Sonics still have no answers
SEATTLE – Fifteen faces stared back at him in silence.
Seattle SuperSonics coach Bob Weiss wanted a simple answer after a 105-99 loss to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets on Saturday at KeyArena.
“If you don’t like the way we’re doing stuff defensively, you tell me,” he told his players, “because I don’t care how we do it. I just want stops.”
No answer.
The Sonics haven’t had an answer in weeks.
New Orleans/Oklahoma City employed a midget lineup Saturday, and Seattle could do nothing except get tagged for fouls in the team’s third consecutive defeat.
“He’s at a loss for why we can’t defend better than we are,” said forward Nick Collison of Weiss’ postgame speech. “It feels like they’re runnin’ right at us. I don’t know exactly why that is. I know as a big guy, it seems like I’ve got guys flying at me all the time. We’re not very good defensively right now.”
Diminutive guards Chris Paul (6-0), a rookie, and Speedy Claxton (5-11) led as the Hornets zipped through the Sonics’ interior in the first half, outscoring Seattle 24-12 in the paint.
Weiss started forward Reggie Evans to generate energy and defense, moving Collison to center in place of rookie Johan Petro. But Evans was called for two quick fouls, returning him to the bench. All-Star Ray Allen also was in foul trouble, collecting three in just over 10 minutes.
The Hornets attempted 23 free throws, 16 more than the Sonics in the opening half, making 18 to take a 55-47 lead at the break.
Seattle found some energy after halftime, seemingly turning the game around after All-Star Rashard Lewis picked up a steal and converted it into a powerful dunk over J.R. Smith with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter. But in a flash, the Hornets were back up again, closing the period with a 77-70 lead.
The Sonics again showed a tantalizing glimpse of the kind of defense Weiss is searching for with 1:32 left in the game. They used an effective full-court press to force turnovers and outscore the Hornets 8-0 off shots from Lewis, guard Luke Ridnour, and Collison. Only an ill-advised 3-point attempt by Vladimir Radmanovic with 19.5 seconds left and lack of time led to the loss.
“I want to see that in the first (quarter),” Weiss said of the late intensity. “That’s what we talked about. That’s why we started with Reggie in there, but he got in some early foul trouble, so we’ll just go back to the drawing board.”
Seattle (5-8) also struggled without Allen, who fouled out with 4:29 remaining in the game. He laid flat on his back in frustration after being called for his sixth foul on a rebound attempt.
The Hornets (6-6) had their share of problems. They gave up 25 points on 19 turnovers and were beaten 23-15 on second-chance shot opportunities. Yet they were more aggressive defensively and offensively.
“It’s frustrating,” said Allen, who finished with 15 points on 7-for-15 shooting. “The effort defensively, whether we’re in the right place or on the same page, that’s got to change. I don’t know if it is a lack thereof (effort), we just have to get on the same page.”
Hornets forward David West had his fourth consecutive game with at least 20 points, finishing with a team-high 21. When he made his only 3-point attempt as the shot-clock buzzer sounded early in the fourth quarter, Seattle guard Mateen Cleaves could only hang his head and talk to himself.
Lewis led six Sonics in double-figure scoring with 21 points.
“You’ve got to take pride in not getting beat all the time,” said Evans, who had a game-high 10 rebounds. “With defense, people can be selfish. You don’t have to play team defense if you don’t want to. You feel like you can stop this man, take it upon yourself and stop that man. It’s just pride.”
Defensively, the Sonics are still searching for it.
Notes
Hornets center Chris Andersen did not play for the second consecutive game with a bruised back and sore right knee. … The Hornets’ Desmond Mason received a warm ovation in his return to Seattle. He played 2 1/2 seasons in Seattle before being traded to Milwaukee. He was dealt to the Hornets before the start of this season. … The Hornets wore their gold road uniforms for the first time this season.