Sonics (32-13) 113, Charlotte (10-34) 99
February 5, 2005
CHARLOTTE COACH BERNIE BICKERSTAFF:
On the Sonics:
They just shot the basketball. They were 10-for-14 from three. And they just played great basketball tonight. We’re going home. The plane is ready for us and we are leaving. Give them all the credit. Our guys kept fighting and kept it respectable. They hung in there and they kept fighting. They didn’t surrender and they played against a pretty darn good basketball team.
On Seattle's shooting:
They made shots and that’s the name of that game. Every time they shot the ball it went in the basket. Our objective was to take the threes away. We told our guys at the half that if we took the threes away then we were only down nine. We acquiesced to their strongest part of their game … threes.
On his team:
It really doesn’t take a genius to figure out we were somewhat limited in terms of the bodies that we had. I’m proud of my guys. They played hard and they play hard every night. We got our butts kicked tonight so we are going to pack up, shower and go home.
FORWARD MELVIN ELY:
On the game:
Being in the league, you know everybody has these days. You have to dig deep and play hard. We ran out of gas against a good ball club. I can’t believe they shot as well as they did. They were unbelievable from outside. Every time you would leave someone there would be somebody with their hands up. They keep you spread out. When they do miss, if it happens, then it goes right over your head.
On battling Reggie Evans:
If you know Reggie, you know he’s going to do anything to get that ball. He’ll kick, bite, push or whatever. He’s a dear friend of mine, so I was hitting him and pushing him. He was hitting and pushing back. I don’t think there is anybody that loves to go out there against Reggie. He’s one of those guys that doesn’t take a break. He’s going to go at you hard the whole time.
Notes:
The Sonics swept the season series and are now 2-0 all-time against the Bobcats.
Seattle won its second straight game and third in its last four games. Charlotte has dropped its last two and three of four. The Bobcats finished 1-3 on their West Coast road trip.
The Sonics scored 69 points in the first half, their season high for a half and a Charlotte opponent franchise record for a half (previously 67 vs. Utah on 11/16/04).
Seattle’s 35 second-quarter points were the most ever scored against Charlotte in the second.
The Sonics 23-point halftime lead was their largest of the season.
Seattle scored 110 points+ for the seventh time this season. The Sonics are 5-2 in those games.
Sonics guard Ray Allen, who missed the team’s last two games with a viral infection, scored 25 points. Allen had 14 points in the first quarter alone.
Vladimir Radmanovic came off the bench to score 20+ points (23) for the 10th time this season.
Rashard Lewis added 18 points and Luke Ridnour 17 for the Sonics.
Reggie Evans grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds for the Sonics. Evans became the first Sonics player to grab 20 boards in a game since Shawn Kemp (22) at Dallas on 12/12/95. Evans previously had 17 rebounds twice, during the 2002-03 season and on Jan. 28 vs. Golden State.
Evans grabbed half of the Sonics rebounds and 27.3% (21-of-77) of all recorded in the game.
Charlotte forward Melvin Ely scored a career high in points for the second straight game, scoring 22 - six more than his previous high (16).
Jason Kapono scored nine of his 17 points in the fourth quarter.
The Sonics shot 14-for-26 from three-point range (53.8%), including 10-for-14 in the first half.
Radmanovic made five three-pointers, Lewis four.
Charlotte never led in the game. The Sonics led by as many as 25 points.
2004-05 Postgame Quotes/Notes Archive
