RELATED CONTENT

Sonics Playoff Homepage Role Players Step Up For Sonics Live From The Press Box - Game 3 Sonics News Archive

Rashard Lewis

Lewis sprained his left big toe late in the fourth quarter of Thursday's game and did not return.

"I think he slipped on the floor," said Sonics Coach Nate McMillan. "Some wet spot was on the floor and that team was in transition, he was trying to get back, and I think he may have slipped."

The Sonics other starting forward, Reggie Evans, also did not participate in Friday's drills after leaving the game early because of a back contusion.

"They didn't do anything today except get treatment," said McMillan. "I'm assuming that will be the same tomorrow. We'll see come Sunday."

"Some wet spot was on the floor and that team was in transition, he was trying to get back, and I think he may have slipped." Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images

Both Lewis and Evans are officially game-time decisions for Sunday's Game 4 (4:00 p.m., TNT, ), but Evans is expected to be in the lineup. Lewis' status is trickier; while there is no swelling, the injury is extremely painful.

With Lewis going down, the Sonics have now seen their three leading scorers bothered by injuries at some point in this series. Ray Allen missed much of Game 1 with a sprained right ankle, while Vladimir Radmanovic was lost for the series after nine minutes of action with a sprained right ankle.

"It's part of basketball. It's part of sports," said McMillan. "I've said since the NBA went to this seven-game format that injuries would determine the team that would be playing in the Finals."

Sonics Unconcerned About Offense

Even in winning Game 3, the Sonics still shot only 40.8% from the field and were held scoreless for the final 1:59 after two Antonio Daniels free throws gave them a three-point lead that held up. Still, the Sonics aren't worried about their offense.

"Everybody, big men included, they played to exhaustion," said Allen. "I don't think we'll have great shooting nights if we're playing as we did, because energy-wise, we left it out on the floor."

Daniels felt the Sonics problems in losing Games 1 and 2 of this series were at the defensive end of the court, not on offense.

"I don't think in this series our problem has been the offensive end thus far," said Daniels. "We've had lapses where we've turned the ball over too much or we've given up too much penetration. I just don't think our problem is at the offensive end. I think our problems in the first couple of games were at the defensive end of the floor and that, when you do turn the ball over, they're so fast, they run out."

While it didn't always translate into points, the Sonics did do a better job of moving the basketball. They assisted on nearly half of their baskets (15 of 31) after recording only 22 assists on 66 made field goals in the first two games of the series.

"That's something we wanted to put an emphasis on, moving the basketball a little bit and also moving ourselves, not being as stagnant as we were in the first couple of games," said Daniels. "Being more aggressive on the offensive end and looking to attack a little more."

Allen, who led the Sonics with 20 points but shot only 6-for-23 from the field, feels he can make better decisions in Game 4.

"A couple of times I probably went too far (driving the lane)," said Allen. "I should have pulled up and shot it.

"Sometimes I made the right play, sometimes I probably could have found something else."

That said, Allen couldn't care less about his individual statistics during the playoffs.

"At this point of the season, that's not even a concern," said Allen. "Your major concern is what overall the team did, and how that's going to play out to you winning the game. I think we did what we needed to do last night to win. I would feel bad scoring 40 points and we lose. Whatever happens, what we did last night - the energy and keeping them from doing the things they want to do - that's all that really matters."