Live From The Press Box - Sonics vs. Milwaukee
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.
Sonics Win
Posted at 9:22 p.m.
The action in the final 30 seconds was meaningless except in one regard. Luke Ridnour was sent to the free-throw line again and drilled both shots, giving him a career-high 21 points. He added nine assists in what was probably his best effort of the season. Outstanding night for Luke and the Sonics, as they once again power through the absence of Ray Allen to pick up the win by a 92-84 final. It’s their 46th of the season, the most they’ve had since the 1997-98 season, with a couple of 45-win years in between.
Important Free Throws
Posted at 9:15 p.m.
With two free throws with 29.3 seconds to play, Luke Ridnour has not only all but put this game on ice (it’s 89-82 Sonics), he’s also tied his career high with 19 points. Way to go Luke!
New York Friday
Posted at 9:11 p.m.
The New York Knicks make their only visit to Seattle on Friday. After looking like they were giving up on the season with two trade-deadline deals, the Knicks have actually made a run at the playoffs since then. Still, the Sonics beat them 90-80 in New York on Mar. 13. Come see Stephon Marbury and company.
Get your tickets now!
Big 3
Posted at 9:09 p.m.
As big as Rashard Lewis’ first six 3s of this game have been, it’s his seventh that is clearly the biggest. With two and a half minutes to play, the Sonics led by just two when Lewis buried an open look from the left win. A stop was followed by an Antonio Daniels score in the paint and the Sonics now lead 86-79 with 1:29 left on the clock and possession. It looks like they’re going to escape with this win.
Mase’s Return
Posted at 9:05 p.m.
For the second time, one-time Sonics forward Desmond Mason returned to KeyArena tonight with the Milwaukee Bucks. Once, Mason thought he was going to play in Seattle his entire career, but he’s become a fixture in Milwaukee since signing a contract extension before last season.
So how is Mason doing with the Bucks?
“I’m doing good, feeling good, healthy,” said Mason. “The team’s starting to make a last-minute push for a playoff position.”
Mason is Milwaukee’s second-leading scorer, averaging a career-high 16.7 points per game. His game has evolved since he joined the Bucks.
“Coach (Terry Porter) has given me a lot more opportunity on the offensive end,” Mason said.
“I think I’m more versatile. … I’m putting the ball on the floor more, better ballhandling, better decision-making.”
That’s been confirmed tonight. Never a completely comfortable ballhandler during his time with the Sonics, to the point that he came to be viewed more as a small forward than a shooting guard by the team (with Rashard Lewis already filling that position). Many of his 21 points so far have been created off the dribble.
Mason has also grown past his initial anger at the trade.
“I realized a little bit after the trade that this is definitely a business,” he said.
Finish Them
Posted at 8:58 p.m.
Milwaukee briefly tied the game on an Erick Strickland score, but the Sonics have come back with a 6-0 run, including an Antonio Daniels 3, to re-take the lead. They’ve claimed the momentum and want to finish the Bucks off right here.
Spotted in the Crowd Tonight
Posted at 8:50 p.m.
The Sonics highlighted a group of four local prep basketballers who were recognized for their fine senior seasons, including Arizona State-bound Kirsten Thompson of Monroe High School. Drawing far and away the loudest cheer, to no one’s surprise, was Seattle Prep’s Martell Webster, who is signed with UW but is still considering turning pro. Webster is rocking a stylish blue-and-gold throwback jersey, but I’m not quite sure whose jersey it is.
Rewrite
Posted at 8:45 p.m.
This entry originally talked about how a third quarter that did not start as the Sonics wanted it to did not end that way either. Antonio Daniels was called for a debatable charge call that wasn’t made until Daniels’ name was already being announced as the scorer. That was followed by Damien Wilkins being called for a foul with 2.6 seconds left, sending Michael Redd to the free-throw line for two shots which he hit. But Flip Murray forced a rewrite by hitting a long triple at the third-quarter buzzer to put the Sonics ahead 68-63 as we go to the fourth. If the Sonics can again outplay Milwaukee’s bench, they can put the Bucks in a big hole early in the fourth.
