Live From The Press Box - Sonics vs. Houston
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Houston Wins It
Posted at 9:36 p.m.
The final score of tonight’s game, 90-78, will make it seem much more lopsided than it really was. This was anybody’s game through the three-minute mark or so, and it’s a solid performance the Sonics can build on as they hope to get healthy in the coming days. They held a fairly high-scoring team of late in check and got some solid offensive performances from their role players. This won’t remove Nate McMillan’s “raccoon eyes”, as he joked to the media before the game, but it should help him sleep a little bit easier.
Ryan Bowen
Posted at 9:24 p.m.
When it rains, it pours, and the Rockets just drizzled a 6-0 run on the Sonics heads to end this game. The natural tendency is to talk about Tracy McGrady’s brilliance (he’s now got 38 points), or Yao Ming’s double-double, but I want to talk about Ryan Bowen. This is a guy who is not particularly talented, who was a second-round pick coming out of Iowa, but has made a career for himself out of sheer determination and is now finishing games for a playoff team. Bowen had a pair of offensive rebounds in the last five minutes or so of this game, one leading to Yao’s free throws which pushed Houston’s lead to eight points. Before the game, Jeff Van Gundy was making a distinction between great players and good players who help their teams win. Bowen doesn’t fit into either category; he’s more of an average player who helps his team win, if that, but I couldn’t help but think of him as Van Gundy talked about that type of player. Unfortunately, the media session broke up before I had the opportunity to ask Van Gundy about Bowen. I’m not a big Bowen fan or anything, but a basketball purist has to appreciate his effort tonight.
Dallas Wednesday
Posted at 9:20 p.m.
The Sonics are back at KeyArena Wednesday, when the Dallas Mavericks come to town in a battle of two of the NBA’s top teams. The Sonics are looking to avenge a three-point Mavericks victory at KeyArena earlier this season.
Get your tickets now! (Note that Wednesday’s game has been changed to a 7:30 tip-off.)
Little Things
Posted at 9:18 p.m.
With 3:03 left on the clock, it’s still a six-point game. The Sonics do have to be kicking themselves a little bit for some missed opportunities. Flip Murray and Damien Wilkins have both missed free throws during the last couple of minutes, and you could hear the crowd groan. That happens, of course, but it’s an obstacle to comebacks.
A Bit Late
Posted at 9:14 p.m.
At the 4:40 mark of the fourth quarter, Yao Ming has finally drawn his fourth foul. (Not that the Sonics can do much complaining; they were just called for their first foul of the period.)
Five-Minute Mark
Posted at 9:12 p.m.
The air felt like it came out of KeyArena a little bit when Jon Barry nailed a 3-pointer to push Houston’s lead to 78-72 and draw a Nate McMillan timeout. There’s still plenty of time, but Barry’s 3 should serve as a reminder of how difficult it is to come from behind, particularly when you’re short-handed. Tracy McGrady has only one basket in this quarter, but set up Barry’s shot by drawing defensive attention. Both teams have gone small at power forward, with Damien Wilkins there for the Sonics alongside three guards and Ryan Bowen playing the four for the Rockets. One has to think this favors Houston; Bowen has been finishing games occasionally since Juwan Howard went down, while the Sonics had to remove Nick Collison from the game when he was playing some fine fourth-quarter basketball.
Sponsored by the Letter D
Posted at 9:03 p.m.
Since Collison’s three-point play, we’ve resumed the first quarter’s defensive struggle, with neither team scoring as we reach the under-nine minute timeout with 8:59 on the clock. Ray Allen is going to the free-throw line after a hard take to the basket. On the Houston side, Yao Ming, who briefly headed to the locker room after Reggie Evans opened up a cut on Yao’s chin (on a play, it should be noted, where Yao was called for the foul), has returned to the game.
Sponsored by the Letter D
Posted at 9:03 p.m.
