Live From The Press Box - Sonics vs. Utah
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Sonics Cruise to Win
Posted at 8:39 p.m.
After Utah threatened late, the Sonics poured it on, Ray Allen adding a couple of jumpers in the final minute to make it a 17-point victory. The Sonics 122 points are the most they’ve scored in regulation this season (the only time they’ve topped it was 129 in an OT win over Utah at the Key in December) and their 59% shooting was also a season high. This is a very nice and well-needed victory as the Sonics head on the road for three road games that all should be winnable.
San Antonio Up Next
Posted at 8:36 p.m.
The Sonics hit the road for a three-game road trip next week, but they’ll be back at KeyArena a week from tomorrow to take on the NBA’s top team, the San Antonio Spurs, in a showdown of division leaders.
Get your tickets now!
Telling Reaction
Posted at 8:34 p.m.
When Vladimir Radmanovic was called for a loose-ball foul a second ago, Nick Collison walked toward the Sonics bench, assuming he had picked up his sixth foul.
Two Rashard Lewis threes have about finished off the Jazz. A Collison dunk on an Antonio Daniels feed is the icing, I think. Sonics by 14 with 1:40 to play.
Still a Game
Posted at 8:30 p.m.
This game has had a strangely mundane feel bout it for the last three minutes, as if the most dramatic issue remaining to be resolved was what kind of stunts the mascots in attendance can get away with. However, the Jazz has remained in striking distance, and a couple of Matt Harpring baskets have made it a 109-101 game with 3:31 to play, precipitating a Nate McMillan timeout. A couple of buckets could finish off the Jazz, so the Sonics need to buckle down and finish this game. Intriguingly, McMillan has gone to Nick Collison to replace Reggie Evans as his lone big man.
Shot Selection
Posted at 8:20 p.m.
With Utah on a 6-0 run, Nate McMillan takes timeout, and I’m pretty sure I know why. Before the game, McMillan talked about shot selection being an issue for his team in recent games, making note of quick shots. That’s been the case on the last couple of Sonics possessions, and with them leading and the clock in their favor, this is precisely the time you want to milk the clock and execute, not shoot the first decent look available. Obviously, when you shoot nearly 60%, you’re doing something very well in terms of shot selection, but McMillan may have wanted a refresher course with the Jazz cutting the lead to 10.
30 For Lew
Posted at 8:15 p.m.
Rashard Lewis just had one of his best dunks of the year. Getting the ball from Luke Ridnour on the baseline, it looked like Lewis would be too far under the basket to do anything, but he rose up and in a quick motion reached up his right hand and powerfully flushed. The dunk gave Lewis 30 points on the night, the third time this season he’s hit that mark. Sonics lead by 16 with 8:29 to play.
Hammer Down
Posted at 8:11 p.m.
Credit the Sonics with coming out with precisely the kind of energy necessary to reassert control of this game. They’ve started the quarter with a 10-2 run to push their lead to 14. Five of the points have come from Nick Collison, who is putting himself in position to get to the free-throw line and also drew an offensive foul from Carlos Boozer. Already, Utah has four team fouls in this quarter. … Wait, check that, they’re at five after Luke Ridnour scores and is fouled by Raul Lopez. Ridnour’s free throw makes this a 99-82 game. Utah needs a run and quick.
Uncomfortable Lead
Posted at 8:06 p.m.
The Sonics lead 86-80 going to the fourth quarter, but it doesn’t feel very good after Utah did exactly what I feared they’d do, going on a run after Andrei Kirilenko entered the game to cut the deficit to six points and feel like they have a good shot at coming back. The good news is that Kirilenko can’t play the entire fourth quarter, and the momentum may dissipate when he returns to the bench.
This game is being played at a Utah Jazz style with the exception of the score in the 80s after three quarters; the teams have attempted a combined 61 free throws and been called for 52 fouls. The Jazz love muddying a game up like that.
Double Standard
Posted at 8:03 p.m.
With the Sonics enjoying a dramatic free-throw advantage, now is not really the time to complain about refereeing, but consider this: On Friday, Wally Szczerbiak pounded the ball into the air after the third quarter, the ball bounding 30 feet up. He received nothing, no Delay of Game warning, no technical. Tonight, Danny Fortson relatively softly tossed the ball at the basket and received a technical. How is that not based on reputation?
Well, actually, the referees provide a pretty good reason a play later but double-teching Ray Allen and Howard Eisley. The refs have lost control of this game, and they will continue calling technicals until they regain it (if that’s possible). For his own part, Fortson needs to understand the way a game is being called; tonight is one of the rare but too-frequent occasions in which his inability to do so has hurt the Sonics, costing them several Utah trips to the free-throw line.
Kirilenko Punches In
Posted at 7:54 p.m.
With 3:08 to play, Jerry Sloan has played his Andrei Kirilenko in. Kirilenko is on an invisible clock, and he’s only got about six to ten minutes to play. We’ll see how important his role is during that time. The Sonics lead 79-67 right now.
Dangerous Time
Posted at 7:49 p.m.
