Live From the Press Box - Sonics vs. San Antonio
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Sonics Unable to Match the Champs
Final: San Antonio 116, Sonics 101
The Sonics played very well tonight, but you have to be special to beat the champs, and they were unable to quite meet that high standard. They played well enough to be within four heading into the final five minutes, but could not find the touch from then on, scoring only two buckets in that period as the Spurs got enough scores to put away the victory. The Sonics still did an excellent job against a defense that is annually amongst the toughest in the NBA, shooting 52.6% from the field and committing just nine turnovers. However, San Antonio was equally as hot and also turned it over just nine times. Two statistics made the difference tonight - 11 three-pointers for the Spurs (10 in the first half) to just four for the Sonics, and a 25-12 advantage in second-chance points.
For the second time this season, Wally Szczerbiak caught fire and was able to sustain the Sonics for an extended period. 20 of his 27 points came in the second quarter alone, and he missed just three shots. Kevin Durant had, in my opinion, his best offensive performance of his NBA career to date. He shot 11-for-17 from the field, scoring 25 points, and handed out four assists. The Sonics got contributions up and down the lineup tonight. The defending NBA champions just had a little more.
The Sonics will practice tomorrow before heading to Los Angeles to face the Lakers at the STAPLES Center on Tuesday on FSN. They'll be back here at the Key the following evening, hosting the fast-starting Orlando Magic. It should be a great matchup against a Magic team headlined by Dwight Howard and former Sonics forward Rashard Lewis, so 
get your tickets now and be here!
Spurs Regain Control
Fourth Quarter: San Antonio 105, Sonics 97
The Spurs have pushed their lead back to eight with a pair of scores since our last timeout, holding the Sonics scoreless. Tony Parker has both buckets, giving him 20 points tonight to go with seven assists, but the second score was set up by the offensive glass. Kurt Thomas did not have position and committed a loose-ball foul trying to keep Matt Bonner off the glass. With the shot-clock running down, Parker took advantage with a difficult jumper.
The Sonics still have 2:58 left, but need to string some scores and stops together coming out of the timeout.
Sonics Fight Back Within Four
Fourth Quarter: San Antonio 101, Sonics 97
Great stretch here for the Sonics, who have gone on a 9-4 run since the last timeout to pull back within four of the Spurs. Gregg Popovich responds with a timeout. The bigger frontcourt of Nick Collison and Kurt Thomas has changed things defensively for the Sonics, and they've come up with some big scores on offense.
Spurs Hurting Sonics on Glass
Fourth Quarter: San Antonio 97, Sonics 88
Rebounding has emerged as a costly issue for the Sonics in the second half of tonight's game. San Antonio has 10 offensive rebounds but has converted on basically all of them, putting up 21 second-chance points to 10 for the Sonics. Jeff Green at power forward has been a good matchup for the Sonics this season, but tonight it's leaving them vulnerable on the glass when the other big man on the floor has to step up and provide help defense. The Spurs excel at taking advantage of that opening, especially Fabricio Oberto (three offensive boards). Coming out of this timeout, the Sonics will get much bigger with Nick Collison and Kurt Thomas together up front.
To the Fourth
End Third Quarter: San Antonio 91, Sonics 84
Certainly not a good third quarter of play for the Sonics, but they did succeed in keeping the Spurs from really opening up their advantage. The Sonics fought back to within in seven at the end of three quarters - they were down eight going to the fourth on Friday against New Jersey. That game showed it's possible to come back from that kind of deficit, but also that you have to be nearly perfect to do so, which is a difficult challenge. It will help if Wally Szczerbiak is hot. The Sonics swingman hit his only shot attempt in the third quarter and has 25 points on the night.
Maintaining Contact
Third Quarter: San Antonio 82, Sonics 73
The goal for the Sonics right now is to maintain contact with a highly motivated San Antonio squad that has limited them to nine points in this third quarter of play. The Sonics have stayed within double-figures - currently down nine - largely because of the scoring of Kevin Durant. The rookie has all nine points in the period and is showing off the full breadth of his skills - hitting a three-pointer, a gorgeous move for a runner in the paint and dribbling into a pull-up jumper from mid-range.
In an effort to match the energy from the Spurs, P.J. Carlesimo has gone to his bench. Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, Jeff Green and Nick Collison are now in the game with Durant the lone starter on the floor at the moment.
Spurs Exert Their Will
Third Quarter: San Antonio 72, Sonics 64
The Spurs have come out of the locker room intent to put some distance between themselves and the Seattle SuperSonics. They've scored the first eight points of the period, exploiting offensive rebounds for a pair of second-chance buckets and quickly forcing a pair of turnovers - more than the Sonics had in the entire first half. P.J. Carlesimo takes a timeout to react and try to get the Sonics back into the rhythm they played with in the first half.
Terrific Play in First Half
Halftime: San Antonio 64, Sonics 64
There are some games where you see a lot of points on the board because neither team is playing much defense. There are other games where you see a lot of points because the teams are playing that well on offense. Tonight's game belongs in the latter category. We all know the kind of defense the Spurs are known for playing, and the Sonics have done a good job with the notable exception of defending the three-point line. However, both teams have executed their offense to near perfection, reflected in just six turnovers, and both have shot the ball extremely well, including 19-for-19 combined at the free-throw line.
