Sonics Hear The Clamor Seattle Will Try To Quiet The Kings, And Skeptics, Too, In Game 3 Tonight

Sacramento Kings fans were celebrating their first playoff spot in a decade when Olden Polynice grabbed the microphone and warned: “It’s not good to just get into the playoffs. We have to make some noise.”

By evening their first-round series against Seattle with a 90-81 win Sunday, Sacramento let out a primal scream and forced the SuperSonics into another episode of reliving collapses of playoffs past.

It was the Kings’ first playoff game win since 1981. As they prepared for Game 3 of the best-of-five series tonight, the Kings tried to dampen their excitement and act like savvy playoff veterans.

“I think we opened a few eyes with one victory, but the only way we’re really going to make any noise is by taking the series,” said forward Brian Grant. “The momentum is in our favor now, but it doesn’t mean anything unless we build on it.”

The Kings, in the postseason for the first time in a decade, are the only team with a losing regular-season record in the playoffs. They are trying to become only the second No. 8 seed to win a playoff series since the NBA went to a 16-team playoff format in 1984.

The only successful No. 8 seed was Denver, which stunned the Sonics two seasons ago. Seattle also lost in the first round last year, and Sunday’s defeat immediately revived questions about their postseason blahs.

“We put enough pressure on ourselves without hearing it from you every day,” Sonics forward Detlef Schrempf complained Monday to reporters at the team’s practice in Seattle. “We know we’ll continue to hear it until we do better.”

A big reason for Sacramento’s win in Game 2 was a 45-28 rebounding advantage, despite the return of Shawn Kemp to Seattle after a one-game suspension.

But Polynice, who has led the Kings in rebounds in each of the first two games, was limping badly Monday because of a bruised right thigh. He watched film with his teammates for an hour and a half, but headed for the training room when the Kings took the floor for a short practice.

“Trying to put pressure on the leg hurts,” said Polynice, injured Sunday when he collided with Seattle’s Nate McMillan while jostling for a rebound. “It’s just real sore and real stiff right now.”

Polynice, who had several hours of electric stimulation on the thigh Monday, vowed to play tonight. He has not missed a game due to injury since joining the Kings in February 1994.

The Sonics, 97-85 winners in Game 1 Friday, swept their four-game season series against Sacramento and have not lost consecutive games since November.

“No one’s panicking,” said guard Hersey Hawkins. “It’s a long time since we’ve lost two games in a row. Now is not the time to do it again. They were tougher than us in Game 2, but we know what we did wrong.”

While Seattle is trying to ignore its past playoff collapses, the Kings are trying not to get caught up in the excitement of their fans, who mobbed the airport Sunday night to welcome back the team.

“There was just a thunderous ovation for everybody. I don’t know if anyone will ever forget that,” Kings coach Garry St. Jean said with a raspy, tired voice. “All of us who have been here for some time know what these fans have gone through in terms of disappointment.”

And Polynice, who issued his warning to fans after the regular-season finale April 21, said the Kings - who lost 11 in a row in the middle of the season - still have proven nothing to the rest of the NBA.

“We’ve got to win this series. We want to show people we belong here; we want to show teams around the league,” he said. “They might think we got in because Denver had a bad year or Golden State blew it, but we got here because we busted our butts - especially after we lost 16 of 17.”