Live From The Press Box - Sonics vs. Philadelphia
Want to enjoy the electricity of being Live at the Hardwood even if you're thousands of miles away? SUPERSONICS.COM's Live From the Press Box in-game blog is your best bet. All night and all season long, Kevin Pelton will be bringing you pregame Q&As and observations from the game. Make sure to keep coming back or refreshing so you get the latest content.
Philly Wins
Posted at 9:33 p.m.
It is a final, Rashard Lewis’ three at the buzzer too little and too late for the Sonics, with Philadelphia picking up a 114-107 victory, their seventh in their last nine games. Now it’s on the road for the Sonics, who will play five games against Eastern Conference foes before returning to KeyArena on Jan. 9 against Miami. It’s an important stretch for the Sonics as they look to keep pace with the best teams in the Western Conference.
Enjoy the Show
Posted at 9:29 p.m.
Obviously, the outcome isn’t what Sonics fans were hoping for, but you’ve got to admire the individual talents that have been put on display at the guard position this evening. Allen Iverson has 34 points for the Sixers, while Ray Allen has 32 for the Sonics. Both have been at their best during the fourth quarter, with Allen scoring a Herculean 19 points and Iverson keeping the Sonics at bay with 13 of his own. Neither has lacked for style points, slithering to the basket for off-balance scores.
That Probably is It
Posted at 9:21 p.m.
An Allen Iverson special - he scores while falling down in the lane - pushes Philadephia’s lead to 104-91 with 4:22 to play, and this time, the Sonics probably really are done. … Okay, now that’s
really an AI special, as he throws in a reverse layup while off-balance. The Sonics aren’t quitting, but time is running out on them.
Chess Game
Posted at 9:17 p.m.
With Vladimir Radmanovic fouling out, Nate McMillan goes to Danny Fortson (who has five fouls). Jim O’Brien immediately responds by bringing in Marc Jackson, who has fought Fortson (who, like Jackson, has Philly ties) under the basket all night long and has drawn most of those five fouls.
I’ll Take Speaking Too Soon for $200, Alex
Posted at 9:13 p.m.
Ray Allen has that look in his eyes … the ‘I’m taking this game over’ look he’s displayed in so many fourth quarters before. Allen has 12 of his 25 points here in the period, and his last three pulled the Sonics within 98-91 and prompted a Jim O’Brien timeout. Still, it needs to be reiterated that the Sonics can’t win this game without stopping Philadelphia, and having Corliss Williamson miss a gimme in the lane doesn’t count.
Lights Out?
Posted at 9:05 p.m.
The fourth quarter began with promise, with Ray Allen scoring in the paint to cut the lead to six, but a Kyle Korver three and a Corliss Williamson three-point play, followed thereafter by an Allen Iverson three while falling on his kiester, have pushed the lead to 15 points and silenced KeyArena. There’s still plenty of time on the clock, but that Iverson three felt suspiciously like an icer.
To the Fourth
Posted at 9:01 p.m.
For all the bluster and excitement of the third quarter, the Sonics end it trailing by eight, only three points closer than they were at the half. Is that an impossible margin to make up? Certainly not. To do so, however, the Sonics are going to have to start defending better. The third quarter was their best defensively - they allowed just 28 points. Certainly, that the 76ers are spending more time at the free-throw line than running their offense (they’ve attempted 35 free throws; the Sonics season opponent high is 39, by Sacramento on Nov. 10) hasn’t helped, but the Sonics need to slow them down. They also could use Rashard Lewis to show up. Lewis has seven points on 3-for-11 shooting. All-Stars do better than that.
Correction Department
Posted at 8:44 p.m.
I got a little overzealous a moment ago … I was thinking that Reggie Evans’ career high was 13 points, but that’s just his season high. He scored 16 last Jan. 4 in Sacramento, and that remains his career high. But there’s plenty of time to get there.
Prize Hotline
Posted at 8:41 p.m.
If you guessed that halfway through the third quarter, Reggie Evans and Luke Ridnour would be tied for the Sonics lead in scoring with 12 points apiece, please call to collect your prize. UPDATE: An Evans fast-break layup gives him a career-high 14 with 5:12 left to play in the third quarter! The crowd is loud and looks … er, sounds … like it will be a factor the rest of the night.
Key is Rockin’
Posted at 8:37 p.m.
After a lot of sitting on their hands and a lot of booing the referees in the first half, the KeyArena faithful have gotten their wish in the second half and have something to cheer about, namely, the Sonics outscoring Philadelphia 17-9 a little over five minutes in to cut the 76ers lead to three. Jim O’Brien takes time out.
Just How They Drew It Up
Posted at 8:32 p.m.
Luke Ridnour has his pass batted up in the air and into the backcourt and sees the shot clock running down after he retrieves it. He heads right to the hole and goes behind the back to Jerome James for the foul and two free throws. Earlier, a Ray Allen three pulled the Sonics within eight for the first time since the five-minute mark of the first half. But Willie Green seems intent on proving me wrong about his game; he has 14 points, throwing in a pair of threes and an improbable baseline runner.
Elsewhere
Posted at 8:24 p.m.
