Mentally and physically exhausted from a long trip that included a team-wide flu bug and several injuries, Seattle SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan took it easy on his charges Wednesday.
After a difficult loss Tuesday to the Portland Trail Blazers, McMillan essentially gave his starters the day off from practice while his younger players ended the day playing some three-on-three, half-court basketball that came to an abrupt conclusion when rookie Vladimir Radmanovic went down following a hard collision with Desmond Mason.
"Players start to tune the coach out," McMillan said. "It's like a broken record. Sometimes you have to step away from it."
McMillan - with the help of an objective coaching staff - has done a pretty good job this season of recognizing when to push his players and when to back off.
He sensed that his intensity was beginning to grind the players down, so he delivered an unexpected tonic.
But he will have to revert to his intense ways tonight, when the Sonics play host to Sacramento, the team with the best record in the NBA - though once again the teams will meet without Kings All-Star power forward Chris Webber.
Webber was suspended for the game after the league deemed that an elbow he threw at Utah rookie Jarron Collins in the Kings' previous game Saturday was intentional.
Webber was fined $7,500 and suspended for this game, which will cost him 1/82 of his $12.75 million salary. This comes after Webber missed the season opener against Seattle with a severely sprained ankle (a Kings victory), and the teams' second meeting Dec. 19 with tendinitis in that sprained ankle (a Sonics win).
"They beat us without Webber before," McMillan said. "They are a very good team, a top team in the league. We have to prepare for them just as if Webber was there. They have more of a threat playing smallball, they have a strong bench ... and they are a very dangerous team, with or without Webber."
Sonics forward Vin Baker, meanwhile, said he will play tonight after aggravating a sprained left shoulder in the Sonics' loss to Portland.
"Hopefully, tomorrow I can give it another shot," Baker said. "We need wins and my team needs me."
Baker said he re-injured the shoulder when he made an awkward spin move on Rasheed Wallace, forcing his body one way and his shoulder the other.
Sonics point guard Gary Payton also is ailing, suffering from an injury to his left shin.
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* Reach staff writer Frank Hughes at 253-597-8742, ext. 6120, or frank.hughes@mail.tribnet.com
- - -
SIDEBAR: GAME DAY
Matchup - Sacramento Kings at Sonics
When - 7 p.m., KeyArena
TV - KONG
Radio - 950-AM
The series - The teams have split two meetings this season, each winning at home.
Scouting report - Kings All-Star power forward Chris Webber was suspended by the league for the game, the third time in three meetings Webber has missed the Sonics this season. Vin Baker, suffering from a sprained left shoulder, said he will play. Gary Payton, with a bruised left shin, also is expected to play. The Sonics had their two-game win streak snapped with a loss to Portland on Tuesday. This is the second game in a stretch in which the Sonics play seven of eight games at home.
Next - 7 p.m., Saturday, vs. Chicago Bulls, Key-
Arena.
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Tonight's game could be a shootout.
It could be played at a blistering pace, with end-to-end action, featuring buckets galore and a final score of 118-117.
It could be fun.
The matchup: Sacramento vs. Seattle, two of the NBA's most accurate teams, squaring off at KeyArena.
The circumstances: Both teams have power-forward problems.
Chris Webber won't play for the Kings, suspended by the NBA for one game after throwing an elbow at Utah's Jarron Collins last Saturday. Webber will miss his third consecutive game against the Sonics after sitting out the first two with a sprained ankle.
Vin Baker might not play for the Sonics after aggravating his bruised left shoulder Tuesday night in a 92-86 loss to Portland.
Originally injured in Milwaukee last Thursday, Baker twisted his shoulder trying to make a move on the Blazers' Rasheed Wallace in the third quarter.
The fact that X-rays were negative is a positive. But little else is. Baker feels stinging pain when he raises his shoulder. Although he's right-handed, the injury still affects his shot.
As evidence, Baker, a 50-percent shooter, went 3-for-10 against the Blazers.
"With the pain, it's tough to concentrate on making the shot," Baker said.
Off the court he has a difficult time with the simplest things, like putting on clothes. He also can't sleep on his left side.
But he wants to play. The team considers him questionable for tonight's game. Baker lists himself as probable.
