Sonics topple Morrison, Bobcats

SEATTLE – Adam Morrison was happy to be home. Well, at least within 300 miles of it.

“You can’t beat the Northwest,” Morrison said outside the Charlotte Bobcats’ locker room prior to them facing the Seattle Supersonics on Sunday night. “I’m glad to be somewhat close to home.”

And in a KeyArena that holds fond memories – can anyone forget the banked in 3-pointer to beat Oklahoma State in last season’s Battle in Seattle? – Morrison didn’t build any new ones, if only because the Bobcats lost 96-89, their fifth consecutive defeat.

Morrison himself had an above-average game, scoring 17 points, including a two-handed dunk to pull the Bobcats within two with 2 minutes, 10 seconds left. He also had a team-high five assists.

But despite Charlotte having five players in double figures – led by the 19 of Gerald Wallace – it couldn’t offset the 34 of Ray Allen and 28 from Rashard Lewis of the Sonics. Nor the 10 points and 10 assists of Earl Watson, who played 35 minutes because Luke Ridnour has a cervical disc irritation.

The loss was just another in a season of losses for Charlotte, as the third-year franchise is headed for another lottery pick with a 22-38 record, fourth in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference.

But the Bobcats, like Morrison, Charlotte’s first pick – and the third overall – in last June’s NBA draft, are young. And they’re hurt.

The biggest loss currently is center Omeka Okafor, the shot-blocking force in the middle who has missed the past three games with a calf strain. Without him, Charlotte played some lineups where Morrison was the tallest Bobcat on the court.

Morrison came off the bench – he hasn’t started in almost a month – for the first time, with 7 minutes, 14 seconds left in the first quarter.

He received the loudest non-Sonic cheer of the night.

“That was cool,” Morrison said.

The cheers were led by family and friends, some from as far back as his Mead High days, who had purchased their seats as soon as the schedule came out. They were part of a crowd announced at 15,574.

After missing his first shot, Morrison nailed an 18-footer in transition and followed that less than a minute later with a successful jumper on the baseline despite being fouled. By the half he had 10 points.

But most of the season hasn’t been like that. It’s been a learning year.

“It’s been good so far, besides the losing,” said Morrison, who came in averaging 13 points a game, the fewest since his freshman year at Gonzaga. “I have to learn how to be a pro and that takes a little time. Once you experience it, then you know. That’s what I’m going through right now. I won’t have to go through it again. There’s a lot to learn.

“You have to get used to playing back-to-back nights and that can wear on you. You have to take a lot better care of your body than you do in college. And then there’s the mental part. You have to forget your bad nights and you have to forget your good nights and just look forward to the next one.”

Sunday was both good and bad.

But he played with energy, something he admitted was missing for a while.

“The All-Star break really helped,” Morrison said of how he recharged. “Anyone around the organization will tell you I was tired, wearing down, but the rest really helped. I needed some time off. Now I’m feeling pretty good, I’m feeling all right.”

Rick Bonnell, the Bobcats beat writer for the Charlotte Observer, said Morrison expressed a desire to skip the rookie game, but went to Las Vegas anyway. He scored 16 points. And he rested.

Besides the rest, Morrison began working out every morning with veteran center Jake Voskuhl, even on game days. But the one area he knows needs the most improvement will have to wait for the offseason. He admits he needs to get stronger to withstand the NBA’s rigors.

“He’s trying to improve, putting in the extra time he needs, working at his game,” said Charlotte coach Bernie Bickerstaff. “He’s got that possibility. The true test for all these young guys is time.

“Adam is not just a one-dimensional player. He shares the ball, he goes for rebounds and he’s improving on defense because he’s trying.”

And he could be a senior at Gonzaga, which is still in his mind.

He’s followed their troubles and the way the Zags have bounced back recently.

“It’s just the type of players they attract,” he said of their recent success. “The guys they bring in, they know what’s important. And the coaching staff, they know what they need to do.

“The guys, they have to put the team first and they’ll get it done. Even with all the problems, they won the (WCC) regular season championship and have a good chance to win the tournament.”

Not that he feels he should be helping.

“You can’t beat college life, those were some times, being with friends and what not,” he said, before remembering something. “I don’t miss class and some of the other stuff.

“I enjoyed my college stay but it was time to move on.”