Sonics (13-2) 103, Indiana (10-4) 95
November 28, 2004
INDIANA COACH RICK CARLISLE:
On the game:
We got off to a great start. We got up early and they threw a barrage at us to get the lead at the end of the first quarter. That was disappointing, because I really thought we were playing the way we needed to play early. We hung with them, but in the end, their shot making and the fact that they outrebounded us was the difference in the game.
On his team:
I thought we gave an honest effort. There are some things we need to do better, though. We did some good things out there. We had some guys play well, but in the end, we weren’t efficient enough and they just got the ball in the basket more than we did.
On the Sonics:
You have to give their team a lot of credit and I think you have to give Nate (McMillan) a lot of credit. They are playing the exact style you have to play to be successful with the personnel they have. Right now, Nate’s doing the best job in the league coaching.
Now for whatever reason, their team is playing as unselfish as any team in the league. When you have that kind of chemistry with that type of sharing of the ball … it breeds more good things. We have seen it for as long as this game has been around. … The more people that touch the ball, the more it goes in the basket. They are a great example of that.
GUARD JAMAAL TINSLEY:
On the game:
They made shots and we gave them a whole lot of second opportunities. They just came out and hit shots tonight.
On the Sonics:
They are hitting jump shots … they are hitting a whole lot of perimeter jump shots and right now they are playing really good. Tonight they came out and worked both ends of the court and they made a lot of shots.
CENTER DAVID HARRISON:
On starting and playing heavy minutes for the short-handed Pacers:
It is going to be a learning process for me. That’s something that I didn’t expect. It’s a real physical game and I just go out there and learn every day trying to get better.
On the Sonics:
They hit a lot of three pointers. They are a good shooting team and they are a team that will live by the three and die by the three. They are riding a great shooting streak, so best of luck to them.
Notes:
Seattle extended its winning streak to four games. Indiana had a three-game winning streak sapped.
The Sonics are now 7-0 at KeyArena. They snapped a four-game losing streak to the Pacers, beating Indiana for the first time since 1/26/02 at Indiana.
The Sonics start is their best since 1993-94 (14-1).
Indiana cut the lead to four, 93-89, with four minutes left, but the Sonics answered with seven straight points to push the lead back to 100-89 with 1:12 to go.
Six Sonics players, including three reserves, scored double-figures. Rashard Lewis led the way with 22 points, the ninth time this season he’s topped 20 points. Lewis added four blocks.
Guard Ray Allen added 19 points and a season-high nine assists. Luke Ridnour had eight assists and no turnovers. Antonio Daniels added six assists; the Sonics totaled 24 as a team.
All five Pacers starters scored double-figures. James Jones led the team with a career-high 27 points, hitting 6-of-9 three-pointers.
Guard Jamaal Tinsley added 22 points, topping 20 for the third time in four games.
Seattle outrebounded Indiana 40-29. Nick Collison had a game- and career-high nine rebounds.
The Pacers started quickly, scoring the game’s first six points and holding a 15-4 lead. Seattle answered by outscoring Indiana 20-6 the rest of the first quarter.
The two teams combined for just four turnovers during the first half. Indiana crushed its season low for turnovers (previously 12) by committing just four as a team.
Seattle held a commanding 45-4 lead in bench scoring. Daniels (14), Vladimir Radmanovic (14) and Danny Fortson (13) all scored double-figures off the bench.
The Pacers shot just 19-for-28 (67.9%) from the free-throw line.
Both teams were hot from behind the three-point line. The Sonics hit 11-of-22 threes (50.0%). Indiana hit 10-for-24 (41.7%), six of them in the fourth quarter.
2004-05 Postgame Quotes/Notes Archive
