ending the streak of the Heat really brings light to all the fans in Seattle and to all the other teams' fans in the NBA. We really showed them that the Heat are by no means indestructible because of Shaq. On another note, Vladimir played a great game, beating his career high and leading us to another win over the Heat. Although we have been studdering lately, I think if we play like we did against the Heat, we will really pull ahead of the pack, so to speak. Lets keep the cheers alive for the SuperSonics!

Sonics Soar Over Nuggets

2004-12-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

from NBA.com

Despite playing with the flu, Ray Allen helped the Seattle SuperSonics snap out of their slump.

Allen scored 20 points and Rashard Lewis added 21 as the SuperSonics handed the Denver Nuggets their fourth straight loss without Carmelo Anthony, 98-83.

After opening the season with an NBA-best record of 17-3, Seattle had struggled recently, losing two of three at home.

"This one had all the signs of a letdown," Allen said of the Sonics, who had not played since losing to Phoenix last Friday. "This was a tough game. We needed to redevelop that rhythm we have been playing with."

Playing with the virus, Allen shook off a poor first quarter to temporarily take over in the second period. After a jumper by Andre Miller drew the Nuggets within 28-25 with just under 10 minutes left in the half, Allen scored the Sonics' next five points to ignite an 18-3 run that made it 46-28 with 3 1/2 minutes to play.

"I was just trying to work through the headache that I had," Allen said. "There never was a time that I thought I would not play."

Seattle never trailed and held a 53-38 lead at the break. Kenyon Martin tried to bring Denver back, scoring 16 of his 18 points in the third period to draw the Nuggets within 79-71 entering the fourth quarter.

Allen started a spurt once again with a jumper at the start of the final period. He added a runner as Seattle outscored Denver, 13-5, in a six-minute stretch to make it 92-76.

The Sonics looked rusty after a four-day layoff, shooting just 35 percent (8-of-23) from the field in the first quarter. The Nuggets failed to take advantage, however, turning the ball over eight times and falling behind, 24-15.

Lewis was the one player who did not appear sluggish at the start. He scored seven points while playing all 12 minutes.

"We really didn't know how the guys would come out after being off for four days," Sonics coach Nate McMillan said. "I thought these guys came out and played. Ray looked weak, but Rashard had it going."

Allen was not the only Sonic under the weather. Reserve Antonio Daniels, who had been averaging 12.2 points, missed the game with severe tonsillitis. Ronald Murray made up for Daniels' absence with 15 points, as the Sonics' bench outscored the Nuggets' reserves, 43-34.

"It felt good to go out there and get a chance to play a little bit," said Murray, who had missed 19 games with a quadriceps strain. "The best thing about us is that we have more than one unit."

Andre Miller had 20 points and seven assists for Denver, which has lost six of seven. Anthony has not played since spraining his left ankle in the third quarter of Denver's loss to Miami on Friday.

Denver coach Jeff Bzdelik refused to use Anthony's injury as an excuse for the Nuggets' poor play.

"Excuses are for losers and we are not offering any excuses, plain and simple," he said. "To yield 17 offensive boards and then give them 18 points off 19 bad turnovers, you are simply not going to win games when that happens."

Lewis Powers Red-Hot Sonics

2004-12-15T14:15:00.000-08:00

from NBA.com

With most eyes trained on the supposed friction between Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis stole the show to get the Seattle SuperSonics back into the win column at home.

Lewis scored 17 of his season-high 37 points in the first quarter when the Sonics opened a big lead, helping his club cruise to a 108-93 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

It was the first meeting between the teams since a preseason matchup in Los Angeles, after which Sonics All-Star guard Allen questioned Bryant's ability to lead the revamped Lakers.

The two stars showed no sign of continuing the controversy prior to the game, greeting each other before the tip. Shortly thereafter, Lewis began to shine.

"This whole day, I was thinking about it," Lewis said of the much-hyped feud between Bryant and Allen. "I felt like Kobe was talking to us as a team. We were going to back Ray up. We're a team. We're going to fight for each other. It's not going to be a one-on-one fight."

Lewis kicked off an impressive personal run with a jumper that gave Seattle the lead for good, 22-20, with 5:16 left. That basket was the start of Lewis' 12 straight points to finish the first, the last six on back-to-back 3-pointers in the closing seconds to give the Sonics a 32-23 lead.

"I felt comfortable coming to the game," Lewis said. "I felt like the ball was going to go in every time I shot the ball. I didn't want to hesitate."

Seattle pushed the lead to 19 in the second quarter and Los Angeles never got closer than eight thereafter. Lewis made the first and last of the Sonics' four straight 3-pointers late in the fourth that put away the game.

Sonics coach Nate McMillan sees the maturity in his young forward.

"He's slowing down and making good decisions when he has the ball," McMillan said. "When he has a small (guarding him), he's taking his time getting the good shot. He's moving the ball. When he has a big, he's taking him out and being aggressive and his stroke is going."

Allen scored 26 points for Seattle, which improved to 10-1 at home by rebounding from its first loss this season at KeyArena - a 98-84 setback to Boston on Saturday.

"There was a point where I think he (Bryant) was going at me a little bit at the top of the key and there wasn't much I could do about it," Allen said. "He was making a lot of tough shots tonight. I like Kobe as a person and I respect how he plays."

Lewis and Allen spearheaded a 12-of-27 team effort from the arc.

"They shot the ball so well," Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "We tried three different methods of trying to play them and they had answers for everything. They shot the heck out of the ball. You have got to give them a lot of credit."

