Live From the Press Box - Sonics vs. Toronto
Want to enjoy the electricity of at KeyArena 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 quotes, analysis and observations from the game. E-mail Kevin at sonicsconnection@sonics-storm.com. Make sure to keep coming back or refreshing so you get the latest content.
Passing, Timely Defense Produce Sonics Win
Final: Sonics 123, Toronto 115
In their best offensive performance of the season, the Sonics shot 56.0% from the season, tied a season high with 10 three-pointers, committed only 13 turnovers and racked up 123 points against the Toronto Raptors, a total surpassed only by their double-OT effort in Atlanta. The Raptors were blisteringly hot themselves most of the night, but the Sonics held them in check for a stretch of about 14 minutes that included the entire third quarter and that span was long enough for them to pull away for the win.
Seven Sonics scored double-figures, a group that included four reserves, as the Sonics got balanced scoring to go along with strong nights for Kevin Durant (27 points, including 11 in the third quarter) and Wally Szczerbiak (23). Nick Collison played well in the middle with a double-double and Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson combined for 13 assists as the Sonic handed out 33 as a team.
The Sonics will have three days off before heading to Portland to face the red-hot Trail Blazers on Christmas night on ESPN. Portland has won 10 straight games after beating Denver 99-96 at the Rose Garden this evening. The I-5 rivalry has been rekindled the last few seasons with plenty of times between the Blazers and the Sonics, and I hope you don't miss that game. Next Thursday brings another fun matchup as the 21-3 Boston Celtics make their only visit of the season to KeyArena in a game nationally televised on TNT.
Crucial Play
Fourth Quarter: Sonics 118, Toronto 113
They say baseball's a game of inches: Carlos Delfino turned the ball over with 31.2 seconds left when he stepped out of bounds while catching a pass. He ended up making his three attempt and, had it not been waved off, it would have gotten Toronto within two with plenty of time left.
Here Come the Raptors
Fourth Quarter: Sonics 116, Toronto 111
A team that can shoot the ball as well as the Raptors is never out of it, and Toronto has extended the run to the point where the Sonics advantage is now down to just five points with 1:44 to play. Toronto has hit its 13th three-pointer, but just got an important two-point basket in transition from Jose Calderon after the Sonics turned the ball over. If they take care of it and execute, the Sonics should be OK, but we're going to get a more thrilling finish than anticipated.
Threes Keeping it Interesting
Fourth Quarter: Sonics 116, Toronto 104
For most of the second half, the Sonics had quieted the Raptors from beyond the three-point arc, but lately Carols Delfino and Jason Kapono have gotten going, giving the Toronto fans something to celebrate and maintaining their team's hope for a comeback. Delfino and Kapono have combined for seven of the 12 three-pointers the Raptors have made as a team. That ties the most allowed by the Sonics this season, which was just set on Wednesday by New Orleans.
All About the Passing
Fourth Quarter: Sonics 111, Toronto 95
With the Sonics threatening their season regulation scoring high of 117 points - they're at 111 with 5:53 left to play, leading by 16 - the credit has to go to the team's ball movement. The Sonics have already handed out a season-high 32 assists, blowing by the previous mark of 27. Five players have at least three assists.
Some of the dishes have been of the spectacular variety, including three recent ones. On one break, Luke Ridnour fed Jeff Green, but the pass was a little too high for the rookie to do anything with it, so he touch passed back to a trailing Nick Collison for the dunk. Later, in halfcourt, Ridnour dished to Chris Wilcox, who fed Collison for ... you guessed it ... the dunk. Finally Ridnour cut out the middle man, threading the needle in traffic to Wilcox for an alley-oop plus the foul.
Sonics Have it Rolling
Fourth Quarter: Sonics 100, Toronto 85
It's all Sonics during this fourth quarter, during which they have outscored the Raptors 8-2 to pus their lead to a game-high 15 points. Once again, the bench - complemented by starter Damien Wilkins - has come into the bench with strong production. Wally Szczerbiak is up to 21 points with a three-pointer, topping the 20-point mark for the fifth time this season.
