Live From The Press Box - Sonics vs. Denver
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.
Denver Wins
Posted at 9:41 p.m.
When regulation ended, Earl Boykins had three points on 1-for-6 shooting. At the end of overtime, he’s got 18 and has made all five of his OT shot attempts. That is incredible. The Sonics tried both Antonio Daniels and Luke Ridnour and just could not figure out how to defend Boykins after he got hot in OT. He controlled this period, as did the Nuggets. Marcus Camby had 25 points and a career-high-tying 24 rebounds. This is a Nuggets team that was without its second-leading scorer, lost its leading scorer midway through the fourth quarter and still gritted its way to a big win over a very good team. I’m very impressed. They deserved to have something go their way after all the problems they’ve had this season.
Boykins’ 15 overtime points are a new NBA record, topping the 14 of Butch Carter.
Wha … ?
Posted at 9:29 p.m.
With just over two minutes left in overtime, Rashard Lewis is called for an out-of-bounds violation when he steps on the inline while trying to pull back on a pass attempt. It’s been that kind of second half for the Sonics. Simply put, Denver has deserved this win a lot more than the Sonics, and I expect Nate McMillan to say the same thing after the game.
Earl Boykins Show
Posted at 9:28 p.m.
The diminutive Nuggets point guard has all seven of his team’s points in overtime and is heading to the free-throw line. Denver leads 102-99 as the Sonics continue to struggle with their execution at both ends.
Overtime!
Posted at 9:22 p.m.
Ray Allen’s desperation try from the left corner was off, meaning overtime at KeyArena for just the second time this season. The first time, the Sonics jumped all over Utah for a 129-119 win. Does fatigue start to kick in for the Nuggets? Can the Sonics get it rolling for the first time in the second half? We’ll know soon.
Last Play
Posted at 9:20 p.m.
After a Marcus Camby tip-in, the Sonics have 1.8 seconds to try to win this game. A quick reminder that the Minnesota Timberwolves visit Friday.
Get your tickets now!
Sonics Up Three
Posted at 9:15 p.m.
A Bryon Russell three - just the second the Nuggets have hit all night - gave the Nuggets a 92-90 lead, but Rashard Lewis followed with a putback and Antonio Daniels a three and the Sonics have taken a 95-92 advantage with 1:23 to play. Denver takes timeout.
Denver Leads
Posted at 9:12 p.m.
Off an unforced Sonics turnover, an Andre Miller layup gives Denver an 89-88 lead. The fact is the Sonics have simply not had the necessary focus and energy here in the second half. Still, they have plenty of time to pull this one out as Ray Allen gives them back the lead with two free throws.
Who Wants It More?
Posted at 9:07 p.m.
Don’t think these guys want this win? You weren’t watching the scramble for that last loose ball. Marcus Camby, who has a season-high 18 rebounds, ended up with it, calling a 20-second timeout. 88-85 Sonics with 3:39 to play after a Vlade Radmanovic three (he’s got 23 points).
Zombies
Posted at 9:03 p.m.
As hard as the Sonics have tried, they just can’t slay the Denver Nuggets. Several times, the Nuggets have been on the ropes, but they’ve responded with a burst of energy to get back in the game. That’s where we sit now, the Nuggets having cut an eight-point deficit a couple of minutes ago down to one. The Sonics need a good two- or three-minute stretch here to put together a lead the Nuggets finally can’t come back from.
Anthony Out
Posted at 8:57 p.m.
The word from the Denver locker room confirms what we suspected: Carmelo Anthony has a sprained right ankle and is finished for the evening. Note that Anthony missed games in December (including the Nuggets loss in Seattle) with a sprain of his other ankle. Big three-point play for Dermarr Johnson to cut the deficit to five with seven and a half minutes to play. Momentum still favors the Sonics, as does the presence of Danny Fortson.
Deficit
Posted at 8:52 p.m.
An Earl Boykins three has given Denver its first lead of the second half, 74-73, with 9:48 to play in the fourth quarter. Vladimir Radmanovic answered with a three of his own, but the Sonics need to up their energy. A Nick Collison block is a move toward that direction, and Vlade answers with another three. He’s got 20 on the night. The crowd loves it, and Michael Cooper does not, taking time.
Carmelo Hurting
Posted at 8:50 p.m.
Carmelo Anthony collapsed on the sideline near the Denver bench on the Nuggets last possession and, after a timeout, limped off into the Denver locker room. He seemed to be moving a little better as he got going, but it’s tough to say what his status is right now. Anthony came down on Nick Collison’s foot, which is traditionally a recipe for rolling an ankle. That’s a real shame … this has been a very difficult season for Carmelo, obviously, and it doesn’t look to be getting any easier. But there’s still a game to be played.
To the Fourth
Posted at 8:44 p.m.
The Sonics lead going to the fourth quarter, but it’s a slim 71-69 advantage that feels like a deficit given how much the Nuggets outplayed them in the third period. Marcus Camby, who has 20 points and 13 rebounds, is playing a brilliant game and making moves no 6-11 center should ever make. Andre Miller has 18 points, and Luke Ridnour is becoming increasingly frustrated with the calls going against him when he defends Miller in the post. That’s carried over to offense, where Ridnour has seven assists but is shooting just 2-for-10. He wasn’t aware of the game clock on the last possession of the third quarter, failing to get up a shot.