"I want to try to help my team win basketball games," he said. "There is some degree of pain, regardless. There's no sense in staying out."
If forced to play without their biggest inside threats, the Kings and Sonics might engage in a fast-breaking affair that emphasizes their athleticism and ability to drain pull-up and spot-up jumpers.
Although the Sonics are plenty capable, that kind of game would favor the deeper, more versatile Kings, who arrive with the best record in the NBA at 33-10.
Sacramento also is used to playing without Webber, who has missed 23 games this season because of his ankle injury.
Vlade Divac supplies another effective offensive weapon on the block, and Scot Pollard figures to grab many of the rebounds that would have gone to Webber.
The Kings also have all of those freelancing, fluid types like Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby, Doug Christie, Bobby Jackson and Hedo Turkoglu, just to name five. Seven Kings score in double figures.
If the Sonics have to compensate for Baker in the paint, coach Nate McMillan can call upon, well, uh ... no one in particular.
Gary Payton has the best low-post moves, but he's a guard who needs to direct and distribute to maximize his teammates' potential. Other back-to-the-basket options, Desmond Mason and Rashard Lewis, were snuffed by the Blazers.
"After that, we're limited with who we can go with," McMillan said.
The coach didn't even discuss rebounding, probably because it is not his favorite subject.
With Baker's 6.6 rebounds a game, the Sonics are 28th in rebounding in a 29-team league. Without them, they might be 30th tomorrow morning after crashing the glass with the second-ranked Kings.
The Sonics have yet another problem: without Baker, they don't have an inside-out game, precluding many of the open perimeter shots that his teammates normally get.
In spite of statistical data that points to a Kings victory, the Sonics have a shot at the upset. They already beat Sacramento, 104-92, on Dec. 19 at KeyArena.
In addition, for a supposed championship contender, the Kings tend to stumble when they are not playing in front of their electrified fans at ARCO Arena. They are 9-9 on the road, a sign that Rick Adelman's team can be had tonight.
SONICS VS. KINGS
WHEN: Tonight at 7
WHERE: KeyArena
TV/RADIO: KONG/6, 16; KJR-AM/950
RECORDS: Kings 33-10, Sonics 23-21. Season series tied 1-1, with Kings winning 101-95 in Sacramento on Nov. 1 and Sonics winning 104-92 at KeyArena on Dec. 19.
INJURY REPORT: Kings: G Mateen Cleaves (sore foot) is out. Sonics: C Calvin Booth (ankle tendinitis) is out. F Vin Baker (bruised shoulder) is questionable.
SCOUTING REPORT: Kings have won 14 of their past 15 games. Their only loss in the past month was Jan. 22 at Portland, when the Blazers prevailed 116-110 in OT. Kings are coming off an impressive 114-90 victory at Utah Saturday night, in which Peja Stojakovic scored 25 points and Scot Pollard had 15 rebounds. ... Kings second in the league in shooting (.464) and scoring (104.4). ... Rainier Beach graduate Doug Christie returns to his hometown, averaging 13.2 points and 1.7 steals. He scored his season high of 23 points in most recent game here, a 104-92 loss on Dec. 19. ... Kings will miss suspended Chris Webber's 24.6 points and 10 rebounds, but Stojakovic should offset any offensive worries: the 6-foot-9 forward averages 22.8 points
OUTLOOK: Kings have more of everything, but the Sonics have been playing well of late, the loss to Portland notwithstanding. If forced to play without Baker, Sonics need to create with penetration, trying to free up the best perimeter firing squad in the league. The hunch is that Sacramento will be gunned down tonight.
LINE: Pick 'em
P-I PICK: Sonics, 110-102
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When: 7 tonight.
Where: KeyArena.
Records: Sonics 23-21, Kings 33-10.
TV: KONG (Channel 6/16). Radio: KJR (950 AM).