The Sonics have threatened to open up a big lead a couple of times here in the third quarter, but Utah is hanging around, down 13 with 5:42 to play. This is a dangerous time for the Sonics; they don’t want the Jazz to get the lead within 10 and think they can win this game with a run. They need to finish out this quarter strong.
While it’s tough to complain when the Sonics have a double-digit lead and have much of the last two quarters, they’ve done it almost purely on shooting and the defensive performance has not been outstanding.
Surprising Contributions
Posted at 7:43 p.m.
Eastlake High grad Curtis Borchardt has seven points and three rebounds here in the period. Remarkably, that’s a season high and Borchardt is now a bucket away from tying his career high of 11 points. The Sonics respond by replacing Jerome James with Vladimir Radmanovic and going small. Mehmet Okur now prepares to check in for Borchardt.
Halftime Stats
Posted at 7:37 p.m.
Apparently I hadn’t realized just how hot-shooting the Sonics were in the first half. They were 19-for-28 from the field (67.9%) and made seven of their 10 free throws. Their lowest percentage was very nearly on threes (17-for-25, 68.0%). The only Sonics player not to make at least 50% of his shots in the first half was Danny Fortson, who was 0-for-1 (loser!). Considering Nate McMillan mentioned pregame that it would be difficult to make 58% of your shots in an open gym (referring to Minnesota’s hot shooting on Friday night), 67.9% is pretty darn good.
Q&A With AK
Posted at 7:30 p.m.
Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko is playing just his second game after missing 27 with a sprained right MCL. In six first-half minutes, Kirilenko had six points, two assists and a block and the Jazz was only outscored by one point (Utah was -14 in the 18 minutes Kirilenko did not play). Before the game, I chatted with Kirilenko about his return to the lineup and watching the team go 6-20 without him.
How did you feel in your first game back?
Kirilenko: The knee feels good. It’s still a little slow. The feeling is wrong, you know, it’s a different feeling. It’s been two months, and it’s hard to come back and play with the same kind of success in the first game, especially with limited minutes. My conditioning is not great. I need some time to get going.
How quickly do you expect to ramp up your minutes?
Mentally, I’m ready to play 48. I don’t think physically (I am). But it’s totally coach’s decision. It depends how I will feel in the game. If nothing bothers me and I’m playing well, I’ll be on the floor.
So there’s no number for tonight’s game?
I don’t know. You should ask Coach.
How frustrating was it watching from the bench as your team struggled?
It’s tough. This actually is my first this kind of serious injury in my professional career. It’s tough to sit on the bench and watch your teammates playing, but you can’t step in. Even if you give advice, you realize they don’t need it. You can’t do anything. It’s that kind of frustration.
If You Can Dodge a Wrench …
Posted at 7:25 p.m.
Our halftime entertainment is a rousing series of mascot dodgeball with teams led by the Utah Bear and Squatch. It kicked off with an instructional video from the movie
Dodgeball with Patches O’Houlihan explaining to everyone the ‘Five Ds of Dodgeball’ - dodge, duck, dip, dive and … dodge.
Squatch’s team has dominated thus far, winning the first two games. Denver mascot Rocky seems to be a real troublemaker.
Strong Finish for Sonics
Posted at 7:19 p.m.
After allowing Utah to cut the lead to 53-45 late in the first half, the Sonics closed the half very well, going on a 9-2 run to give them a 15-point lead at halftime, 62-47. Notable was Nick Collison tipping in a Luke Ridnour miss with approximately two-tenths of a second left. Replay upheld that the shot was good. I feel good for Nick, who’s had a bunch of those shots come a tenth of a second or two after the buzzer and go uncounted. AD has 17, Rashard Lewis 15 at the half.
Foul Shooting
Posted at 7:09 p.m.
After hitting all 12 of their free throws during the first quarter, the Sonics are just 3-for-9 from the charity stripe this quarter. While you can’t expect Reggie Evans to make all of his free throws, even usually accurate players like Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen have missed two apiece.
Gordan Gircek just went down in pain, forcing the Jazz to call a timeout, but he’s up and will remain in the game. Not sure exactly what it was that laid him low in the first place.
AD’s Impact
Posted at 6:59 p.m.
After struggling on Friday night, Antonio Daniels has been a huge factor off the bench tonight, scoring 12 points and handing out three assists in 14 minute of work. Daniels’ strong play has allowed Nate McMillan to get Ray Allen a nice long rest here in the second quarter, with a Daniels-Luke Ridnour backcourt operating together. Up eight with Daniels going to the line and 5:40 left in the first half, the Sonics have the opportunity to really put the hammer down. Utah, playing the second of a back-to-back set, might start feeling that fatigue a little bit more than usual.
Also with a mention are the current big men for the Sonics, Reggie Evans and Vladimir Radmanovic. Both missed this morning’s shootaround because they felt ill, but they’ve placed and played well.
A Daniels three from the corner gives him 17 points and pushes the Sonics lead to 50-39.
You Could Hear the Anticipation …
Posted at 6:53 p.m.