Third-Quarter Blues
Posted at 8:38 p.m.
Tonight’s third quarter has seemed somewhat reminiscent of two weeks ago today against Houston, when the Sonics set a franchise record by only scoring six points in the third quarter. (One person on press row asked whether the Sonics would only score six early in the quarter - they’ve already nearly doubled that.) While the results have not been as drastic and the Sonics remain up two following Rashard Lewis’ sixth 3 of the night, this is still the kind of quarter they want to avoid. The culprits seem to be weak ball movement and careless ballhandling (along with good ole’ not making shots). One has to wonder whether Nate McMillan might not be better off going to his bench a little quicker in these situations.
Quote of the Night
Posted at 8:30 p.m.
Bucks Coach Terry Porter on the lesson to be taken from Orlando’s Johnny Davis and Cleveland’s Paul Silas both getting fired in the last week with their teams fighting for playoff spots: “Don’t get into the playoff race.” Porter and the reporters surrounding him had a hearty chuckle.
Not the Start They Wanted
Posted at 8:25 p.m.
Desmond Mason scores the first five points of the third quarter and Milwaukee pulls within two, 50-48. Nate McMillan needs a timeout and gets it. The Sonics have not been moving the ball nearly as well since they went up double-digits (and, coincidentally or not, since the starters came back in the game).
Halftime Stats
Posted at 8:20 p.m.
Not a ton of interest in the halftime box score. Calvin Booth somehow came up with six rebounds in seven minutes of action … Antonio Daniels just 1-for-6 from the field … No Sonics player other than Rashard Lewis and Luke Ridnour had more than four points (though four had four) … The Sonics committed just four turnovers in the first half.
Allen Ankle Update
Posted at 8:15 p.m.
After Darren (or is it Darrin?) wins the Sonics Free-Throw Challenge and a basketball autographed by the team, it’s time to get an update on Ray Allen’s situation beyond tonight, when he is not playing. Allen spoke to the media for the first time since spraining his ankle in the locker room before tonight’s game.
“It’s not bad,” Allen summarized. “It’s tender more than anything.”
At the same time, Allen would make no promises for Thursday, when the Sonics travel to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers He said he would be more cautious than usual with this injury because the Sonics have a comfortable lead in the Northwest Division late in the season, but also said he strongly considered returning to Sunday’s game despite the injury.
“I was about to run back out, then they said we were going to get X-rays and it locked up,” Allen said. “I could feel the soreness in it.”
Sonics trainer Mike Shimensky also advised Allen to play it safe with the ankle on Sunday.
“It pained me not to go back into that game after not limping off,” Allen said, but, “You’ve got to put your faith in your teammates and hope they well.”
They, and particularly Flip Murray, who scored a season-high 25 points, did just that. Tonight, Murray has not been so impressive, shooting 2-for-8 from the field in the first half, but with Rashard Lewis stepping up and the Bucks shooting 44.7%, the Sonics are still up at the half.
Halftime
Posted at 8:05 p.m.
The Sonics take a 50-43 lead to the break, but Nate McMillan will still have some things to talk about in the locker room after the Bucks got back in this game with their starters in the lineup. Michael Redd has given the Sonics some trouble (big surprise there), scoring 12 points. Rashard Lewis with a big first half for the Sonics, scoring 17 points. His development this season continues to be tangible and quite impressive. What’s interesting from a big-picture perspective is that the Sonics, even without three rotation players, are still winning with their bench, crushing the Bucks when they had their reserves in the game. Now that is a Milwaukee bench which is down one player even after trading two regulars at the deadline, but it’s still an impressive effort by the Sonics backups.
“It does make your team deeper,” Nate McMillan said before the game (referring to Flip Murray and Vitaly Potapenko in particular), “if those guys keep their heads and they have.”
It’s About D
Posted at 7:52 p.m.
