Pregame from KeyArena
COUGARS
FROM SEATTLE -- Have to admit, I was dreading the commute from Greenwood into Seattle Center at 5 p.m. on a Friday night. But the drive was pretty smooth, and I was even able to find a parking spot on the street just outside the arena. Maybe the world really did end today. Anyway, we have thoughts and notes and such after the jump, so read on.
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If you follow WSU guard Mike Ladd on Twitter, you know he's not shy about being a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder. And that makes some people unhappy. "A lot of people get mad because I like the Thunder," Ladd said after WSU's practice at KeyArena on Thursday, "but I only like the Thunder because they have my favorite players like K.D. (Kevin Durant) and Russell Westbrook. I liked them when they first became Sonics." Ladd, of course, is Seattle through-and-through -- he grew up here, attended Rainier Beach High School and is looking forward to spending some time here during the team's Christmas break -- and has been a Sonics fan as long as he can remember. But he's also one of the few Seattle fans who still supports the team now that it's in Oklahoma City. "I understand that they’re mad they took the team at all. But it wasn’t the players' fault, was it? They’re still my favorite players," Ladd said. "I’m always a Sonics fan, but I like the Thunder basically because of the players." And if all goes according to plan, and Seattle gets another NBA team? "If the sonics get another team, I’ll be a big sonics fan still. ... I’ll always be a Sonics fan. That’s like my No. 1." ... Will DiIorio is in uniform tonight and is going through warmups as we speak. Coach Ken Bone said yesterday that DiIorio's status for tonight will be somewhat of a game-time decision. ... Buffalo (4-7) is led in scoring by 6-foot-7 forward Javon McCrea, who averages 16.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. The Bulls' second-leading scorer, 6-foot-8 forward Will Regan, gives Buffalo a pretty substantial 1-2 punch in the frontcourt. But the Bulls will be without point guard Jarod Oldham, who injured his left wrist in practice this week and won't play.
We'll be back with more afterward.
Christian Caple can be reached at christianc@spokesman.com. Twitter: @ChristianCaple