The good news is that Miller and Camby can’t play forever, and the Sonics bench continues to be dominant. We also have yet to see Danny Fortson here in the second half.
Allen Off
Posted at 8:37 p.m.
The problems with the Sonics starting five on offense start with the fact that Ray Allen is not clicking this evening. Allen is 5-for-15 from the field and has scored 10 points. While Rashard Lewis has played well (15 points on 6-for-12), the Sonics just don’t have enough offense without Allen going; they’ve gotten just eight points from their other three starters. Getting Antonio Daniels and Vladimir Radmanovic into the game should help.
It’s a Game
Posted at 8:32 p.m.
If the Sonics thought they were going to cruise here in the second half, they were mistaken. Denver continues to play hard and has done a great job in the second half, going on a 14-7 run to cut the Sonics lead to as little as three. Marcus Camby continues to play energized basketball, running the floor for two fast-break baskets and running his game total to 16 points. The Sonics starting lineup doesn’t have a lot of rhythm to it. Will the bench be as dominant as it was in the first half?
Holman Update
Posted at 8:26 p.m.
Former Seattle Mariners pitcher Brian Holman and has family have gone through a difficult five years, with two children and Brian experiencing illnesses. They’ve persevered and were able to tell Seattle Times
columnist Steve Kelley a story of survival last month (it’s a must-read if you haven’t already). After ready the Holmans’ story, the Sonics contacted the family and invited them out to a game. They’re here tonight, filling a suite with friends and family. I caught up briefly with Brian before tonight’s game to get an update on his story.
How is your family doing now?
We’re doing great. We just did a story on ‘Northwest Afternoon’. Everything’s going really well. Kassidy is still going through chemotherapy. She’s going tomorrow, but she’s doing well. David is healthy and doing well and playing sports. I’m healthy. Things are going well. You can’t complain about it.
What has the reaction been like to the article Steve Kelley wrote?
There’s been tremendous reaction to the article. We had Northwest Afternoon, we’ve done many different magazines. They all want to tell the story. Our hope is that because of what our family has gone through, maybe if there are families that are struggling and going through some things, they can say, ‘You can get through this,’ and there’s some hope and a knowledge that they’re not the only ones. Maybe we were able to give them a little peace to know that our family has gone through this and lived through it and gone through all this difficulty.
How is it to be able to get out to a game tonight?
It’s awesome, man. We were able to bring some friends of ours and our family, my son’s girlfriend’s family, and we’ve just come and spent some time together.
Does it help having the background as a professional athlete when going through something like this?
I do think it does. The reason it does is because, as an athlete, no matter what happens in your life, you have go out and perform. You walk across that white line and, whether you had a good day or a bad day, 50,000 people watching, you have to go out and compete. You take the attitude of, whatever it is, bring it on. I’m ready to face it. My wife is that way as well. As an athlete, you never say, ‘I give up.’ You say, ‘This is what we’ve been dealt. We’re going to attack it head on, just like I’d attack Jose Canseco or Mark McGwire or Tony Gwynn. We’re going to go after it head on and do the best we can. That’s all you can do. You don’t know what the outcome is going to be, there are no guarantees, but if you go into the game and do what you can, you can look in the mirror after the game and say, ‘I did the best I could.’ I can say the same with this. We just said, ‘We did the best we can,’ and, no matter what happens, we’re going to enjoy life and enjoy our family.
At the Half
Posted at 8:04 p.m.
A late run gets the Nuggets within 10 at the half, 52-42. It doesn’t feel that close, honestly. The Sonics are shooting an even 50.0% from the field in the first half and are outrebounding Denver 24-16 despite nine boards for Marcus Camby. The only weakness, again, has been turnover - the Sonics have nine. As if to emphasize their problems, the Nuggets have missed all five of their three attempts. Final first-half bench scoring: Sonics 32-4.
Late Entries
Posted at 8:01 p.m.
Rashard Lewis, not satisfied with the number one dunk this season so far for the Sonics, had back-to-back dunks on the Sonics last two possessions that merited consideration. First, Luke Ridnour hooked up with Lewis on an alley-oop lob on the break. Then, Lewis waited for the defense when he got the ball under the basket and then rose back up to flush. A healthy-looking Lewis will finish with 12 first-half points after being pulled to keep from picking up a third foul.
Doing It With Defense
Posted at 7:58 p.m.
Lost in how well the Sonics bench has played is the job the tem is doing defensively on the Nuggets. Denver has just ten points in this quarter, just a little better than one per minute (we’re 9:24 in). Go back to the 3:30 mark of the first quarter and Denver has just 12 points in 13 minutes. Denver is not a great offensive team, particularly without Kenyon Martin and Nene, but this is still quite impressive. I’m sure Nate McMillan is pleased. (Wait … Nate is never pleased.)
