Live From The Press Box - Sonics vs. Dallas
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.
Tough Loss
Posted at 7:25 p.m.
95-92 Dallas the final. Frankly, there are two ways to look at this loss. On the one hand, nobody - and I mean nobody - thought the Sonics were going to win all three of their games against Sacramento, Phoenix and Dallas, and the fact that they lost the third game as opposed to the first or the second shouldn’t change the perception of the Sonics performance during the stretch. At the same time, this was a game they had no business losing after leading by 10 points during the fourth quarter. The Sonics did not execute whatsoever down the stretch on offense, failing to score in the final two minutes. I’m sure Nate McMillan will have some commentary on their execution in a few minutes.
Golden State Wednesday
Posted at 7:24 p.m.
The Sonics head conclude their pre-All-Star schedule Wednesday, hosting the Golden State Warriors at KeyArena. The Sonics will be looking to move to 3-0 against the Warriors this season, and you can enjoy a Web special on the game to get two tickets for the price of one.
Get your tickets now!
What Happened?
Posted at 7:23 p.m.
Antonio Daniels misses a couple of players who looked to be open on the inbounds, and the Sonics settle for a fadeaway jumper against heavy defensive pressure by Rashard Lewis. It’s off, and Dallas takes possession with 0.6 seconds left on the clock. The referees review whether the Sonics were able to foul by the buzzer or not, but it’s basically a moot point. Darrell Armstrong shoots with 0.3 seconds to play, but all he has to do is miss the second free throw and the ballgame is over.
One Last Chance
Posted at 7:23 p.m.
Antonio Daniels’ driving attempt is spiked out of bounds by Josh Howard. Sonics ball, 3.8 seconds to play.
Dallas Leads
Posted at 7:22 p.m.
I’ll spare you a third “How quickly things change” headline, but the Mavericks get a stop, Dirk Nowitzki scores on a drive, the Mavericks get another stop and Dallas parlays a mismatch with Ray Allen defending Nowitzki into a wide-open three that Jason Terry knocks down - giving him six points on the night. It’s 94-92 Dallas with 8.7 seconds to play. The Sonics will throw Ridnour/Daniels/Allen/Lewis/Radmanovic out there.
Lewis Back In
Posted at 7:17 p.m.
A fairly silly foul committed by Luke Ridnour in backcourt, but he’s somewhat bailed out as Jason Terry misses the first of two free throws. There’s a Sonics timeout between shots - a Bob Weiss favorite to ice the shooter and set up a play - and Dallas trails 92-88 with 1:19 left, with a chance to get within one possession if Terry can hit this shot. Rashard Lewis checks back in for the Sonics, replacing Ridnour. I haven’t mentioned that Jerome James is also in, as Nick Collison has fouled out.
They Get It
Posted at 7:14 p.m.
Huge play by Luke Ridnour, who pokes the ball away from the Diggler in the backcourt and draws the foul. Ridnour hits both free throws and the Sonics lead is six, 92-86, as we hit the two-minute mark.
Sonics Need a Score
Posted at 7:12 p.m.
Some bad offensive possessions for the Sonics, and Erick Dampier pulls the Mavericks within four at the free-throw line. The Sonics badly need a score to break the momentum, especially with time in their favor. Strangely, Rashard Lewis is not in the game, though with 2:43 to play, his foul trouble would seem to be declining in importance.
How Quickly Things Change, Part Two …
Posted at 7:06 p.m.
Vladimir Radmanovic beats the shot-clock buzzer with a three-pointer, Dirk Nowitzki misses a three (possibly fouled by Nick Collison), and Rashard Lewis hits another three to push the Sonics margin to 11. Rashard Lewis just picked up his fifth foul, and he’s been replaced on the court by Luke Ridnour. (That’s not all bad, as Ridnour was playing great ball before going out.)
How Quickly Things Change …
Posted at 7:03 p.m.