Sam Mitchell is looking for his Raptors, who have scored just 21 points in the 12 minutes of this second half, to regroup and resume executing on offense and getting stops on defense.
Sonics on Fire
End Third Quarter: Sonics 92, Toronto 83
I mentioned earlier that the Sonics were just shy of their season high for quarter scoring in the first period. Well, now they've tied it. The Sonics outscored Toronto 36-21 in that third quarter of play, one of their best of the season, and will take a nine-point advantage to the final period of play. The Sonics are getting terrific production from wings Kevin Durant and Wally Szczerbiak, who have combined for 39 points on 14-of-23 shooting with five three-pointers. They added the little plays in the third quarter, like a great job by Nick Collison to tie up a Raptors player in the scramble for a loose ball after a missed free throw by the Sonics.
During the timeout, Squatch pulls out his trusty drum set to play with the drummers from Blue Thunder of the Seattle Seahawks. Go Hawks Sunday against Baltimore and, more importantly, in the NFL Playoffs.
Sonics Reclaim the Lead
Third Quarter: Sonics 81, Toronto 77
The Sonics have continued their third-quarter run and surged ahead of the Raptors with two minutes even left to play in the period. Chris Bosh, who has 22 points and is headed to the free-throw line after this timeout, continues to posh a major matchup problem for the Sonics. However, they've done a better job in this half of containing the perimeter shooters. Toronto has just one three-pointer in four attempts after hitting six by halftime.
Being so close to Canada, and this being the lone appearance of the season by the Raptors, it's no real surprise that Toronto fans are out in full force tonight. Still, I can't remember a contingent quite this large in the past - though, then again, Toronto is a much improved team over the last year, since the Raptors last visited. It is always nice to see Popeye Jones and Morris Peterson jerseys.
Aggressive Durant
Third Quarter: Toronto 72, Sonics 71
Kevin Durant has come out of the locker room and really attacked the Raptors defense here in this third quarter. He's got 11 points in the period on 4-of-5 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers. His enthusiasm appears to be injecting the game with additional life. The Sonics have quickly rallied to within one point of the Raptors as we take our first timeout of the half.
Solid Half for Sonics
Halftime: Toronto 62, Sonics 56
After getting the final bucket of the first half on a Damien Wilkins dunk in transition, the Sonics trail by four after one half. They'll need to tighten up their defense in the second half after allowing 51.0% shooting and 6-of-12 from three-point range, but after two games where they had dug a major hole by halftime, the Sonics have put themselves in position to compete in the second half of this game. The Sonics were actually the hotter shooters in the first half, hitting 52.3% from the field and 4-of-7 from downtown, but Toronto leads in large part because of an advantage on the offensive glass.
Raptors Putting Together Lead
Second Quarter: Toronto 58, Sonics 50
The Sonics starting five hasn't returned to the game quite as hot as in their first stint - that would be hard to pull off, considering the team was shooting 60-plus percent from the field much of the night. Still, that's allowed the Toronto Raptors - who have stayed hot - to begin pulling away. Their current eight-point margin is their largest of the evening. Chris Bosh has been a real bear for the Sonics defensively, scoring 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting. He's added eight rebounds.
Whose Night for Toronto?
Second Quarter: Sonics 48, Toronto 48
Jason Kapono has his second three-pointer in as many attempts for the Raptors tonight and now has scored eight points. Before the game, when I asked P.J. Carlesimo about the importance of containing Toronto's three-point shooters, he pointed out that when you look at the season scoring for the Raptors, they've got a lot of players averaging about nine points per game - six average between 8 and 11 points per game, including Kapono (9.9). On any given night, a couple of those guys are going to have bigger games, probably in large part because of their shooting. Kapono and Anthony Parker (10 points) look like those guys tonight.