P SONICS Ht. Ppg. R/A
C Art Long 6-9 4.9 4.5/R
F Vin Baker 6-11 16.5 6.6/R
F Rashard Lewis 6-10 16.8 7.3/R
G Brent Barry 6-6 13.0 5.6/R
G Gary Payton 6-4 23.0 9.1/A
P KINGS Ht. Ppg. R/A
C Vlade Divac 7-1 11.3 8.6/R
F Scot Pollard 6-11 6.1 7.7/R
F Peja Stojakovic 6-9 22.8 5.4/R
G Doug Christie 6-6 13.2 4.9/R
G Mike Bibby 6-1 14.1 5.0/A
Notes: Vin Baker participated in noncontact drills in yesterday's practice. Seattle's 6-foot-11 power forward aggravated his strained left shoulder in the third quarter of Tuesday's 92-86 loss to Portland. But Baker intends to play tonight. ... Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic have been named to the Western All-Star team as reserves.
Injuries: Sonics — C Calvin Booth (right ankle) is on the injured list. Kings — G Mateen Cleaves (plantar fasciitis) won't play.
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Jan 2002 Archive
-
| Jan 31, 2002
As expected, Seattle SuperSonics point guard Gary Payton was named to the Western Conference All-Star team Tuesday, the eighth time he has been chosen.
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| Jan 31, 2002
Rough play continues in the NBA, Webber the latest perpetrator
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| Jan 30, 2002
The Associated Press reports:
"Sacramento Kings forward Chris Webber was suspended Wednesday for one game and fined $7,500 for deliberately throwing an elbow to the head of Utah's Jarron Collins last week.
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| Jan 30, 2002
Since the Portland Trail Blazers are to bad publicity what gravity is to rocks, it's hard to imagine Bob Whitsitt would want to see his other team, the NFL Seahawks, emulate the NBA unit.
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| Jan 30, 2002
To the surprise of no one, Gary Payton was selected yesterday by NBA coaches to play in his eighth consecutive All-Star Game.
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| Jan 30, 2002
TECHNICAL FOULS: On Portland's Dale Davis after losing control of his dribble, thinking he was fouled by Brent Barry.
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| Jan 30, 2002
Player of the game: Portland's Dale Davis, a veteran center not known for his point production, Davis had 20 points and 14 rebounds and caused problems defensively.
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| Jan 30, 2002
If the NBA had a dictionary, the definition of a technical foul would feature a Portland Trail Blazers logo.
-
| Jan 29, 2002
When: Today, 7 p.
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| Jan 29, 2002
Sometimes, Nate McMillan will suit up in Sonics practice gear and jump into drills or scrimmages with his players to demonstrate an offensive or defensive set.
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| Jan 29, 2002
Basketball practice can be a dreary, monotonous chore, especially when you've been on the road for a week, flu is running unchecked through your team and the sun is out in Seattle.
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| Jan 29, 2002
As the Seattle SuperSonics undertake the second half of their season with renewed vigor about the possibilities, they are battling five other teams for the final three playoff spots in the Western Conference.
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| Jan 28, 2002
The Seattle SuperSonics are more than halfway through their season, enough time to develop lasting impressions about a team that held few expectations when the season began.
-
| Jan 27, 2002
While Seattle SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan said a few days ago that he would like to improve the team's rebounding, general manager Rick Sund said it is not necessarily a foregone conclusion that the Sonics are going to acquire another player via trade or signing a free agent.
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| Jan 27, 2002
The Seattle SuperSonics are officially on a roll.
-
| Jan 27, 2002
If you've ever talked to an NBA player about their game, you would quickly realize that no player thinks they have a weakness.
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| Jan 27, 2002
1.
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| Jan 27, 2002
The NBA's trading deadline is Feb.
-
| Jan 27, 2002
PLAYER OF THE GAME: The Sonics needed an inspiring game from Gary Payton with Vin Baker out.
-
| Jan 27, 2002
Desmond Mason sucked on cough drops throughout the game to ease the sniffles that made him feel like being in bed instead.
-
| Jan 26, 2002
Seattle SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan thinks his bench has hit the wall.
-
| Jan 26, 2002
WHEN: Today, 5 p.
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| Jan 26, 2002
At 23, you attend more weddings than funerals.
-
| Jan 25, 2002
HIGHLIGHTS: Brent Barry scored 29 points and went 11-for-14 from the field.
-
| Jan 25, 2002
George Karl sat behind his desk while addressing the media before last night's game.
-
| Jan 25, 2002
Shortly after the Sonics arrived at the Bradley Center last night, Nate McMillan rounded up his weary players and issued a challenge.
-
| Jan 24, 2002
HIGHLIGHTS: Shammond Williams scoring his 13 points in the fourth quarter.