Since Collison’s three-point play, we’ve resumed the first quarter’s defensive struggle, with neither team scoring as we reach the under-nine minute timeout with 8:59 on the clock. Ray Allen is going to the free-throw line after a hard take to the basket. On the Houston side, Yao Ming, who briefly headed to the locker room after Reggie Evans opened up a cut on Yao’s chin (on a play, it should be noted, where Yao was called for the foul), has returned to the game.
Good Start
Posted at 9:00 p.m.
With Tracy McGrady out of the game, the Sonics force a Mike James airball. Nick Collison scores a three-point play in the early offense, then comes up with a steal on the other end. The Sonics turn it over, but force Jon Barry to blow a layup in transition. McGrady’s stay on the bench is brief; he’ll check into the game at the next stoppage of play.
To the Fourth
Posted at 8:55 p.m.
Houston outscores the Sonics 34-26 in the third quarter, and it was mostly about McGrady, who dropped a cool 17 in the period. Even with a full roster, the Sonics would be hard pressed to overcome that kind of firepower. With their current limited group, it’s almost impossible for the Sonics. At the same time, this one is not over yet. Down eight, the Sonics can get back in the game with a good run. Kudos to Luke Ridnour, who made a couple of nice moves to the basket late in the third and has 12 points tonight, tying him with Ray Allen and Flip Murray for the Sonics high.
McGrady Show
Posted at 8:48 p.m.
Tracy McGrady would like to take this opportunity to remind us that it’s his world; we just live in it. McGrady has 11 in the period and 26 for the game and they’ve seemed to come almost effortlessly, all in the flow of the offense. Damien Wilkins has done a good job fighting McGrady, but all he needs is an inch coming off of a screen and the jumper is down tonight. If there’s a positive to the fouls the Sonics have been called for in this period, it’s that the crowd is in the game more than it was in the first half, but the Sonics are going to need more offense to match McGrady.
Ray in the House
Posted at 8:41 p.m.
Now we’re seeing the Ray Allen we know and love. After firing in a 3-pointer, on the next possession Allen takes advantage of the defensive attention he’s drawing and dishes to Vitaly Potapenko for a three-point play from the big man. Unfortunately, a pair of defensive lapses - the kind the injury-plagued Sonics can’t afford -lead to two Houston 3s and the Rockets don’t lose any ground.
“When you go up against Ray Allen, you’re in for a night of hard work because he is so talented offensively,” said Jeff Van Gundy before the game. David Wesley has been assigned that hard work tonight, and he’s done a fantastic job hounding Ray.
Harsh Penalty
Posted at 8:35 p.m.
With 8:22 showing on the clock, Houston is already in the bonus, with the Sonics drawing five team fouls. While there’s no disputing Damien Wilkins’ takedown of Yao Ming to prevent a dunk, earlier on the same possession Luke Ridnour was called for a foul in the backcourt and Reggie Evans was called for a foul defending a pick-and-roll. Now the Rockets have drawn two fouls on the Sonics subsequent possession, one of them of the touch variety. I’m not really sure what the referees are seeing out there, but it isn’t making for particularly scintillating basketball at the moment.
Quick TO
Posted at 8:30 p.m.
Just two and a half minutes into the second half, Nate McMillan takes a timeout, clearly displeased at the Sonics effort getting back on a 3-on-1 Houston fast break that resulted in a Tracy McGrady layup. McGrady and Yao Ming have all seven points in the quarter as the Rockets have opened up a five-point lead. The refereeing continues to be uneven, but the Sonics also haven’t been doing the same things they did in the first half while Houston has brought extra energy.
The out-of-town scoreboard bears bad news: 122-106 Nuggets your final. Denver clinches a playoff berth by winning for the 22nd time in 24 post-All-Star games and leaves the Sonics still needing a win to take the Northwest Division.
First-Half Stats
Posted at 8:20 p.m.
Here’s the main stat you need to know: The Sonics committed only one turnover in the first half. Not much makes Nate McMillan smile, but I bet that at least drew a quick smirk when he saw the halftime stat sheet. Four assists for Flip Murray, which is great to see. 11 free-throw attempts in the second quarter for the Rockets, which accounted for nearly half of their 23 points. The Sonics will want to cut that number down, but it’s not entirely their call. Eight rebounds for Tracy McGrady, all defensive. Ray Allen shot just 3-for-12 in the first half. If he can deliver his usual offense in the second half (a dubious proposition given the Rockets defensive prowess, but still) … .
