Kevin Pelton, SUPERSONICS.COM | Oct. 21, 2004
For the second time since beginning training camp at the start of this month, the Seattle SuperSonics got a chance to show off for the home fans, this time in the team's Green and Gold Scrimmage. Despite the competing Game 7 of the ALCS between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, several hundred fans made their way to Royal Brougham Pavilion on the Seattle Pacific University campus to watch the White take home an 87-77 victory.
Vladimir Radmanovic and Reggie Evans combined to score 34 points as the Green team's forwards.
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty
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This being a scrimmage on an unfamiliar court precisely three weeks before the Sonics are set to tip off the season in Los Angeles against the Clippers, Sonics Coach
Nate McMillan's goal was to go through the scrimmage without injury, which was the case.
Fans were still treated to some exciting basketball, including long-range clinics from both guard Ray Allen and forward Vladimir Radmanovic, who had a trio of three-pointers each. Radmanovic led all scorers with 20 points, getting loose for 12 of them and all of his threes during the third quarter, while Allen scored 17 points.
The foul-out rule was not in effect during the scrimmage, and that was a good thing. With just seven players on each side (guard Ronald "Flip" Murray and forward Rashard Lewis sat out due to injuries), the Sonics might have had to resort to suiting up assistant coaches had players been disqualified. The two teams combined to make 46 free throws in 61 attempts.
Afterwards, the plethora of fouls were the primary concern of McMillan, who watched the scrimmage from the press table courtside while allowing his assistants to do the coaching.
"There were a lot of fouls," McMillan told the media afterwards. "There was more grabbing than moving their feet. There was too much fouling.
"We want to use our fouls intelligently."
NBA referees are expected to blow their whistles more often this season because of a new emphasis on preventing contact between the half-court line and the free-throw line extended, but much of the contact came in the paint, where Sonics big men, notably forwards Reggie Evans and Danny Fortson, continue to battle. In one stretch during the third quarter, Evans or Fortson went to the free-throw line three straight possessions.
Training-camp invitee Mateen Cleaves was one of the most impressive players, consistently hitting mid-range jumpers while also getting to the hole. Cleaves was so effective that teammate Antonio Daniels primarily played shooting guard during the second half.
"I thought Mateen really played well tonight," McMillan said, "and it was evident the coaches thought he was doing a good job because he played, pretty much, from the second quarter on."
Dwane Casey and Dean Demopoulos coached Cleaves' White squad, while the Green team was coached by Jack Sikma and Bob Weiss.
Rookie forward Nick Collison led the Green team with 18 points, hitting eight field goals, most of them close to the basket. As was the case in the Sonics only preseason game at KeyArena, last Saturday against Phoenix, Collison started slowly, not scoring in the first quarter, before scoring 13 points in the second and third quarters combined.
First-round pick Robert Swift drew one of the largest cheers of the night for a follow tip-dunk with just over a minute to play.
Scoring
White Pts Green Pts
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Daniels 15 Ridnour 9
Kutluay 11 Allen 17
Radmanovic 20 Young 8
Evans 14 Collison 18
Potapenko 6 James 3
Cleaves 17 Wilkins 9
Swift 4 Fortson 13
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Total 87 Total 77
