Sonics need quick fix
SEATTLE – Seattle coach Nate McMillan was asked Wednesday if he thinks the SuperSonics will be better served by minor tweaks or a dramatic overhaul going into Game 3 against San Antonio.
“I really don’t know. You got any suggestions?” he asked.
Well, there’s not enough time for big changes, but the Sonics sure could use a quick fix in Game 3 tonight.
San Antonio leads the best-of-7 series 2-0, and judging from the Spurs’ play there’s no one in silver and black too concerned.
The Spurs demonstrated in the first round they can succeed on the road, winning twice in Denver, and they showed in the first two games against Seattle why they were among the preseason favorites to contend for the NBA title.
Seattle’s biggest lead in the series has been two points. The Sonics, frustrated by San Antonio’s swarming defense, are shooting 42 percent. It drops to 24 percent from 3-point range – normally a Seattle specialty.
“We’ve got to play close to perfect basketball,” McMillan said. “We’ve been forced into a lot of turnovers. Our execution is not as sharp as it needs to be to beat this team. That’s what a good team will do to you. They’ve played at the top of their game. We haven’t.”
San Antonio is getting outstanding play from its guards, with Tony Parker scoring 29 in Game 1 and Manu Ginobili coming off the bench for 28 on Tuesday night.
“We have to cut down on them getting into the lane and breaking our defense down,” Seattle’s Antonio Daniels said. “But it’s easier said than done. Those are two very good guards. We did a nice job on Tony last game and Ginobili goes for 28. That’s part of them being a good team.”
The Spurs have won six straight playoff games since losing at home in the first-round opener against Denver. They’re rolling now, and a compact series – three games in five nights – plays into their favor.
“There’s not two or three days in between where teams can make huge adjustments,” San Antonio guard Brent Barry said. “We’re going to get right back. That bodes well for us in terms of the schemes that we’re sticking with and the success we’ve had.”
Not that Tim Duncan should be an afterthought, but the All-Star center looks as solid as ever, too. He had 22 points and nine rebounds in Game 1, then 25 points and nine rebounds in Game 2.
“We’ve been outplayed in the first two games in almost every area,” Daniels said.
So what can Seattle do next?
Nothing’s changed, as far as McMillan is concerned. The Sonics must reduce the 31 turnovers they committed in the first two games, and they must be more aggressive so San Antonio can’t set up on defense.