Sonics outlast Wolves
SEATTLE – When this season began, a preliminary look at the schedule would have elicited a prediction that Friday night’s game between the Seattle SuperSonics and Minnesota Timberwolves would have been a spirited fight with the Northwest Division title possibly in the balance.
Instead, both teams have endured disappointing seasons, both teams have undergone dramatic makeovers and the only thing in the balance is which team gets more ping pong balls in the NBA lottery.
It was no surprise then that the teams played to a near tie at KeyArena, the decisive sequence coming late in the fourth quarter and leading to a 107-96 Sonics victory.
In that time, Ray Allen drained a clutch 3-pointer to give the Sonics a three-point lead. Then Allen fed Robert Swift for a layup out of a pick-and-roll. Then Allen hit another 3-pointer, and the Sonics sent the Wolves to their second consecutive defeat, with the unenviable task of facing the Phoenix Suns tonight in the second half of a back-to-back set.
What had become an exercise in frustration for the 16,713 fans on hand became bedlam as the Sonics in general and Allen in particular made shot after shot in the waning minutes. Allen led the Sonics with 38 points, narrowly missing the opportunity to reach 15,000 points for his career. He needed 41.
When the Sonics face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon, Allen will become the 97th player in league history to reach that level, and the 11th player who has worn a Sonics uniform for at least one season, joining the likes of Gary Payton, Jack Sikma, Sam Perkins, Detlef Schrempf and Lenny Wilkens.
It was enough for him to help eliminate the sour taste left behind from the loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, when the momentum built since the trades reshaped the team was lost amidst a sea of bad shots and poor execution.
That, however, was regained when Allen decided to recapture some of the excellence that has made him a five-time All-Star.
On a night when no other Sonics player was exceptional, Allen was exquisite, making 13 of 26 shots, including four 3-pointers, to secure his third-highest game of the season.
“The way we came out the last time we played, we started the first half of this game with that same muddy approach,” Allen said. “We got chewed up for it at halftime (by coach Bob Hill). And in the second half we had a new attitude.”
The other thing the Sonics achieved was that they held their fourth consecutive opponent to less than 100 points, the first time that has happened this season and a sign Hill’s newly installed defensive schemes are taking affect.
Rashard Lewis added 15 points and eight rebounds and Earl Watson had 12 points and 10 assists off the bench.
Watson played the entire fourth quarter rather than Luke Ridnour because Watson was able to better stay in front of Marcus Banks, one of the quickest point guards in the league – and, incidentally, a player the Sonics tried to acquire via trade.
“Luke was struggling a little bit, and now I have a backup point guard so I used him,” Hill said.
For most of the game, neither team could seem to gain command.
The Sonics were once again shooting poorly and the Timberwolves are completely dysfunctional, with Marko Jaric unhappy about his role, Kevin Garnett unhappy about his teammates and coach Dwane Casey unhappy about his team’s current state of affairs, as well as the losing.
In the second half, Garnett was held in check by Mikki Moore, of all people, unable to shoot over Moore for a jumper and unable to go around Moore for his usual array of shots. Garnett finished the evening with a quiet 21 points and 11 rebounds.