Buzzer-Beater
Posted at 8:10 p.m.
For the second straight game, Flip Murray beats the quarter buzzer with a 3-pointer. This one didn’t have the same degree of difficulty as his 30-footer Sunday in Denver in the third quarter, but it’s more important, pulling the Sonics into a 37-all tie as the teams head to the locker rooms. The Sonics have to feel good about how they played in the first half. In the second half, the main goal will be shutting down Tracy McGrady, who finished with 15 points. Some more foul trouble for Yao Ming would also be quite nice.
Risky Move
Posted at 8:04 p.m.
Yao Ming earns his third foul by shoving Reggie Evans, but Jeff Van Gundy has decided to let him play out the remaining two minutes-plus of the second quarter. Yao gets protected by the referees when he makes a lot of contact in blocking Nick Collison’s shot but draws no foul. Instead, Collison is called for his third foul in a loose-ball situation on the next possession, drawing some well-deserved KeyArena catcalls.
Flip Flop
Posted at 8:00 p.m.
A Luke Ridnour 3-pointer gives the Sonics their largest lead of the evening at 34-29 and forces Jeff Van Gundy to take a timeout with a little over three minutes left in the second quarter. The Sonics have gotten an offensive lift from Flip Murray, who has scored six points and handed out at least three assists. Flip’s shot selection has been much improved from recent games, and he’s aggressively taking the ball to the basket. Fouls have been a much bigger factor in this quarter, with both teams currently in the bonus, and the Sonics have taken more advantage of that. It’s interesting how differently Houston plays with a backcourt of Jon Barry and Mike James in the game. Their pace increases dramatically.
Score Update …
Posted at 7:50 p.m.
Not encouraging news from Denver. The red-hot Nuggets, shooting 59.7%, are starting to pull away, leading it 91-81 late in the third quarter. Will the Warriors, who went double overtime last night against San Antonio, have enough energy to make a comeback? Never any shortage of energy for the Sonics Boom Squad, which produced another electrifying performance at the last timeout.
Finding Offense
Posted at 7:45 p.m.
The Sonics have developed some rhythm on offense here in the second quarter, scoring eight points in the first four minutes. Key has been the performance of Nick Collison off the bench. Collison had a tip-in to end the Sonics drought at six and a half minutes and then made a nice post move for a layup. While Nick isn’t a classic low-post scorer, he’s patient and doesn’t make many mistakes. On the other end, we’ve gotten a good first-hand look at how the Sonics injuries have hurt them defensively. Damien Wilkins has played all 17+ minutes thus far without a rest, while Luke Ridnour went the first 14+. Any surprise they were a bit gassed and were beaten on backdoor plays by the Rockets?
Low-Scoring First Quarter
Posted at 7:37 p.m.
It’s not every day you go scoreless for five minutes and 49 seconds and still lead most of that time. Houston finally took the lead away from the Sonics on two Tracy McGrady free throws late in the period. It’s a one-point game after one quarter, Houston 14, Sonics 13. Great defense being played on both sides. One play exemplified what the Sonics are doing. First, Vitaly Potapenko got a block after Clarence Weatherspoon got an offensive rebound down low. The Rockets got the ball back and had a mismatch of Nick Collison on Tracy McGrady, but Collison forced a tie-up. After the Rockets won the tap, McGrady missed a jumper and the Sonics finally took over. One point - in a game like this, where both teams are struggling to score, it’s important to get to the line. The Sonics only drew two Houston team fouls in the first quarter and will want to try to get to the lane more in quarter number two.
Scoreboard Watching
Posted at 7:29 p.m.
The Sonics have gone into a major offensive funk here and are stuck on 13 points. That’s something that frankly shouldn’t be unexpected when you match up one of the league’s best defensive teams with a team missing three of its top four scorers. Still, the Sonics are playing strong defense and Houston only has 12 points nine and a half minutes into the quarter.