-
| Jan 24, 2002
When: 5 p.
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| Jan 24, 2002
Nate McMillan played at Chowan Junior College in North Carolina before transferring to North Carolina State.
-
| Jan 24, 2002
Perhaps the Sonics noticed the swaths of empty seats at the Charlotte Coliseum, which make it resemble a mausoleum these days.
-
| Jan 24, 2002
This time they failed to make all the plays.
-
| Jan 23, 2002
When KeyArena opened in 1995, I thought of it as an astutely conceived compromise between the NBA's answer to the Taj Mahal and the broken-down Seattle Center Coliseum.
-
| Jan 23, 2002
EXCEEDED
Nate McMillan: Coach's first full year with team.
-
| Jan 23, 2002
The Sonics are 21-19 as they prepare for their 41st game tonight against the Charlotte Hornets, marking the midpoint of their season.
-
| Jan 23, 2002
When: 4 p.
-
| Jan 23, 2002
Art Long hovered over everyone while growing up in Rochester, N.
-
| Jan 23, 2002
SCOUTING REPORT
• The Sonics have been something of a Western-style mirror image of the Hornets, winning a few, then abruptly losing several in a row.
-
| Jan 22, 2002
Frank Hughes of the Tacoma News Tribune reports: Despite rumors moving through the organization, Seattle SuperSonics CEO Wally Walker said The Basketball Club of Seattle, which owns the Sonics, is not pursuing building a new arena any time soon, though he did not rule out that possibility in the future.
-
| Jan 22, 2002
HIGHLIGHTS: An all-time franchise record shooting night, the Sonics hitting 41-for-62 (.
-
| Jan 22, 2002
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Seattle's outside shooters were on target, and the shots were made easy because of Vin Baker.
-
| Jan 22, 2002
The Sonics backpedaled in a cocksure manner after each swish, an extra bop in the step on three-point jumpers.
-
| Jan 21, 2002
Frank Hughes of the Tacoma News Tribune reports: Seattle SuperSonics point guard Gary Payton said that he would like to see the organization re-sign forward Rashard Lewis when Lewis opts out of his contract this summer.
-
| Jan 21, 2002
When Seattle SuperSonics associate head coach Dwane Casey enters the First Union Center in Philadelphia today for the Sonics' game against the Sixers, he will enter the arena through the back door.
-
| Jan 21, 2002
The Sonics arrived last night to a city filled with melting snow and soaring hope.
-
| Jan 21, 2002
When: Today, 11 a.
-
| Jan 21, 2002
Gary Payton was the player of the game Saturday on a day when the Seattle Sonics gave Bobbleheads of the Glove to the first 10,000 fans.
-
| Jan 20, 2002
Now, the Seattle SuperSonics are going to begin feeling the pressure.
-
| Jan 20, 2002
The 12-26 Denver Nuggets were in town, and two hours before tipoff there was a line snaking around KeyArena.
-
| Jan 20, 2002
1.
-
| Jan 20, 2002
Shaquille O'Neal's missed haymaker at Brad Miller last week evoked bad memories of Kermit Washington's sucker punch against Rudy Tomjanovich on Dec.
-
| Jan 20, 2002
The statistical line was indistinguishable from any other little-used, obscure reserve in the NBA: two points, three rebounds in nine minutes.
-
| Jan 20, 2002
Player of the game: Who else on Gary Payton bobblehead night? The Sonics' guard left the Nuggets shaking their heads with 25 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds.
-
| Jan 20, 2002
For much of the first quarter, Nate McMillan stood on the sideline with his arms across his chest.
-
| Jan 20, 2002
SEATTLE -- Gary Payton had 25 points and 12 assists and the Seattle SuperSonics, beaten in Denver the previous night, handed the Nuggets their 13th consecutive road loss, 104-77 on Saturday night.
-
| Jan 19, 2002
Seattle SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan switched his starting lineup Friday night, inserting guard Desmond Mason and sending center Art Long to the bench.
-
| Jan 19, 2002
These are the kinds of losses that come back to haunt a team.
-
| Jan 19, 2002
Bellevue police plan to arrest former NBA star Dale Ellis after his wife said he hit her during an argument.
