After two sluggish games in Seattle, the vaunted Kings offense finally got untracked, rolling up 113 points on 49.4% shooting with 33 free throws and only 10 turnovers. A pair of players keyed the turnaround. Point guard Mike Bibby firmly flushed his 1-for-16 effort in Game 1 out of his system, scoring 31 points on 11-for-21 shooting. The other catalyst was power forward Kenny Thomas, considered a key player in this series in many circles. Thomas made the Sonics pay with his midrange jumper in Game 3, shooting 8-for-10 from the field and scoring 22 points. Seattle's defensive adjustments start with keeping the Kings out of the paint, where they scored 40 points in addition to their free throws. Center Jerome James was much more effective at shutting down the paint in Seattle.

The Sonics managed only 19 points in the first quarter because they were plagued by early turnovers, possibly the result of nerves in the first road playoff game for many players. Over the last three quarters, the Sonics had 85 points, their offense clicking in. Ray Allen has been the go-to player in this series, scoring at least 25 points in all three games. In the post, the Sonics have seen James, who again netted a playoff career high with 22 points, get the looks that often went to Rashard Lewis during the regular season. Lewis has been limited by his sore left knee and regular double-team pressure.

G U A R D S
	It was a long night for Luke Ridnour defensively on Friday. To slow Ridnour down, the Sonics set picks on him on almost every possession, most notably a fearsome (and illegal) one in the third quarter by Brad Miller. Bibby got more space to operate and made the most of it, getting in the lane and hitting from the perimeter as well. On offense, Ridnour made strides, hitting 6-of-14 shots as the Kings tried to force him to beat them. He scored 15 points.
	Allen's offense kept the Sonics within striking distance during the third quarter. As aggressive getting into the lane as at any point during his Seattle career, Allen shot 10 free throws and made them all, keying his 31-point effort. The knowledge they can count on Allen in this series may allow the Sonics to look elsewhere on offense in the early going. Allen did take some shortcuts on defense, and Cuttino Mobley hurt the Sonics with 21 points on 7-for-14 shooting, hitting three 3-pointers.
F O R W A R D S
	Following strong Game 1 performances, the All-Star small forwards in this series have faded into the background the last two games, combining for only 21 points on 5-for-21 shooting on Friday. Both players could stand to be more aggressive and creative in looking for ways to score. Working against double-teams, Lewis has settled for contested jumpers when he hasn't set up open teammates. Peja Stojakovic's vaunted away-from-the-ball movement has not been as effective as usual the last two games.
	Reggie Evans is the NBA's best rebounder, but Evans may have to focus less attention on the glass and more on Thomas. It's been something of a strategic decision by the Sonics to allow the Kings post players to shoot from the perimeter, but if Thomas is as effective as he was in Game 3, that will have to change. Evans wasn't a huge factor in Game 3, ending up with four points and five rebounds.
C E N T E R
	For Game 3, Sacramento center Miller was cleared to play regular minutes, and he ended up playing 35. Miller scored 14 points, but had only three rebounds. Defensively, Miller continues to struggle to slow down James, who shot 9-for-14 from the field and had seven offensive rebounds (giving him 19 in the series). On defense, the Sonics want James to be more aggressive on the perimeter when Sacramento runs pick-and-roll with Miller setting the screen. James fouled out after 36 minutes Friday.
B E N C H
	Key contributors in Game 2, the benches largely stayed out of the way in Game 3. The Sonics bench had 21 points, Sacramento's reserves 15. No reserves on either side scored double-figures. Vladimir Radmanovic (left), cleared to play more minutes, had eight points and five rebounds but shot only 3-for-11. Nick Collison struggled with his finishing around the rim, while Antonio Daniels was not his usual aggressive self. Sacramento got nine points from Bobby Jackson. Corliss Williamson (right), back in the rotation, got to the free-throw line six times, making five of his attempts. Darius Songaila, like Danny Fortson, was affected by foul trouble.

TEAM LEADERS ALLEN STOJAKOVIC Allen 29.0 PPG Mobley 17.3 James 11.0 RPG Thomas 8.0 Ridnour 5.0 APG Bibby 5.3 Allen 1.7 SPG Thomas 1.0 James 2.3 BPG Skinner 1.3 Allen 41.0 MPG Stojakovic 38.3