Sonics’ skid reaches three
OAKLAND, Calif. – Monta Ellis greeted the swarm at his locker with a friendly “Hello, folks” and teammate Andris Biedrins hollered across the locker room “Monta big time!”
Life sure is good for Golden State’s 21-year-old phenom these days.
When Baron Davis took a blow to the ribs and then a seat on the bench, Ellis took over.
The second-year pro scored a career-high 31 points, matched his career high with seven assists and also grabbed seven rebounds, leading the Warriors to their sixth straight home win, a 107-95 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Saturday night.
“That’s really part of my job,” Ellis said. “I’m a point guard. It’s the role I have to play. It’s just like old times. That’s how I took it … high school.”
Yes, Ellis was in high school only last year. Trading baskets with All-Star Ray Allen? No problem.
Perhaps Davis isn’t the Warriors only player who can dominate a game.
“I think he can be. He doesn’t realize how good he is,” Biedrins said. “Lucky guy, from high school.”
Allen had a season-high 34 points and 11 rebounds for Seattle, which lost its third straight and had a three-game road winning streak snapped. Allen pulled the Sonics within 70-65 on a three-point play with 3:22 remaining in the third, but they didn’t come closer than that.
Mickael Pietrus had 19 points and a career-best 12 rebounds in the Warriors’ fifth consecutive victory overall. Golden State has won six straight at home for the first time since a seven-game winning streak from March 15-April 6, 2004.
Davis, coming off a season-high 36-point, career-best 18-assist performance Thursday night in a 117-105 win against the Sacramento Kings, was banged in the ribs in the second quarter. He sat out all but 15 seconds in the second period, then briefly tried to play in the third before taking a seat for the rest of the game.
Rashard Lewis added 17 points and seven boards for Seattle and Luke Ridnour had 14 points and five assists.
The Warriors came in having averaged 114.8 points and 51.7 percent from the field over their previous four games – and Ellis, 21, has a lot to do with it.
“He was hitting big shots. He was tough to guard,” Ridnour said. “We kept fighting back but they made plays at the end.”
Warriors 107, Sonics 95
| FG | FT | Reb | |||||
| SEATTLE | Min | M-A | M-A | O-T | A | PF | PTS |
| Allen | 45:57 | 11-21 | 8-8 | 1-11 | 3 | 3 | 34 |
| RasLewis | 37:34 | 7-16 | 2-4 | 2-7 | 0 | 5 | 17 |
| Wilcox | 10:51 | 2-4 | 2-9 | 2-6 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Watson | 33:13 | 5-11 | 0-0 | 0-4 | 7 | 3 | 12 |
| Ridnour | 41:45 | 7-16 | 0-2 | 2-4 | 5 | 3 | 14 |
| Collison | 24:24 | 0-3 | 2-2 | 1-5 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Wilks | 9:21 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Wilkins | 24:42 | 4-8 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Farmer | 2:03 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Gelabale | 6:12 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Petro | 3:58 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Totals | 240:00 | 37-83 | 14-25 | 10-42 | 17 | 26 | 95 |
Percentages: FG .446, FT .560. 3-Point Goals: 7-25, .280 (Allen 4-9, Watson 2-5, Ras.Lewis 1-6, Wilkins 0-1, Farmer 0-1, Ridnour 0-3). Team Rebounds: 10. Team Turnovers: 18 (18 PTS). Blocked Shots: 2 (Ras.Lewis, Wilkins). Turnovers: 17 (Allen 4, Watson 4, Collison 2, Ras.Lewis 2, Ridnour 2, Petro, Wilkins, Wilks). Steals: 6 (Allen, Collison, Ras.Lewis, Ridnour, Watson, Wilkins). Technical Fouls: None.
| FG | FT | Reb | |||||
| GOLDEN STATE | Min | M-A | M-A | O-T | A | PF | PTS |
| Richardson | 41:16 | 8-17 | 0-1 | 1-4 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| Pietrus | 41:55 | 8-18 | 3-6 | 4-12 | 2 | 5 | 19 |
| Biedrins | 30:51 | 3-6 | 2-2 | 3-13 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| Ellis | 42:31 | 12-19 | 6-8 | 1-7 | 7 | 2 | 31 |
| Davis | 17:44 | 4-6 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| Dunleavy | 40:39 | 5-12 | 3-3 | 1-9 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| McLeod | 25:04 | 3-8 | 4-4 | 0-1 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| Totals | 240:00 | 43-86 | 18-24 | 11-48 | 26 | 17 | 107 |
Percentages: FG .500, FT .750. 3-Point Goals: 3-14, .214 (Richardson 2-5, Ellis 1-4, Dunleavy 0-1, McLeod 0-1, Pietrus 0-3). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 14 (15 PTS). Blocked Shots: 6 (Pietrus 2, Biedrins, Davis, Dunleavy, McLeod). Turnovers: 13 (Pietrus 4, Ellis 2, Richardson 2, McLeod 2, Biedrins, Davis, Dunleavy). Steals: 7 (Dunleavy 3, McLeod 2, Biedrins, Ellis). Technical Fouls: Defensive Three Second, 3:58 second.
| Seattle | 22 | 20 | 25 | 28—95 |
| Golden State | 23 | 32 | 21 | 31—107 |
A—17,205 (19,596).