With his fourth 3-pointer of the game (in four attempts), Rashard Lewis now has 12 points. Luke Ridnour has continued being aggressive on offense, getting up to 14 points. But the story of the second quarter for the Sonics is not offense, it’s defense: Milwaukee has only six points in the first 6:12 of this quarter, allowing the Sonics to extend their lead from two points to 11. Anthony Goldwire returns to the lineup in place of Reece Gaines in the hopes of jump-starting the offense. (And what happened to Erick Strickland is a mystery to me). Also in for Milwaukee? Calvin Booth, who received a hearty round of boos from the KeyArena crowd, as he did in his first visit with Dallas. (No, I don’t think they were ‘Booooth!’-ing.) Calvin doesn’t really deserve that, but I’m sure he’ll survive.
Luke Back In
Posted at 7:42 p.m.
For those of you not watching at home, FSN showed a moment ago a shot of Sonics Assistant Coach of Player Development Dwight Daub stretching out Luke Ridnour, who was lying on his back with his feet up in the air. Presumably, this was to help Ridnour’s back, which has bothered him recently. Still, Luke has played well tonight. He’s already got eight points and will be at the free-throw line after a timeout. He may not look like much - as reported in the
Post-Intelligencer last week, a security guard didn’t recognize Ridnour as a player after last Friday’s game - but Luke is incredibly tough. On the other side, Desmond Mason has both of Milwaukee’s second-quarter baskets playing with four reserves.
Sonics Up Two
Posted at 7:36 p.m.
Nick Collison blocks Joe Smith’s attempt at the first-quarter buzzer, allowing the Sonics to take a 27-25 lead to the second quarter. It wasn’t an outstanding effort from the Sonics, particularly on defense, but they’re in okay shape - especially considering they finished the quarter with a lineup of Antonio Daniels, Flip Murray, Damien Wilkins, Nick Collison and Vitaly Potapenko - none of whom were starters and only two of whom were really solidly in the rotation a week ago. Oddly, the Bucks did not make a first-quarter substitution, riding their new starting five all period long. The Sonics need to do a better job of controlling Dan Gadzuric on the glass and containing the Bucks backcourt, which has combined for 14 points.
Getting Up to Speed
Posted at 7:28 p.m.
A brief recap of the action during the first three-quarters of the first quarter. We’re tied at 22-22 right now, with both teams getting balanced scoring (the Sonics have three players with four points or more, while Milwaukee has three). Flip Murray got off to a good start with a layup on the Sonics first possession, but has been limited to only one other score. Anthony Goldwire has provided some surprising punch for the Bucks in place of Williams, scoring a team-high seven points. Early in the game, a disappointing result as Rashard Lewis was called for over and back trying to jump across halfcourt to catch a pass out of the lane. With the shot clock also running down, Lewis fired it up and banked in a 45-footer, but it did not count. Reggie Evans had an awesome bonecrusher screen on Desmond Mason (who has four points) later that the Sonics ended up getting a 3-pointer from Lewis out of.
Oh, and the Sonics Dance Team may have brought back 70s attire with their performance at the last timeout.
M*A*S*H Unit
Posted at 7:18 p.m.
We start with tonight’s injury update. As I mentioned in signing on, Ray Allen is in a suit tonight because of the sprained right ankle he suffered Sunday in Los Angeles and will not play. Flip Murray starts in his place. Jerome James is back in the starting lineup after missing two games with what was alternatively referred to as both a hip and a quad contusion (trying to get the story straight is tough at times). Danny Fortson, however, is also in a suit as he misses his fourth straight game with a sprained left ankle. The Bucks have some injury concerns of their own - point guard Maurice Williams will miss tonight’s game with a bruised left knee. Williams had started all 65 games this season for Milwaukee.
Signing On
Posted at 7:13 p.m.
It’s the Milwaukee Bucks and Seattle SuperSonics tonight at KeyArena, and I’m back up in section 214 bringing you all the action. While tonight’s biggest story may be a player who’s not playing (that’s Sonics guard Ray Allen, and there will be much, much more on him before the night is through), we should have some fine action on the court as the Sonics look to avenge a loss in Milwaukee a little over three weeks ago. Stay with us all night long and make sure you’re hitting refresh so you get the latest.