Incidentally, Kapono playing for the Raptors reminds me of when he joked about changing his name to Jason Kaponovich and pretending to be foreign during the draft process, so he could go higher. Well, since being taken in the second round by Cleveland, Kapono has made a nice career in the NBA, and now he's playing for a team that has as much European influence as any in the NBA. So I suppose things have worked out exactly as he hoped.
Bench Brigade
Second Quarter: Sonics 46, Toronto 44
The Sonics bench has been playing some good basketball lately, and they've been nothing short of spectacular so far tonight. The Sonics have gone the entire second quarter to date with a lineup of Luke Ridnour and Mickaël Gelabale in the backcourt, Wally Szczerbiak and Jeff Green at forwards and Nick Collison in the middle. Those five players have combined for 22 points, five rebounds, six assists and 8-of-13 shooting. Szczerbiak has two of the four Sonics three-pointers and is the first Seattle player in double-figures.
Offensive Fireworks at Key
End First Quarter: Sonics 33, Toronto 33
I don't think most people expected as many points as we saw in the first quarter, with both teams putting a 33 on the board. That's the most the Sonics have scored in a first period this season, and just three off their high for any quarter. The Sonics shot a sizzling 63.6% from the field, as Wally Szczerbiak came in hot off the bench to keep up the strong start.
Did you know Squatch could dance? Me neither, but he showed off his skills with Pilita from the Sonics Dance Team during the timeout as part of a Dancing With the Stars-themed sketch. I've got to say, he's pretty light on his feet for a big guy.
Sonics Turning Defense Into Offense
First Quarter: Sonics 24, Toronto 18
The Sonics have already blocked four shots tonight. On their last two possessions, a block and a steal have turned into runout dunks for Kevin Durant at the other end. With the Sonics on a 12-3 run, Raptors Head Coach Sam Mitchell takes timeout to get his team back in rhythm. Durant, taking advantage of the easy buckets, has eight early points on 4-of-6 shooting.
Durant is one of four Sonics on the All-Star ballot, joined by guard Luke Ridnour and forwards Nick Collison and Wally Szczerbiak. Remember that while voting is ongoing at KeyArena, you can vote once a day on NBA.com. Cast your vote to help send the Sonics to the All-Star Game!
Toronto Executing
First Quarter: Toronto 15, Sonics 12
The Raptors are really throwing some great sets at the Sonics in the earl going and have executed them efficiently. They've hit seven of their first 10 shots to overcome some hot shooting by the Sonics (including a pair of early Earl Watson these) to take a 15-12 lead. Give Chris Wilcox credit for executing off of some early touches after indicating his desire to be involved more in the Sonics pick-and-roll game.
Wally Welcome
Pregame
Before the opening tip, Wally Szczerbiak takes to the microphone at center court to thank Sonics fans for their support and wish them a happy holiday season. We'll reiterate that for all our readers. Now, time to get underway.
Respect for the Raptors
Pregame
Toronto was one of the teams Sonics Head Coach P.J. Carlesimo was responsible for scouting last yaer as an assistant in San Antonio, and he came away impressed. Carlesimo told the media yesterday that he was worried going into both of those matchups, though the Spurs ended up victorious in each. Carlesimo's opinion hasn't changed this year.
"I think they're one of the best teams in the East," he said, citing a defense he considers underrated and an offense that runs one of the league's best pick-and-rolls.
"If you want to find out about your pick-and-roll defense, you play these guys," said Carlesimo. Whether they want to or not, the Sonics will be tested tonight.
Signing On
Pregame
The Seattle SuperSonics are back at KeyArena tonight, hosting the Toronto Raptors in the lone visit of the year by Canada's team. The Sonics and Raptors played two entertaining games last season, with the home team emerging victorious in both matchups, and the Sonics will look for a repeat of that outcome tonight. It should be a good one so stay with us all night long for the latest.
