Nov 30, 2001 11:03 AM EST
A man walked into a ticket broker's office on Mercer Island this past summer to purchase concert tickets and nonchalantly asked about the interest level in Seattle SuperSonics tickets.
"It's the worst I've seen it in 10 years," the ticket agent told the man. "It's so bad, we don't even stock extra tickets anymore. Nobody wants them."
Little did that agent know how prescient her comments would be, given the scene at Key-Arena for Sonics games this season.
You could call it the Departing of the Red Sea.
Go to any Sonics game these days and there is a virtual sea of empty red seats. The vacant seats illustrate a trend that goes beyond Seattle to most of the NBA, where overpriced seats, uninspired play and disenchantment with players leave many thinking the league has lost touch with its supporters.
"It is that way everywhere," Sonics coach Nate McMillan said. "All arenas. I've gone in (Key-Arena) and said, 'Wow.'"
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Nov 30, 2001 10:02 AM EST
When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: KeyArena
Radio: KJR (950 AM)
TV: KING.
Records: Sonics 8-9, Lakers 13-1
Notes: Tonight's game is Seattle's first sellout of the season at KeyArena, which holds 17,072 fans. No more tickets are available. Although playoff hero Derek Fisher has returned to the active roster, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson has the guard coming off the bench. Lindsey Hunter, who was acquired in a trade shipping Greg Foster to Milwaukee, starts at point guard. ... Former Sonics center Jelani McCoy signed with the Lakers during the offseason, and is on the inactive list. After not being re-signed by the Sonics this summer, the former UCLA Bruin gets to play back home.
Injuries: Sonics — C Antonio Harvey (tendinitis) and C Jerome James (sprained right foot) are on the injured list. Lakers — C Jelani McCoy (bruised right foot) is on the injured list.
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Nov 30, 2001 10:00 AM EST
There are strange occurrences in life that are difficult to comprehend. Bright sunlight on a rainy day. The school nerd dating the prom queen.
And the Sonics sweeping the Lakers.
Last season, the world-championship Lakers won almost 70 percent of their games before completing the best playoff record in NBA history. But the Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, couldn't figure out Seattle's unspectacular team. Will the Sonics have some kind of quirky advantage when they host the Lakers at 7 tonight at KeyArena?
"You definitely have to throw that out," said Coach Nate McMillan, whose Sonics defeated the Lakers by an average of 16 points last season. "We don't have a lot of the guys we had last year."
With seven new players, the 8-9 Sonics aren't the same team. And the 13-1 Lakers — with their mainstays — are playing in the dominating fashion of the postseason.
"It's a lot different," said Sonics guard Gary Payton. "They're coming in with a lot of confidence."
If there is an explanation for Seattle's perfect record against the Lakers last season, it's in the matchups. The Lakers' guards had even more trouble than usual keeping up with Payton, who averaged 27.5 points and 8.3 assists. Despite his worst season in the NBA, Vin Baker often resembled an All-Star against the Lakers. Patrick Ewing used his size and savvy against O'Neal. And the Sonics possessed athletic defenders such as Payton, Ruben Patterson and Desmond Mason to throw at Bryant.
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Nov 2001 Archive
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| Nov 30, 2001
Tom McEachin of the Ogden Standard-Examiner writes that the Jazz showed just how good they can be in their win over the Sonics.
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| Nov 29, 2001
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| Nov 29, 2001
It took a little starting lineup change as well as a little motivation and the Utah Jazz returned to an old form on Wednesday night.
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| Nov 29, 2001
HIGHLIGHT: Desmond Mason's third-quarter thunder jam over a host of Jazz players.
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| Nov 29, 2001
Whatever happened to the Sonics team that blistered the Minnesota Timberwolves the night before?
Where were those guys when the Utah Jazz ran layin drills in the second quarter and took control of the game?
Tuesday night, you watched in wonder.
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| Nov 29, 2001
Player of the game: No Sonics player could match up against Donyell Marshall.
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| Nov 29, 2001
Over the past week, the Sonics have seen their big men return from injuries, and with a healthy roster of young, athletic players, Seattle has produced its longest winning streak this season, including Tuesday's upset victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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| Nov 28, 2001
Frank Hughes of the Tacoma News Tribune reports: The New York newspapers are all atwitter about the Knicks trying to acquire Seattle SuperSonics rejuvenated power forward Vin Baker.