Erick Dampier scores in the post, followed by Rashard Lewis throwing the ball away on the inbounds. Dampier gets it down low for the dunk and the foul, which he converts to give him a season-high 17 points on the evening. The two plays cut the Sonics lead in half, and Nate McMillan wants a timeout to talk it over. Remarkably, the Sonics have made this fourth-quarter run without Ray Allen on the court, but he’s back on now, replacing Luke Ridnour.
Nowizki?
Posted at 6:55 p.m.
Remarkable that Dirk Nowizki (get it? No “T”! Okay, that was lame) did not earn a technical a minute ago, as he complained for a good minute straight after not getting a foul call as the Sonics poked the ball away from him in a loose-ball situation. Vladimir Radmanovic responded with a trailer three, Josh Howard missed two free throws and Nick Collison came up with a block after an offensive rebound, and Rashard Lewis scored on a drive. A Howard airball is followed by a Collison post score and all of a sudden the Sonics lead this game 83-73. Going back to the 5:05 mark of the third quarter, they are on a 28-8 run. Incredible.
Birthday Boy
Posted at 6:50 p.m.
Something ought to be mentioned about Sonics guard Luke Ridnour, who is celebrating his birthday today. (When I mentioned this to one local reporter, he joked, “What is it, 12?” Actually, Ridnour is twice that - 24.) Ridnour hasn’t been great, but he’s been very solid, scoring nine points and handing out seven assists while limiting Jason Terry (who has just two points) defensively. Make it 11 points, as Ridnour scores on the break and draws a foul, bringing a suddenly noisy KeyArena to its feet.
Technical foul on Don Nelson, who motions for Dirk Nowitzki to return to the game after a very brief rest. Ridnour hits the T and then his free throw, giving him 13 points on the evening. A jumper on the next possession gives him 15 points, makes it 76-70 Sonics and forces Nellie to take a timeout.
Tied to the Fourth
Posted at 6:45 p.m.
The Sonics outscore Dallas 24-15 when the third quarter is all said and done, tying the game at 66-all heading to the final period of play. Antonio Daniels had the Sonics last two scores of the period, giving him 14 for the game. You also have to give credit to Jerome James, who played 10 and a half minutes in the quarter and has now logged in 17 for the night with just one foul. James has eight points, six rebounds and two blocks and has really helped make up for Danny Fortson’s absence. Now the Sonics need a good finish from Nick Collison, who will play the five to start the fourth quarter.
Flipped
Posted at 6:35 p.m.
Like most of the rest of the NBA community, Sonics Coach Nate McMillan was surprised by yesterday’s news that Minnesota Coach Flip Saunders had been fired and replaced on an interim basis by Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale. While the Timberwolves - who remain second in the Northwest Division behind the Sonics - were struggling, a game under .500 at 26-25, Saunders was a well-regarded coach.
“I think that happens to coaches when you lose a team and they’re not working for you,” said McMillan. “Even the best coaches, sometimes you can’t get their attention.”
A Tale of Two Superstars
Posted at 6:29 p.m.
For all the analysis you’d like to do, the Mavericks eight-point lead at the moment basically comes down to this: Nowitzki, Dallas - 24 points on 11-for-16 shooting; Allen, Seattle - 7 points on 3-for-14 shooting. That’s pretty difficult to overcome, Friday night aside.
Big Shots
Posted at 6:22 p.m.
Rashard Lewis has started the second half with a pair of critical three-pointers on the Sonics first two possessions, offering hope for the Sonics offense in the second half. Unfortunately, the Sonics have gained just two points, as Dirk Nowitzki has countered with twos on each of Dallas’ first two possessions and has drawn a pair of fouls on the third. Another Nowitzki jumper gives him 22 points and, if this were a video game, would earn him the “on fire” boost. He’s incredible.
First Half Stats
Posted at 6:15 p.m.
A few things jump out. One is fast-break points. After limiting Phoenix to just eight on Friday night, a big reason they won that game, the Sonics have surrendered 13 fast-break points tonight. The Sonics bench has outscored the Dallas reserves 21-5. Would LFTPB lead you wrong on that point? Alas, the starting lineups have seen Dallas win 44-23 so far. Two keys on the Sonics whiteboard before the game: Less than 10 turnovers and win the free-throw battle. Well, the Sonics have committed six first-half turnovers and have been outscored 9-6 at the line.