… as soon as Ivan Drago’s face appeared on Arenavision during the “lookalikes” segment. The camera caught Andrei Kirilenko covering his face with a towel, and it looked a lot like he was trying to hide his laughter. (Shaquille O’Neal made no such attempt after a recent comparison to Shrek). The good news is Kirilenko is out of the game after leading Utah on an 8-2 run to start the second quarter. He looked a lot like his old self.
It’s Official
Posted at 6:49 p.m.
The Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots, who have dominated their respective conferences over the last four years, will meet in the Super Bowl in two weeks. Sonics players, like anyone else, are big football fans. Flip Murray brought his Donovan McNabb jersey to the game and hung it next to the big screen in the Sonics locker room. New England native Ray Allen, a Pats fan, was regularly switching the TV from tape of the Jazz for score updates and celebrating as New England ran up a big early lead. Now, the locker room might get a little testy between the two shooting guards as the ultimate showdown approaches.
Sonics Lead After One
Posted at 6:44 p.m.
It should be noted that while the Jazz goes to the free-throw line a lot, so do Utah’s opponents. So it is that the Sonics have actually gained a three-point advantage on free throws one quarter in; they’ve hit all 12 of their free throws, while Utah is 9-for-12. The Sonics have dominated other kinds of scoring as well, and they hold a 33-23 lead after one quarter. Antonio Daniels has come off the bench to score eight points and lead a late Sonics run to give them the 10-point advantage. He and Ray Allen have eight points apiece.
With 11 inflatable mascots on the court during the period between the first and second quarters, the KeyArena court was truly chaos (and much of the first few rows, thanks to Benny the Bull).
Parade to the Free-Throw Line
Posted at 6:35 p.m.
Seven of Utah’s 19 points with just under three minutes left in the first quarter have come from the free-throw line, where the Jazz is 7-for-11. That’s not really nothing new in the Jazz-Sonics series, where it at least seems from a Sonics perspective that the Jazz have traditionally had a big advantage at the line.
Nate McMillan’s commentary to his team has been to keep their cool, which is something they’ve done tonight, with nothing but the ordinary complaining which happens in every game. (Still having a 21-19 lead probably helps that process.) At the same time, the Sonics probably need to stop fouling so much; Luke Ridnour and Jerome James are both on the bench with two fouls, and four other players have one foul.
Andrei Kirilenko recently checked in for Utah for the first time, and we’ll see what impact he has on the game.
Mascot Madness
Posted at 6:28 p.m.
It’s Squatch’s birthday, and the Sonics mascot has invited 10 other mascots from around the league to help him celebrate, representing Chicago, Denver Golden State, Houston, Indiana Minnesota, Orlando, Portland, San Antonio and, alas, Utah. The Jazz Bear - carrying a two-sided sign with “Jazz Rules” on one side and “Seattle Stupid Sonics” on the other - is one of two mascots to get booed. Portland’s Blaze is the other.
As for the game, the Sonics lead it 19-15 a little less than seven minutes in. Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis have combined for 11 points for the Sonics in what seems to be developing into a shootout.
All Teed Up
Posted at 6:21 p.m.
I’m not exactly sure why the Jazz was so upset with a non-call when Curtis Borchardt and Carlos Boozer both missed in the paint in heavy traffic, but there was plenty of complaining and a technical on Raja Bell, who is not in the game. The Sonics made it a three-point play, with Luke Ridnour hitting a jumper just as the technical was assessed.
Ridnour just drew his second foul 4:30 into the game and has been replaced by Keith McLeod.
Matching Up
Posted at 6:19 p.m.
The Sonics started the game with Jerome James on Carlos Boozer, the alignment they’ve used against most high-scoring opposing power forwards this season. After James picked up an early loose-ball foul, however, Reggie Evans has switched on to Boozer. That gives James more freedom to roam defensively, because Utah center Curtis Borchardt is a non-scorer. Boozer has two points so far; Borchardt missed his only shot attempt on a drive to the hoop.
Kirilenko in Reserve
Posted at 6:15 p.m.
While Andrei Kirilenko may have returned to the lineup for the Jazz last night, he’s still limited in minutes and will come off the bench for the second straight game. That’s good news for the Sonics, who would much prefer to have Lewis matched up with Utah’s other small forward, Matt Harpring. With Lewis handling the ball a lot on the Sonics first two possessions, they seem to be trying to establish him early on. The second play sees him draw the defense and dish to Ray Allen, who buries the open three.
Signing On
Posted at 6:00 p.m.
The Sonics complete a five-game homestand tonight with the Utah Jazz in town, and tipoff is just a few minutes away. The Jazz has struggled in the absence of forward Andrei Kirilenko, going 6-20 with him on the injured list after spraining his right MCL. Kirilenko returned last night, but it wasn’t enough as the Jazz lost to Memphis at home. They’ll try to get back on track, as will the Sonics after losing consecutive games for just the second time this season. There are still a few tickets remaining, so come on down if you’re in the neighborhood. Otherwise, enjoy the game as if you were at KeyArena by staying with Live From The Press Box all night long and hitting refresh to get the latest.