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| Nov 28, 2001
The Seattle SuperSonics defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 112-102, Tuesday night behind a career-high scoring night and near triple-double from Brent Barry.
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| Nov 28, 2001
Through the summer they talked the business of basketball.
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| Nov 28, 2001
BEST DRIVE: Early on, Brent Barry challenged Kevin Garnett, of all people, and was rewarded.
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| Nov 28, 2001
Player of the game: Guard Brent Barry pulled out the three-pointers and jump shots in the second half to give Seattle the boost it needed, finishing with a career-high 31 points and 10 assists.
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| Nov 28, 2001
When:Today, 6 p.
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| Nov 28, 2001
Brent Barry could not miss, not even 25 feet from the hoop with a Timberwolf in his face and the shot clock winding down -- a situation portending the worst.
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| Nov 28, 2001
The downside with Gary Payton -- and the reason the feisty Seattle SuperSonics point guard was shopped around last offseason to teams that included the Timberwolves -- always had been his temper, his impatience and a burning desire to do most things, most of the time, his way only.
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| Nov 27, 2001
When this season began, part of the development of Seattle SuperSonics forward Rashard Lewis was him finding a way to carry the team.
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| Nov 27, 2001
When the ball goes up tonight at KeyArena, Terrell Brandon, Wally Szczerbiak and Rasho Nesterovic will be playing for Minnesota.
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| Nov 27, 2001
When: Today, 7 p.
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| Nov 27, 2001
Sure he's 30, but Sonics forward Vin Baker has never looked better.
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| Nov 27, 2001
Here is the test, Timberwolves fans.
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| Nov 26, 2001
In his first game as a 30-year-old, Vin Baker looked like a pup, running the floor, getting low-post position, contributing in ways that strengthen the Sonics.
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| Nov 26, 2001
HIGHLIGHT: Brent Barry slammed it through the hoop with one hand, culminating a drive out of backcourt.
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| Nov 26, 2001
Vin Baker lay in the trainer's room after last night's game while a green contraption drained fluids from his left knee.
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| Nov 25, 2001
From Seattle Times news services: The Milwaukee Bucks and the Sonics had legitimate talks recently about swapping Glen Robinson and Sam Cassell for Sonics point guard Gary Payton.
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| Nov 25, 2001
1.
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| Nov 25, 2001
Vin Baker spun in the paint, escaping a defender with his vintage low-post move.
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| Nov 25, 2001
When: Today, 4 p.
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| Nov 25, 2001
Troy Murphy has been one of the NBA's best rookies after being selected No.
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| Nov 24, 2001
Today is a big day for the Seattle SuperSonics.
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| Nov 24, 2001
Two head gaskets were blown Friday.
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| Nov 24, 2001
Though his protests of calls he didn't believe the Rockets were getting did spark a comeback, Tomjanovich could not prevent a 99-81 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics on Friday night.
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| Nov 24, 2001
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Desmond Mason went back to the bench as the Sonics used Art Long at power forward.
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| Nov 24, 2001
Desmond Mason left his Renton home for the half-hour drive to Seattle for the team shoot-around.
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| Nov 23, 2001
Though it is not a contagious condition, several Rockets are now suffering from plantar fasciitis.
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| Nov 23, 2001
Matchup - Houston Rockets (7-5) at Seattle SuperSonics (5-8)
When - 7:05 p.
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| Nov 23, 2001
The Seattle SuperSonics made a two-day trip to Texas last season, just before the Thanksgiving break.
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| Nov 23, 2001
This one was payback.
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| Nov 23, 2001
The Seattle SuperSonics' two-game trip to Texas wasn't the nightmare some NBA observers envisioned when the league removed its rules banning zone defenses.
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| Nov 22, 2001
Nunyo Demasio of the Seattle Times reports: Vin Baker didn't want to be put on the injured list after bruising his left knee.
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| Nov 22, 2001
With a handshake, a few congratulatory words, and one commemorative basketball, George Gervin proclaimed David Robinson as the Spurs' all-time leading NBA scorer Wednesday night.
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| Nov 22, 2001
HIGHLIGHT: Sonics veteran guard Gary Payton took Spurs rookie point guard Tony Parker to school in the second quarter.
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| Nov 22, 2001
Nate McMillan stomped his feet and unleashed a stream of expletives toward his sluggish players during an early timeout.
