Technically, Askew Took Himself Out At A Bad Time

Seattle SuperSonics swingman Vincent Askew was wincing Friday night while Boston Celtics guard Todd Day knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to draw the Celtics within five points with 8:22 left in the fourth quarter.

Askew knew he would have been assigned to Day if he was in the game.

But Askew was watching from the Sonics’ locker room after being ejected by veteran referee Hue Hollins with 4:06 left in the second quarter.

Prior to his ejection, Askew was playing marvelously, driving and dishing to Frank Brickowski for a layin, firing a pass to Sam Perkins for a 3-pointer, and swishing a 3-pointer and layin of his own.

But after making contact on a long rebound late in the second quarter, Hollins whistled a foul on him.

“I told him I didn’t foul,” Askew said.

Hollins took an instant dislike to Askew’s complaint and promptly whistled him for a technical foul. Askew responded with an unprintable remark and was immediately assessed another technical foul and the inherent ejection.

Askew had never been slapped so quickly with a pair of technical fouls.

“It was too quick,” he said. “But that’s the way he is from what I’ve seen watching games on TV.”

The timing couldn’t have been worse, considering the Sonics’ nine-man rotation had already been reduced to seven because of injuries sustained by Shawn Kemp and Nate McMillan.

No Garden party

The Sonics gave mixed reviews to the Celtics’ new home court, FleetCenter.

As with the Garden, FleetCenter is drafty and cold. Unlike the rowdy Garden crowds, who were accustomed to winning, the FleetCenter crowd was quiet, even when the Celtics were ahead.