Wally Szczerbiak finished the second quarter with 20 points, topping the 18 he had in the second period earlier this season in Sacramento (he had 23 in that half, 22 tonight). Kevin Durant has yet to miss, scoring 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting. And everybody who has played has done a good job moving the basketball and taking care of it. Tim Duncan leads the Spurs with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
All Square
Second Quarter: San Antonio 56, Sonics 56
If I had told you before tonight's game that the Spurs would hit 10 three-pointers in the first half, you'd probably assume San Antonio would hold a big lead. Instead, with two and a half minutes left until halftime, they've pulled even with the Spurs at 56 apiece. Other than defending the three-point line, the Sonics are playing their best basketball of the season. They're moving the ball very well on offense, including great passing into the post and taking excellent care of the basketball (still just one turnover). It's unselfish, it's great execution and it's very entertaining to watch.
Wally's World
Second Quarter: San Antonio 48, Sonics 45
Wally Szczerbiak looks like he's having one of those nights where he catches fire and can carry the Sonics offense for an extended period. Szczerbiak has scored 13 points in nine minutes on 5-of-7 shooting, and the Sonics have needed every one of those points to hang with a Spurs team that is getting plenty of hot shooting off the bench of its own. Manu Ginobili has three three-pointers, while Brent Barry and Matt Bonner have two apiece. San Antonio remains 8-of-10 from downtown as a team.
It's "Kids at the Key" tonight, presented by Aquafina and B97.3, and festivities have included a young Sonics fan announcing the team's starting lineup, an appearance by Mini-Squatch (along with Squatch himself) and a special performance during the last timeout by the kids of the Storm Dance Troupe.
Petro Feeling Better
Second Quarter: San Antonio 38, Sonics 34
Sonics center Johan Petro, bothered lately by a strained lower back, said before tonight's game that he's feeling "a lot better than a couple of days ago." Petro has yet to be cleared to return to action after missing Friday's game against New Jersey with the injury, which he can't trace to any specific incident. However, he's hopeful that he'll improve enough to return Tuesday, when the Sonics face the Lakers in Los Angeles.
Petro's countryman, Mickaël Gelabale, is getting some action during the second quarter tonight. P.J. Carlesimo said on Friday he's been pleased with the way Gelabale has played in his chances this season. Gelabale saw more action during the last Sonics road trip and was part of second-quarter runs in Atlanta and Charlotte. We'll see if his presence can be the same kind of factor tonight.
Spurs Shooting the Lights Out (Too)
End First Quarter: San Antonio 32, Sonics 30
Despite Brent Barry missing a runner at the buzzer, the Spurs shot 59.1% from the field in the first quarter, including making all four of their three-point attempts, to score 32 points and take a two-point lead. Manu Ginobili was the key, making all four of his shots, two of them from long distance, to score 10 points. Defending the three-point line is one area where the Sonics aren't yet where P.J. Carlesimo would like them to be.
The Sonics did finish the first quarter shooting 57.1% in their own right while committing just one turnover. I liked the way Kevin Durant attacked the bucket on offense, which resulted in two dunks, a tip-in and a runner. He made his only jumper and was 5-for-5 from the field in the period for 10 points.
Bench Strength
First Quarter: Sonics 24, San Antonio 22
With guard Manu Ginobili playing in reserve, the Spurs boast one of the league's most productive bench groups. Ginobili has five quick points since checking into the game, while Francisco Elson has added a pair of free throws from seven bench points. The Sonics bench, just starting to get involved in tonight's game, has been very productive this season and led the team's comeback in the second half of Friday's game against New Jersey. Tonight presents a tough matchup for Jeff Green at power forward, as the Spurs like to keep a second 7-footer on the court alongside Tim Duncan. Right now, that means Green is tasked with defending center Francisco Elson. At the same time, Green can force Elson to defend him on the perimeter.
Duncan remains the focal part of the Spurs offense - he's got 10 points so far on 5-of-8 shooting.
Sonics Red Hot in First Six Minutes
First Quarter: Sonics 18, San Antonio 11
Great start for the Sonics, who seemed to catch San Antonio off guard a little with their energy right from the opening tip. The Sonics turned a couple of Spurs mistakes into fast breaks finished with Kevin Durant dunks and have done a fine job of executing in the half-court. They're shooting 72.7% from the field, having hit eight of their 11 shot attempts in the early going.
Sonics-Spurs Reunion
Pregame
Seemingly everywhere you looked before tonight's game, there were friends catching up on opposing sides of the matchup. Sonics Head Coach P.J. Carlesimo and General Manager Sam Presti joined the team from San Antonio this summer, as did Player Development Assistant Brian Keefe. Director of Basketball Technology Paul Rivers and Assistant Coach Mark Bryant have also spent time in San Antonio (Bryant as a player), while Brent Barry of the Spurs has plenty of friends left from his five-year stint in Seattle. Naturally, the matchup of Carlesimo against the man he assisted the last five years in San Antonio, Gregg Popovich, that has drawn the most attention.
"I'm sure it will feel funny out there," Carlesimo said before the game, "you see guys before the game, but it's still someone you'd like to beat."
"You sort of put it out of your mind," echoed Popovich. "Everybody's got a job to do."
For Carlesimo, this is a little different from rematches after his first two NBA jobs because of the length of time he spent in San Antonio, the success the Spurs enjoyed and the limited turnover of the San Antonio roster. 11 players return from last year's championship squad, and four - Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker - were with the Spurs the entirety of Carlesimo's time as an assistant.
Signing On
Pregame
The defending NBA champions are in the house. The San Antonio Spurs make the first of two visits to KeyArena tonight to take on the Sonics. There's no reason to believe this incarnation of the Spurs will be any worse than the one that claimed the title in June by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers. At 11-2, the Spurs are off to the best start in franchise history at 11-2. The Sonics will try to slow them down and start building some momentum here at KeyArena. Stay with us all night long for the latest updates.