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| Nov 21, 2001
Notes: The series between Seattle and San Antonio is tied at 53.
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| Nov 21, 2001
HIGHLIGHT: Gary Payton put on a show at the end of the third quarter.
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| Nov 21, 2001
Calvin Booth played his first game after missing seven while his sore right ankle time mended.
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| Nov 21, 2001
Predrag Drobnjak, the 6-foot-11 center with the soft jumper, wasn't someone the Sonics signed before last night's game.
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| Nov 20, 2001
Things have been going so bad for the Seattle SuperSonics lately that even video coordinator Walt Rock and assistant general manager Rich Cho are hobbling around with injuries.
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| Nov 20, 2001
Nate McMillan is usually directing, but not this way, not on the floor leading a fast break.
-
| Nov 20, 2001
When: Today, 5:30 p.
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| Nov 20, 2001
Sonics Coach Nate McMillan practiced yesterday.
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| Nov 19, 2001
Neither Seattle SuperSonics point guard Shammond Williams nor Golden State Warriors power forward Marc Jackson are demanding a trade from their respective teams.
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| Nov 18, 2001
Frank Hughes of the Tacoma News Tribunr writes: It appears that Tim Floyd is doing some of the same wacky things that Westphal did in his final season with the Sonics, when the team was virtually forced to fire him.
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| Nov 18, 2001
Hoop magazine, which is licensed by the NBA, has been relaunched as a lifestyle publication.
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| Nov 18, 2001
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Nick Van Exel didn't let an anemic start stop him a scintillating scoring night.
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| Nov 18, 2001
Olumide Oyedeji better take careful steps during Seattle's next practice.
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| Nov 17, 2001
Vin Baker and Calvin Booth wore their Friday best last night because of injuries.
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| Nov 16, 2001
When NBA players received their first check of the season yesterday, it was trimmed beyond the usual contributions to Uncle Sam.
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| Nov 16, 2001
In 1986, when Nate McMillan was a rookie point guard in the NBA, his mentors were forwards Xavier McDaniel and Maurice Lucas.
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| Nov 16, 2001
Art Long came off the bench to spark the Sonics against Washington with 10 points, 10 rebounds and four steals, outshining Michael Jordan on Sunday.
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| Nov 16, 2001
Notes: The Sonics swept four games against the Warriors last season.
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| Nov 15, 2001
The Washington Post reports that The Wizards have held trade talks with several teams regarding center Jahidi White and several other players, sources with knowledge of the situation said.
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| Nov 14, 2001
Dan Ruiz of the Tacoma News Tribune reports: The Seattle SuperSonics put center-forward Vin Baker on the injured list Tuesday and activated guard Shammond Williams.
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| Nov 14, 2001
Player of the game: Phoenix has another triple threat besides Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling and Luis Gonzalez.
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| Nov 14, 2001
It was a night to go inside.
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| Nov 14, 2001
Alone on the wing with Michael Jordan.
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| Nov 13, 2001
SERIES - This is the first meeting between the teams this season.
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| Nov 13, 2001
The Sonics would have gotten more use out of a spa than its training facility yesterday.
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| Nov 13, 2001
Michael Jordan missed his first 14 shots on the way to his first four-game losing streak in almost 12 years.
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| Nov 12, 2001
Throw the ball to Michael and let him shoot.
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| Nov 12, 2001
They flew in from Pittsburgh to get a glimpse of Michael Jordan, to relive the past and revel in the present.
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| Nov 12, 2001
HIGHLIGHTS: Brent Barry, not Michael Jordan, threw one down off a fast-break feed from Gary Payton, triggering a big run in the third quarter.
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| Nov 12, 2001
They don't know what it was like back then.
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| Nov 12, 2001
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Will Gary Payton still have it at age 38? The Sonics guard certainly does now.
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| Nov 12, 2001
Much of the sell-out crowd of 20,674 fans at the MCI Center wasn't there for the home team's usual cast of characters, which includes the likes of Kwame Brown, Popeye Jones and Jahidi White.
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| Nov 12, 2001
It took 14 attempts and nearly three quarters for Washington Wizards swingman Michael Jordan to hit his first shot, a futility that ran its course through the entire lineup.
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| Nov 11, 2001
Whether it's his hand-switching layup against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, his dunk over Patrick Ewing, his final shot over Bryon Russell to win his sixth championship, or something more personal, everybody has a memory of Michael Jordan.