-
| Jan 19, 2002
You can look at the Gary Payton bobblehead doll from a couple of different perspectives:
It looks like a very small version of the Sonics' All-Star point guard, or it looks like "Webster" with a goatee.
-
| Jan 19, 2002
WHEN: Tonight, 7
WHERE: KeyArena
TV/RADIO: No TV; KJR-AM/950
RECORDS: Nuggets 12-26, Sonics 19-19.
-
| Jan 19, 2002
HIGHLIGHTS: Back-to-back first-quarter jams by Brent Barry and Desmond Mason, beating the Nuggets down the floor for easy transition buckets.
-
| Jan 19, 2002
So much for preparation.
-
| Jan 19, 2002
Player of the game: Ryan Bowen had little flash to his game, but his hustle and smart play spurred Denver to an amazing comeback.
-
| Jan 19, 2002
City prosecutors yesterday sent a summons to the home of former Sonic Dale Ellis, requesting him to appear in court within the next few weeks and answer questions about an alleged domestic-violence incident.
-
| Jan 19, 2002
Spectators cheered when Nick Van Exel was benched in the third quarter.
-
| Jan 18, 2002
At least the sun was out here yesterday, and the Sonics aren't the Denver Nuggets, who have a worse record and no playoff hopes to go with a recent racial controversy.
-
| Jan 18, 2002
Former Seattle SuperSonic Dale Ellis, one of the premier shooters in basketball during his 16-year professional career, is being sought for questioning after he allegedly hit his wife during an argument yesterday morning, Bellevue police said.
-
| Jan 18, 2002
When: 6 tonight.
-
| Jan 18, 2002
After the question, Nate McMillan paused in contemplation.
-
| Jan 17, 2002
Going into Wednesday night's contest at the Delta Center, the Utah Jazz and the Seattle SuperSonics were enjoying eerily similar seasons.
-
| Jan 17, 2002
Matchups, system, karma, whatever, sometimes a team just owns another team.
-
| Jan 17, 2002
There are few certainties in life, but Jazz-SuperSonics seems to be one.
-
| Jan 17, 2002
-- The Jazz knew they were gambling when they entered the season with just two point guards on their active roster.
-
| Jan 17, 2002
The Sonics exuded confidence during their best stretch of the season.
-
| Jan 17, 2002
Nate McMillan intends to get a blood test soon for the purpose of possibly donating a kidney to his 59-year-old mother.
-
| Jan 17, 2002
The Sonics exuded confidence during their best stretch of the season.
-
| Jan 16, 2002
Frank Hughes of the Tacoma News Tribune reports: Seattle SuperSonics forward Rashard Lewis says one of the things he will consider in his impending contract negotiations is whether or not the Sonics decide to keep point guard Gary Payton.
-
| Jan 16, 2002
José Miguel Romero of the Seattle Times reports: Nate McMillan returned to Seattle on Monday to lead Sonics practice yesterday, his expressionless face and attention riveted on his players as they prepared for tonight's game at Utah.
-
| Jan 16, 2002
Because of his proficiency from the perimeter, Brent Barry is universally recognized as an extraordinary shooter.
-
| Jan 16, 2002
When: Today, 6 p.
-
| Jan 16, 2002
Nate McMillan returned to Seattle on Monday to lead Sonics practice yesterday, his expressionless face and attention riveted on his players as they prepared for tonight's game at Utah.
-
| Jan 15, 2002
Frank Hughes of the Tacoma News Tribune reports: Seattle SuperSonics forward Rashard Lewis confirmed to The News Tribune on Monday that he plans to opt out of his contract in the summer and become an unrestricted free agent.
-
| Jan 15, 2002
When the Sonics, winners of 10 of 13, hit the midpoint of the season next week, they figure to take succor from the fact that they will be in the distended mid-belly of the NBA.
-
| Jan 15, 2002
In KeyArena or on the road, the Sonics are not only firing, they're connecting from all angles and ranges.
-
| Jan 14, 2002
Shaquille O'Neal didn't stay inside the Los Angeles Lakers' locker room to talk after his haymaker punch failed to remove the head from Brad Miller's body Saturday night.
-
| Jan 13, 2002
Blood was filling in Rashard Lewis' mouth.