A very different game is being played in Denver, where it the Nuggets and the Warriors are tied at 68 just into the third quarter. Baron Davis has 25 points for the Warriors, while four Denver starters have scored double-figures and Andre Miller has already handed out 11 assists. That guy is throwing back to his Cleveland league-leading assist days right now. With the Sonics a Denver loss (or their own win) away from clinching the Northwest Division, we’ll keep a close eye on that game throughout the evening.
Playing Some Ball
Posted at 7:24 p.m.
With just under five minutes left in the first quarter, the Sonics lead it 13-8, and they’re playing the kind of basketball they need to play to overcome all their injuries and get a win. I mentioned a minute ago that Nate said he didn’t want to make any major changes. That was in response to a reporter’s question about whether there was a “Plan B” the Sonics could go to right now. Really, I don’t think there is a lot the Sonics can do from a strategic standpoint. Where the injuries really hurt them is they have no margin of error. They have to be perfect mentally. So far they just about have been, not committing a turnover while forcing four by the Rockets. I think there’s also a confidence issue right now, and it will be interesting to see what it can do if the Sonics take a lead to the second quarter.
Go-To Guy
Posted at 7:15 p.m.
The Sonics have gotten some unanticipated post offense from Reggie Evans, who has twice in the early going scored in the low post with his left hand. And to think Nate McMillan said the Sonics weren’t going to make any major stylistic changes! You’ve got to like the defensive intensity thus far, as the Sonics have a trio of steals and a Jerome James block of a Yao Ming jumper (very impressive) and lead it 8-2.
Opening Shot
Posted at 7:08 p.m.
Asked before the game, Houston Coach Jeff Van Gundy said he didn’t have any preference as to who the Rockets face in the playoffs.
“I’m humble enough to know whoever we play is very good and will have a better record than us,” Van Gundy said, adding he concerns himself with his own team.
Van Gundy also took a shot at the players and coaches who have been discussing such matters in the media.
“Hopefully, we will be the team that doesn’t get caught up in that chatter,” he said.
Those are the words of a man with plenty of playoff experience as both a favorite and an underdog.
Still Sitting
Posted at 7:02 p.m.
The Sonics will not get back any of their injured players this evening. Guard Antonio Daniels (patellar chondromalacia, left knee), forward Rashard Lewis (bone contusion, right foot) and center Danny Fortson (sprained left shoulder) are all out tonight. Still, there is some positive news on the injury front, as all three players are working out and hoping to get back into the lineup soon. Sonics Coach Nate McMillan said Daniels and Lewis are likely to practice tomorrow.
“Antonio and Rashard did a little running today, Antonio a little more than Rashard,” said McMillan. “tomorrow I’m hoping that they’ll be able to run with the team.”
Depending on how their work goes tomorrow, Daniels and Lewis could be back in the lineup when the Dallas Mavericks visit KeyArena on Wednesday.
I watched Daniels work out with Dwane Casey before tonight’s game, and while he wasn’t going through shooting drills at 100%, he did not seem noticeably bothered by his knee. Daniels was able to shoot while sliding laterally from his left to his right, something that really seems like a good sign. As usual, check out the New SUPERSONICS.COM tomorrow afternoon for an update on Daniels and Lewis.
Signing On
Posted at 6:50 p.m.
We’re to the point of the season where, after tonight, you can count the number of remaining games on the Sonics schedule with one hand. There are only three more home games left until the playoffs, all three part of this week’s homestand that starts tonight with the Houston Rockets at KeyArena. There’s a buzz in KeyArena for All-Stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, who have led the Rockets to a playoff berth for a second straight season and are now looking to solidify their seeding in the Western Conference. That could mean a matchup against your Seattle SuperSonics, but with all the injuries the Sonics are battling, it would be a major stretch to call tonight a playoff preview. Still, it promises to be a good one. Stay with us all night for the latest and make sure to hit refresh.