Dallas Up Big at the Half
Posted at 6:03 p.m.
The Mavericks scored the last six points of the first half, producing a nine-point locker-room lead, 51-42. That’s the Sonics worst offensive half of basketball since Ray Allen missed the Feb. 1 loss to San Antonio. Both Allen and fellow All-Star Rashard Lewis have been extremely quiet, combining for 10 points and each shooting 2-for-8 from the field. The Sonics were able to overcome a poor shooting three quarters by Allen on Friday night, but that was with Lewis and several other players playing well. The only Sonics player going well on offense tonight is Antonio Daniels, who has 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting. They’re going to have to do much better to come back in this game. Given the Sonics perimeter proficiency, Dallas has been surprisingly successful using a zone defense.
Missing Fortson
Posted at 5:57 p.m.
Though it wasn’t an issue on Friday night, we’re seeing Danny Fortson’s suspension come back to haunt the Sonics tonight. Vitaly Potapenko has been largely ineffective in the middle (though he scores on the break as I type that) and the Sonics have been outrebounded 25-16. Erick Dampier now has 11 points and eight rebounds, while Dirk Nowitzki is up to 16 points. Would things have been the same with Fortson in the lineup?
“He can’t do it,” said Sonics Coach Nate McMillan, who said he’d spoken to Fortson about the suspension, before the game. “I’m talking more about the way he left the floor. If that doesn’t happen, he’s not missing any games.”
McMillan did wonder whether his player was treated fairly, given that Sacramento’s Chris Webber was hardly an innocent bystander, yet stayed in the game.
“I don’t think you toss one guy when both of them are mothing off,” said McMillan.
Lookalikes
Posted at 5:52 p.m.
In possibly the most inspired “Lookalikes” segment I ever recall, the good folks in Sonics operations killed Dirk Nowitzki with a comparison to Canadian songstress Celine Dion. Mavericks rookie DJ Mbenga, on the injured list, wasn’t able to stifle a laugh afterwards. Remember, Dirk, SUPERSONICS.COM had
nothing to do with that.
Dallas? Smallball? Of Course
Posted at 5:44 p.m.
So far during the second quarter, the Mavericks have gone small on the Sonics, playing 6-7 Josh Howard at power forward and a backcourt of Darrell Armstrong and Devin Harris, two points guards who run 6-1 and 6-3. (the latter part being almost certainly because of the injuries as opposed to choice). This shouldn’t really be a surprise, given Don Nelson practically invented smallball. Nate McMillan will respond by getting 7-footer Calvin Booth into the game at the next dead ball.
Booth Sighting
Posted at 5:38 p.m.
With Alan Henderson committing an ill-advised offensive foul in the post, Dallas Coach Don Nelson - coaching with his right arm in a sling after shoulder surgery last month - makes the call for former Sonics center Calvin Booth to make his first appearance in Seattle since being traded for Danny Fortson last summer. Booth is greeted with a chorus of boos (which is certainly not fair to him, as Booth was always a hard worker and a good guy during his years in Seattle). The player Booth was traded for, Danny Fortson, will not appear tonight as he serves the second game of
a two-game NBA suspension.
After One Quarter
Posted at 5:35 p.m.
Dallas leads the Sonics 21-19 after a lower-scoring quarter (40 combined points) than either team had in their Friday wins at Sacramento and Phoenix, respectively. But they did actually combine for fewer points in the third quarter (39) of the Dec. 9 matchup in Dallas. The Sonics are shooting 34.8% after one, Dallas 45.0%.
Bench M.O.B.bed
Posted at 5:31 p.m.