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| Nov 11, 2001
The Seattle SuperSonics are going to more centers than a methadone-addicted alcoholic with a fear of heights.
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| Nov 11, 2001
Notes: The Sonics play the Wizards one more time during the regular season — March 15 at KeyArena.
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| Nov 10, 2001
The sound of the horns, like those used for old television news bulletins, beckon you.
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| Nov 10, 2001
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Seattle could not stop Paul Pierce all night.
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| Nov 10, 2001
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| Nov 9, 2001
Seattle SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan said Thursday night that starting center Calvin Booth is going to sit out the remaining three games of the team's current five-game East Coast road trip.
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| Nov 9, 2001
The Seattle SuperSonics' 106-94 loss to the New Jersey Nets Thursday night was the one that got away.
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| Nov 9, 2001
Todd MacCulloch is driving home in his 911 Porsche Cabriolet.
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| Nov 9, 2001
Todd MacCulloch has done this kind of thing many times before.
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| Nov 9, 2001
WHEN: Today, 4:30
WHERE: FleetCenter
TV/RADIO: No TV; KJR-AM/950
RECORDS: Sonics 2-4, Celtics 2-2
INJURY REPORT: Sonics: C Calvin Booth (sprained ankle), C Predrag Drobnjak (sprained ankle) and G Shammond Williams (broken finger) are out.
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| Nov 9, 2001
HIGHLIGHTS: For the Sonics, not many, but Vin Baker did have 22 points, his third consecutive game on the trip with 20 or more.
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| Nov 8, 2001
There are countless cliches in sports, and athletes often use them inappropriately.
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| Nov 8, 2001
Seattle SuperSonics guard Desmond Mason didn't seem too happy about sitting out of the 87-85 loss to Miami on Tuesday, but he said he understood coach Nate McMillan's decision to play it cautiously concerning Mason's sore hamstring.
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| Nov 8, 2001
Notes: Boyhood pals Gary Payton and Jason Kidd have been playing in the NBA against each other since 1994.
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| Nov 8, 2001
After the Sonics signed Calvin Booth to a six-year, $34 million deal last summer, his shot-blocking ability jumped out as much as the big contract.
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| Nov 7, 2001
In all likelihood, the Seattle SuperSonics probably should not have even been in overtime against the Miami Heat.
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| Nov 7, 2001
The teacher was Gary Payton.
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| Nov 7, 2001
HIGHLIGHTS: A night for the reserves: Vladimir Radmanovic drained a pair of threes in the second quarter, and Earl Watson provided a considerable spark off the bench.
-
| Nov 7, 2001
Nunyo Demasio of the Seattle Times reports: The latest X-rays of Shammond Williams' left hand indicate the Sonics will have to wait for their key reserve to return.
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| Nov 7, 2001
When Gary Payton unleashed a shot from just beyond the three-point arc at the final buzzer, the point guard had played his 100th minute in 24 hours.
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| Nov 7, 2001
It's obvious this Heat team is not yet cohesive, and that was especially clear Tuesday night.
-
| Nov 6, 2001
The Seattle SuperSonics are checking into changing their travel schedule in case Hurricane Michelle crosses their paths.
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| Nov 6, 2001
Seattle coach Nate McMillan was late emerging from the locker room after the SuperSonics defeated the Orlando Magic, 123-119, in a thrilling double-overtime game Monday night.
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| Nov 6, 2001
Notes: Former Sonic Vladimir Stepania has signed a one-year contract with Miami.
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| Nov 6, 2001
Patrick Ewing flashed a grin when a Seattle reporter entered the Magic's locker room shortly before last night's game.
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| Nov 6, 2001
The final buzzer finally sounded after having teased the fans, first in regulation, then in overtime.
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| Nov 6, 2001
Can anyone stop Gary Payton?
OK, well maybe slow him down?
Just foul the guy, for cryin' out loud?
The average pedestrian on a busy sidewalk could have at least bumped Payton off-stride, which was something no member of the Orlando Magic could manage in the first half of Monday night's 123-119 double-overtime loss to the Seattle SuperSonics.
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| Nov 6, 2001
Both Patrick Ewing and Horace Grant of the Orlando Magic were members of the Seattle SuperSonics for one year.
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| Nov 6, 2001
Maybe if they set their alarm clocks next time, it wouldn't seem like such an uphill climb.
-
| Nov 5, 2001
When: Today, 4:30 p.
