Kevin Pelton, SUPERSONICS.COM | May 8, 2005
SAN ANTONIO - A 20-point loss and injuries to All-Star guard
Ray Allen and
Vladimir Radmanovic was not how the Sonics envisioned Game 1 of their Western Conference Semifinals series with the San Antonio Spurs playing out. But there were no heads hanging in the Sonics locker room after the game.
"Just keep your head up," said veteran guard 
Antonio Daniels. "No matter what happens in Game 1, keep you head up. A series is never won in Game 1; it’s a seven-game series. Game 2 they’ll make adjustments and we’ll make adjustments.
"We have to put this game behind us as fast as we can. When we won games we put it behind us and moved on. We need to take that same approach when we lose games."
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"When you lose two scorers, two guys you’re counting on to attack this team, you do lose a little energy."
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty
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After the Spurs took an early lead, sprained ankles suffered by Allen and Radmanovic within about a minute of game action during the second quarter scuttled any Seattle momentum.
"When you lose two scorers, two guys you’re counting on to attack this team, you do lose a little energy," said Sonics Coach 
Nate McMillan.
The Sonics bounced back in the second half, outscoring San Antonio 46-41.
"I just don’t think we weren’t prepared to play at that intensity and you could tell by the way we started," said Daniels.
After struggling with the defensive pressure earlier in the game, Sonics forward 
Rashard Lewis got untracked during the fourth quarter, scoring eight of his team-high 19 points.
"It's most definitely going to help me in Game 2," said Lewis. "Just getting in any kind of a rhythm is going to help, especially when they double-team and you try to pick your spots of where to score at. I think Game 2 will be a little bit better for me."
The Sonics will practice tomorrow and look at further adjustments they can make to counter the Spurs. A particular focus of attention will likely be San Antonio point guard Tony Parker, who scored a game-high 29 points on 11-for-18 shooting and was able to get into the lane with more regularity than the Sonics would like.
By tomorrow, the Sonics should know more about the status of Allen and Radmanovic. X-rays taken on both players' right ankles were negative, but Radmanovic's injury is believed to be much more serious than Allen's. Radmanovic is on crutches, according to McMillan.
"Sometimes when it rains it pours," said Daniels. "But that’s why we’re a team. When one guy goes down someone has to be prepared to stem up and play. We’ve been without different guys through out the season. Ray has gone down, Vlade has gone down and I’ve gone down, different guys have gone down and the term of being a team is everybody being prepared to play when the opportunity presents itself."