Gonzaga comes up with an incredible 78-75 victory over #3 Oklahoma State in Oklahoma City, the second time the Zags have upended a third-ranked team … this month (Georgia Tech was the other). This team is now 10-1, its only loss to #1 Illinois on the road, and has beaten three teams currently ranked in the top 15 (UW is the other) … how exactly is Gonzaga ranked just 21st in the nation? Okay, okay, I’ll spare my moaning about the East Coast Bias for another day. Elsewhere in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs drubbed the Phoenix Suns at the SBC Center, 115-94. That result, of course, leaves your Seattle SuperSonics as the only team to go into San Antonio and win this season. But it also means they have to win to keep pace with the Spurs for the NBA’s second-best record after Phoenix, which is still 24-4.
Halftime Stats
Posted at 8:20 p.m.
The Sonics lead in points in the paint, 26-24. This is one of those stats that insiders know means something. I’m just not sure what it is. Here’s a stat that actually is relevant - Philadelphia has 14 fast-break points to the Sonics … well, the Sonics have none. Related to that, the 76ers have scored 15 points on eight Sonics turnovers. The other key stat, naturally, is that Philadelphia has attempted 21 free throws to the Sonics eight.
Star-Studdded Suite
Posted at 8:14 p.m.
Earlier, ArenaVision showed a suite with former Sonics coach and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell sitting next to UW men’s basketball coach Lorenzo Romar. Right now, I’d have to say that while Russell is clearly the better player, Romar is the better coach. Go Dawgs!
At the Half
Posted at 8:09 p.m.
Definitely, this is one of the weaker halves of basketball the Sonics have played at KeyArena this season (there aren’t a lot of bad ones to choose from). They trail by 11 at the half, 59-48. Only one player, Danny Fortson, has been able to get anything going, and like many of the Sonics, he’s been bothered by foul trouble, with three first-half fouls. If you didn’t know better, you might think this, not last night, was the Sonics second game in nine days, as they seem a step slow and a tad out of it. But they’re still in it, and if they can get hot from the perimeter, they still have every opportunity to win this game.
Can You Count to 20?
Posted at 7:59 p.m.
I meant to put this in the Insider Preview today, but I forgot to, so here’s a quick rundown of when the Sonics won their 20th game in recent seasons. To find the last time the Sonics reached the mark in December, you have to go all the way back to the 1997-98 season, when they also started 20-5.
| Year |
Date |
| 2004-05 |
Dec. 27 |
| 2003-04 |
Jan. 19 |
| 2002-03 |
Jan. 28 |
| 2001-02 |
Jan. 19 |
| 2000-01 |
Jan. 12 |
| 1999-00 |
Jan. 5 |
|
This Has Nothing to Do With Anything, But …
Posted at 7:47 p.m.
A Seattle columnist’s cell phone went off during media availability with Nate McMillan before the game, prompting the PR employee running the interview to tell him, “You’re fined.” He later jokingly asked who to make out his check to. I’m not going to name names on who this was, but let’s just say he’s 6-7 and his name rhymes with Start Steel.
After One Quarter
Posted at 7:39 p.m.
The Sonics trail 29-26, but, given the disparity in the free throws shot by each of the two teams, they have to feel pretty comfortable with where they are. The bad news is that the 76ers boast a solid bench, meaning the Sonics can’t count on their typical second-quarter run. The Sonics bench, however, has been quite good so far, with Danny Fortson scoring five points and grabbing four rebounds and Nick Collison adding two points and three rebounds in limited action. I asked Nate McMillan before the game and he said he could definitely cut Nick’s minutes, but it’s going to be very difficult given how well Collison is playing right now. There are worse problems to have, but the Sonics have too many good power forwards right now.
Fair and Balanced
Posted at 7:32 p.m.
There’s a lot of displeasure right now amongst the KeyArena crowd about the officiating, and it would seem to be justified. In this case, the numbers tell the whole story. Before Danny Fortson was sent to the free-throw line a second ago, the Sonics had been called for eight fouls, Philadelphia just one.
Luuuuuuuuuuke!
Posted at 7:28 p.m.
After a recent shooting slump, the Sonics young point guard seems to have found his shot. He was better last night against Utah, shooting 3-for-9, and has gone to the basket for two layups tonight, followed by a three. Considering he’s having to chase around Allen Iverson on defense, that’s pretty impressive.
This Wasn’t In the Scouting Report
Posted at 7:20 p.m.
Five minutes in, it hasn’t been Allen Iverson that has been the problem for the Sonics - he’s got just two points. Kenny Thomas, however, has turned into a perimeter shooter extraordinaire, knocking down three mid-range jumpers and getting fouled while shooting a fourth for his seven points. Willie Green has five, but a Reggie Evans three-point play pulls the Sonics even at 14.
The Answer for the Answer
Posted at 7:15 p.m.
All eyes at KeyArena tonight are on Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson, who enters the game averaging better than 36 points per game in his last eight games, six of them Philadelphia wins. So how do you slow Allen down To no one’s surprise, Sonics Coach Nate McMillan and guard Antonio Daniels - who will be charged with that task much of the evening - pointed toward staying in front of Iverson, contesting his shot attempts, and not letting him get to the free-throw line. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
Signing On
Posted at 7:05 p.m.
After a one-game break (sorry for the absence of a LFTPB - it’s difficult to do while on vacation), Live From The Press Box is back in action. The Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA’s leading scorer, Allen Iverson, are in town, and it is no exaggeration whatsoever to say it’s a full house at the Key. Even the press box is quite full with at least six local columnists in attendance. Stay with us all night and be sure to refresh for all the latest as the Sonics go for win #21.