Top Ten Dunks
Posted at 7:54 p.m.
During the last timeout, the Sonics counted down their top ten dunks of the season thus far. Take a second and guess which one was #1. (Here’s a hint: It wasn’t Danny Fortson.)
If you guessed Rashard Lewis’ offensive rebound and dunk late in the fourth quarter in Dallas, you’re right. The dunk won not only for sheer power, but also its importance to the game. I’m pretty disappointed I didn’t remember that one, seeing as I was even at the game.
Baddest Man in Pig Tails
Posted at 7:48 p.m.
It would be difficult to overstate the impact Danny Fortson is having on this ballgame right now. In a little over six minutes of work, Fortson has eight points and four rebounds. He’s taking advantage of being in the right place at the right time, getting a couple of offensive rebounds in that manner. Combined with Antonio Daniels’ nine points and Vladimir Radmanovic’s seven, the bench has brought it tonight. That’s why the Sonics lead 39-29 after a Radmanovic fast-break dunk and Michael Cooper is taking timeout. Current bench scoring tally: Sonics 26, Denver 4.
Coop
Posted at 7:44 p.m.
Tonight, Denver Interim Coach Michael Cooper coaches his 10th game at the helm of the Nuggets. At best, Cooper will have won three of them, and speculation is mounting in Denver that the Nuggets will end up with George Karl as their long-term head coach. Still, when I asked Cooper before the game if he was having fun, he didn’t hesitate at all before saying yes.
Cooper does know the urgency of the situation.
“We’ve got to get a win any way we can,” he said. “You can’t be too concerned about the ones who aren’t here.”
The Nuggets look like they’re playing hard this evening, but without Nene and Martin in the lineup, the Sonics look to have a depth advantage.
Tight Game After One
Posted at 7:35 p.m.
Both teams cooled off toward the end of the first quarter, but four Danny Fortson free throws have cut Denver’s lead to 23-22 at the end of the first quarter. The Sonics bench is clearly outplaying the Nuggets bench, which has yet to score - though we haven’t seen Earl Boykins either. If the Sonics bench can keep up the effort, the Sonics have a chance to build up a lead here in the second quarter.
Another Proposal
Posted at 7:29 p.m.
I don’t really understand the correlation, but for the second time in three games I’ve sat courtside, we have a marriage proposal. The future Mrs. Looked quite embarrassed on this occasion, but eventually relented and said yet. Congrats to the happy couple!
Shaking Off The Rust
Posted at 7:25 p.m.
Rashard Lewis, who struggled in the early going in his return to action, has five points. As a result, the Sonics offense seems to have opened up. Vladimir Radmanovic is doing his part, adding five points of his own as the Sonics have gotten within 21-18 as we near the three-minute mark. Both teams getting ready to go into their benches.
Camby Man
Posted at 7:18 p.m.
Denver center Marcus Camby didn’t play in last night’s loss at Golden State, and he seems active in the early going. Camby has a couple of long jumpers (when he became a jumpshooter, I’m not really sure, but he sorta is now) and playing big on defense. The Nuggets have jumped out to a 12-4 lead, something Coach Michael Cooper said was important before the game. This continues a strange trend where Denver has had more energy in the second game of back-to-backs than in the first games, in which they are 0-9.
Sonics Aid CARE
Posted at 7:08 p.m.
Just before the game, Sonics President and CEO Wally Walker participated in a check presentation that completes the Sonics and Storm T.E.A.M. Foundation's efforts to help the tsunami-affected people of Sri Lanka. The team hit its goal, collecting $50,000 at three home games last week and via SUPERSONICS.COM and storm.wnba.com. The Sonics matched that $50,000, presenting a check for $100,000 to CARE. Thanks to everyone who helped the Sonics raise money for this good cause.
Injury Update
Posted at 6:58 p.m.
Plenty of big news on the injury front this evening. Sonics forward Rashard Lewis, who missed the last two games with patella tendinitis in his left knee and was a gametime decision tonight, will give it a go. Lewis is in the Sonics starting lineup. Out tonight is backup center Vitaly Potapenko, who becomes the second Sonics big man this month to be afflicted by Gastroenteritis. On the Denver side, in addition to forward/center Nene, who is out because of NBA suspension, the Nuggets will be without forward Kenyon Martin because of strep throat. Usually, Nene would take his place. Tonight, it will be 7-0 center Francisco Elson, leaving Denver without a center off the bench. Look for Michael Cooper to play plenty of smallball and force the Sonics to match up.
Signing On
Posted at 6:55 p.m.
It's back to Press Row courtside tonight for me, as I continue living the life of a big-shot basketball writer. There are definitely a lot of times in this job you can't believe you're getting paid for this. It's the Denver Nuggets in two to face the Sonics tonight, having lost seven of their eight games, including last night in Golden State. The Sonics won't have time for sympathy for Interim Coach Michael Cooper as they look to pick up their fifth straight win at KeyArena. A few tickets remain, so come on down if you're in the neighborhood. Otherwise, pull up a chair and enjoy the view from courtside through Live From The Press Box all night long.