We’re getting into the benches here near the end of the first quarter, and - as was the case against both Sacramento and Phoenix - the Sonics should have the advantage. While the Dallas reserves were deemed worthy of a nickname - M.O.B., short for Mavs Off the Bench, earlier in the season, their depth was hurt when the player who came up with that nickname, Jason Terry, moved into the starting lineup near the end of 2004. Since then, most of Dallas’ bench scoring has come from guards Jerry Stackhouse (15.8 ppg) and Marquis Daniels (9.1 ppg) - both of whom are sidelined tonight by injuries. Look for the Sonics to make up ground on the Mavericks reserves.
What’s Gotten Into Damp?
Posted at 5:27 p.m.
Mavericks center Erick Dampier is playing extremely inspired basketball here in the first quarter. Officially, he has five points and five rebounds, but it’s seemed more he’s grabbed about 10 boards. Dallas leads the Sonics 14-8, and to say that’s a surprise would be like staying Friday’s win at Phoenix was kind of a nice one to get - a massive understatement. Reggie Evans has two scores down low on the Sonics last two possessions, however, to pull within four at 20-16 in a surprisingly low-scoring game with 1:49 to play in the first quarter.
Bloggin’ With Cuban
Posted at 5:17 p.m.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is known as one of the league’s most unconventional owners, a reputation which has made him popular with Mavericks fans but not always with David Stern and company. As he often does, Cuban traveled to Seattle with the team to watch the Mavericks play, and Live From The Press Box chatted with him briefly about the Mavericks and the Sonics.
What similarities do you see between this year’s Sonics team and the Mavericks of recent vintage?
Cuban: Um, Danny Fortson? (By the way, Skinny, I’m watching out for you. Time to get off the cheeseburgers.)
It’s hard to say. Obviously, with their three-point shooting and their athleticism, they’ve turned into a run-and-gun team and it’s really worked out for the Sonics. They have a fun, exciting team, and you obviously can see the similarities. We’re both up there in terms of points scored per game, we’re in similar places defensively, assist wise. This year, last year, across the board, there are a lot of similarities.
The Mavericks have become more conventional this season. Will that help in the playoffs?
That was the idea. The playoffs are a different game. We’ve been up-tempo for the last five years, since I’ve been here, and we’ve had a lot of success in the regular season but only a minimum amount of success, except for one year, in the postseason. We realized we’d give something up in changing our style during the regular season, but we’re hoping it will pay off in the playoffs.
Yet you’re still two games better than where you were this time a year ago.
Either way, this team isn’t built for the regular season, it’s really built for the games in the playoffs. That said, it’s not the first round of the playoffs that slows down, it’s really the second and third round, when you’re playing against better, more traditional teams. The first round is far more like the regular season, with a little bit more intensity because you have more time to prepare. The second round and the third round, that’s where having a traditional style really makes a big difference.
Has Seattle native Jason Terry surprised you at all with his play at point guard?
No, not at all. We expected it coming in; that’s why we went out and got him. We knew he could shoot, we knew he could score. We knew he could defend - his steals per minute were always among the league leaders. We knew he was a great shooter, and we’re getting a whole lot of production out of him. He’s hitting really big shots, like three of our last six close games, he’s hit big shots in the final seconds that have made a difference. He’s really getting a lot more comfortable. He’s just got to learn the offense; he’s not all the way there yet and you can’t expect him to be after only 50 games.
Your blog, BlogMaverick.com, is about a year old. How fun has it been for you?
It’s been a blast. It gives me a chance to make sure everything I say against untrustable sources like SUPERSONICS.COM, I get a chance to correct. It allows me to get things off my chest and get things out there, kind of a counterbalance for the media in a lot of cases. My experience with the media has been it’s 500 words and out, and that’s not always the best way to communicate, so it allows me to create my own newspaper, if you will, and get things out there.
Signing On
Posted at 5:05 p.m.
After two big wins in back-to-back games against Sacramento and at Phoenix on Thursday and Friday, the Sonics conclude a stretch of three games against top teams from the Western Conference in four days against the Dallas Mavericks tonight at KeyArena. The Mavericks come into Seattle for the first time this season after dropping a 107-102 decision to the Sonics in Dallas in December. It promises to be another barnburner, so stay with us all night long and be sure to hit refresh so you’re getting the latest.