Bryant nearly matched Lewis in the first half, scoring 21 of his 35 points before the break. He got little support from his teammates, however, as only two other Lakers scored as many as 12 points and Los Angeles shot just under 40 percent (32-of-81) from the floor.

"It was tough to keep up with them defensively because they have so much firepower," Bryant said. "When we got an easy two, they got an easy three."

Davis' 25 Points Lead Celtics

2004-11-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

BOSTON (AP) -- Walter McCarty took down Antonio Daniels. Danny Fortson raked Paul Pierce across the face. Vladimir Radmanovic sent Jiri Welsch to the floor.

The punishment handed down by NBA commissioner David Stern didn't keep the Celtics and SuperSonics from getting rough on Sunday. But it might have kept anyone from retaliating in Boston's 102-83 victory over Seattle, the Sonics' first loss in 10 games.

"The league is making them into an example," Pierce said after Stern banned Ron Artest for the rest of the season and eight others for lengths from one to 30 games. "Hopefully, the rest of us are watching and we'll know better the next time."

Ricky Davis didn't start for the first time this season, but he scored 25 points in 29 minutes. Ray Allen scored 21 for Seattle, but Rashard Lewis was just 4-for-13 from the field for 12 points as the Sonics shot 36 percent as a team.

Seattle had not lost since dropping its opener to the Los Angeles Clippers.

"We're not happy we lost," Fortson said. "But nine games in a row is pretty good."

Pierce had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Gary Payton had 12 points with seven assists, five rebounds and three steals for the Celtics, who had lost two in a row. Boston shot 57 percent from the field -- its third-highest field-goal percentage in the last five years.

"I think it worked out pretty well for our whole team tonight, with me being in the starting lineup and Ricky coming off the bench," Welsch said after his first start of the year. "He brings a lot of energy to the team when he comes off the bench."

Boston scored 12 consecutive points late in the first quarter to turn a 12-10 deficit into a 10-point lead. Seattle came within one point, 35-34, in the second quarter but never took back the lead.

Seattle trailed by 22 points in the fourth quarter but cut it to nine on Ray Allen's three-point play with 4:16 left that made it 90-81. But the Celtics countered when Payton hit a fallaway jumper in the lane and then assisted on a reverse layup by Welsch.

Seattle called timeout, but it didn't help. Davis scored on an assist from Welsch and Marcus Banks made a pair of free throws to put the game away.

The game wasn't overly physical, but there were a few hard fouls that might have escalated into something nasty if players weren't so freshly reminded that retaliation won't be tolerated. Just before game time, Stern suspended nine Pistons and Pacers players for 143 games for a bench-clearing brawl that spilled into the stands in Detroit on Friday night.

Security at the FleetCenter was boosted slightly, Celtics spokesman Bill Bonsiewicz said. The public address announcer made a rather lengthy announcement warning fans not to throw things on the court or otherwise interfere with play.

So, when McCarty tackled Daniels on his way to the basket with 10:34 left in the fourth quarter, neither player made so much as a dirty look. And when Radmanovic took down Welsch under the basket with 4:39 left in the game, a foul was called and that was the end of it.

"It really depends on who's involved. There are some guys who can handle it; other guys are going to get offended," Welsch said. "I'm not going to fight anybody who fouls me. If he fouls me, it's an honor for me because he knows he can't guard me."

The Celtics have taken a lead into the fourth quarter seven times in eight games -- they were tied in the other -- but have lost four of those games. Playing the streaking Sonics, Boston ran off the last nine points of the third, including seven by Davis, to take a 75-58 lead into the final quarter.

Davis hit a 3-pointer and the Celtics added three free throws to make 80-58 with 11:08 to play.

That lead was too big to blow, even for Boston.

Allen’s Final-Minute Fireworks Pushes Sonics Past Blazers

2004-11-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

From NBA.com

SEATTLE, Oct. 29 (Ticker) -- Ray Allen did all he could to help the Seattle SuperSonics end their preseason on a high note.

Allen scored 32 points and hit a pair of 3-pointers down the stretch to lead the SuperSonics to a 91-87 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the preseason finale for both teams.

An All-Star each of the last four seasons, Allen had been slightly bothered by a sore back in preseason, missing three games. He showed few effects vs. the Trail Blazers, making 6-of-9 from long range.

After a 7-0 run gave Portland an 85-82 lead, Allen hit a baseline jumper with 1:29 left to trim the deficit to one. He then grabbed a rebound on the Trail Blazers' next possession, dribbled down and hit a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to put Seattle ahead 87-85 with 1:01 remaining.

Allen's last 3-pointer with 24 seconds left snapped an 87-87 tie and Luke Ridnour added a free throw for the final margin, finishing a 9-2 run by the Sonics, who snapped a six-game skid.

Ridnour scored 14 points and dished out six assists and Reggie Evans chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds.

Seattle wrapped up its exhibition schedule at 2-6. It travels to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Wednesday in the regular-season opener for both teams.

Ruben Patterson scored 22 points off the bench for Portland, adding six rebounds and five steals in just 33 minutes.

Sebastian Telfair, the Trail Blazers' 19-year-old first-round pick, made a solid contribution. While playing the entire second quarter, he scored five of his seven points and recorded all five of his assists, two on lob passes to Darius Miles. Portland finished the preseason at 4-4 and opens its regular season at Golden State on Wednesday.

Good afternoon Seattle

2004-09-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

Come back here later and I'll start talking about Seattle Basketball. It'll be fun, I promise.