-
| Nov 5, 2001
The Sonics remain in a state of flux to start the season, with two key players on the injured list and a roster full of youth.
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| Nov 5, 2001
It was training camp, and as Orlando Magic veterans Patrick Ewing and Horace Grant shot free throws, the topic of playing for the Seattle SuperSonics arose.
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| Nov 5, 2001
TONIGHT: Seattle Sonics, 7:30
WHERE: TD Waterhouse Centre.
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| Nov 5, 2001
The uniform never did fit exactly right.
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| Nov 4, 2001
It had been hard to notice that Jerome James was playing with a strained right wrist, with the way the 7-foot-1 center had started the season.
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| Nov 4, 2001
The Sonics opened their season at KeyArena with pomp and pizzazz that ended with a crowd-pleasing victory Thursday.
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| Nov 3, 2001
Seattle fans were welcomed to the Howard Schultz era of SuperSonics basketball Thursday night, in the team's 34th home opener.
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| Nov 3, 2001
A quick look around KeyArena provides evidence that the Sonics spent a lot of time finding people who can apply paint.
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| Nov 3, 2001
So this is what the Seattle SuperSonics were talking about.
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| Nov 3, 2001
In the NBA, there is an esoteric statistic known as the plus-minus.
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| Nov 3, 2001
Controlling the paint: that's what the Sonics will try to do tonight against Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz in KeyArena.
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| Nov 3, 2001
When: Tonight, 6.
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| Nov 3, 2001
Instead of lit cigarette butts, spit wads and bandana-clad faces bum-rushing the court to pummel players that dare defeat the home team, there were free T-shirts tossed to the crowd and warm cheers for all players.
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| Nov 3, 2001
Whether it"s a contract push, shock from nearly being traded over the summer or simply a matter of maturity, a kinder, gentler Gary Payton is emerging in Seattle.
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| Nov 2, 2001
The Sonics aren't likely to lead the NBA in many things this season, so they must take what they can get:
Howard Schultz has the highest vertical leap of any owner in the NBA.
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| Nov 2, 2001
With her blonde hair and sparkling white teeth, she resembles Britney Spears, the pop star.
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| Nov 2, 2001
HIGHLIGHT: Desmond Mason beat Steve Smith to the baseline and elevated over David Robinson for a jam, bringing owner Howard Schultz and everyone else to their feet.
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| Nov 2, 2001
They were all over the place, scrambling on defense, converting on offense, making the other team pay for its mistakes.
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| Nov 2, 2001
Some 45 minutes before tipoff, my friend Jim Ratt finally finished his feeding frenzy.
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| Nov 2, 2001
PLAYER OF THE GAME: During the second quarter, Brent Barry scored 10 points in about four minutes to give Seattle a six-point lead.
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| Nov 2, 2001
NBA teams were forced to cut their rosters to a maximum of 15 players to start the season.
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| Nov 2, 2001
In the end, it was just another Sonics basketball game.
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| Nov 2, 2001
The first 10,000 fans received T-shirts emblazoned with the Sonics' new logo.
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| Nov 2, 2001
Asked three days ago by Seattle officials to speak to Sonics fans before Thursday night's home opener at KeyArena, Brent Barry decided to do something different.
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| Nov 2, 2001
1 Tim Duncan and David Robinson combine for 12 points.
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| Nov 2, 2001
Asked three days ago by Seattle officials to speak to the fans before Thursday's night's home opener at KeyArena, Brent Barry decided to do something different.
-
| Nov 1, 2001
On Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings, the Seattle SuperSonics learned how to lose.
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| Nov 1, 2001
Sensing a widening gap between fans and their franchise, the Sonics are doing something about it, introducing changes designed to increase what they're calling the "experience" at KeyArena.
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| Nov 1, 2001
What's this? Gary Payton a peacemaker at practice, conducting a team meeting, graciously talking to reporters?
What's next, a 30-point blowout of San Antonio tonight?
Yesterday morning, after losing their season opener at Sacramento the night before, the SuperSonics returned to their training facility to prepare for their home opener against the Spurs at KeyArena.
-
| Nov 1, 2001
When: Tonight, 7.
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| Nov 1, 2001
The Sonics open at KeyArena tonight.
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| Nov 1, 2001
SONICS GUARD BRENT BARRY is equally at ease tossing a one-liner as he is a bounce pass.
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