-
| Jan 13, 2002
Not even halfway through the NBA season, and already the league has lost four of its coaches.
-
| Jan 13, 2002
On Saturday, the Seattle SuperSonics ran though a practice session so short and loose and casual, that an observer might wonder why bother at all.
-
| Jan 13, 2002
1.
-
| Jan 13, 2002
It's fitting that Jason Williams plays in Memphis.
-
| Jan 12, 2002
As soon as Vin Baker made the pass into Wesley Person's arms, he knew another defining moment in his maligned career was about to unfold.
-
| Jan 12, 2002
CASEY AT BAT: Sonics assistant coach Dwane Casey was interim coach last night, subbing for Nate McMillan, who returned home to Raleigh, N.
-
| Jan 12, 2002
The Sonics didn't have their coach last night.
-
| Jan 12, 2002
Player of the game: Sonics forward Vin Baker, who scored 10 straight points in the fourth quarter and finished with a season high of 32.
-
| Jan 12, 2002
Fourteen to nine.
-
| Jan 12, 2002
Gary Payton hit a 20-footer over Andre Miller with 0.
-
| Jan 12, 2002
Seattle
- Slick Watts doesn't take the credit, but at least Cavs coach John Lucas knows who made the headband popular.
-
| Jan 12, 2002
Seattle- The scene has become way too familiar, and Cavs coach John Lucas is ready for a change.
-
| Jan 12, 2002
Seattle
- The Cavaliers found themselves in that tight fourth-quarter position again last night.
-
| Jan 11, 2002
Cavaliers at Seattle SuperSonics
Tip-off: 10 p.
-
| Jan 11, 2002
José Miguel Romero of the Seattle Times reports: Sonics Coach Nate McMillan will not be on the sideline tonight when Seattle hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers, having left the team to attend to a family illness.
-
| Jan 11, 2002
WHEN: Tonight, 7
WHERE: KeyArena
TV/RADIO: No TV; KJR-AM/950
RECORDS: Cavaliers 13-22; Sonics 18-17.
-
| Jan 11, 2002
Earl Watson will rarely be in your living room.
-
| Jan 11, 2002
The Gary Payton bobblehead doll looks just like the real thing, according to Sonics who got a look at the doll during practice yesterday.
-
| Jan 11, 2002
When: 7 tonight.
-
| Jan 10, 2002
For the Seattle SuperSonics, choosing whether to double-team the Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett or Anthony Peeler is like deciding between arsenic and hemlock: It's a lethal decision, either way.
-
| Jan 10, 2002
Seattle SuperSonics majority owner Howard Schultz had some harsh words for Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who was fined $500,000 by the league Tuesday for criticizing the officiating.
-
| Jan 10, 2002
With four minutes left in a tight game between the Seattle SuperSonics and Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night, T-wolves guard Anthony Peeler found himself trapped in the corner with the shot clock winding down.
-
| Jan 10, 2002
HIGHLIGHT: For the Timberwolves, Anthony Peeler hitting four of his six threes in a five-minute stretch spanning the first and second quarters.
-
| Jan 10, 2002
Whether it's in Los Angeles or Minnesota, Tacoma Dome or KeyArena, seven years ago or now, Anthony Peeler is going to stick it to the Sonics.
-
| Jan 10, 2002
Last season, the Sonics were one of the best shooting teams in the NBA, with three players among the top 10 in three-point accuracy.
-
| Jan 10, 2002
Two Sonics players draped like a blanket over Minnesota's Anthony Peeler at the corner of the baseline.
-
| Jan 10, 2002
Matchup - Seattle SuperSonics at Minnesota Timberwolves
When - 5 p.
-
| Jan 9, 2002
Seattle SuperSonics general manager Rick Sund has been a busy man the past few days.
-
| Jan 9, 2002
If they somehow could win tonight, the Sonics would sweep their three-game road trip and return home with a strong likelihood of posting their 10th victory in 11 games against Cleveland on Friday.
-
| Jan 9, 2002
When: Today, 5 p.
-
| Jan 8, 2002
One of the reasons the Seattle SuperSonics have been so reluctant to trade point guard Gary Payton is because he consistently carries them so much of the season.
-
| Jan 8, 2002
Jamal Crawford walked into the United Center and shook hands with everyone in his path, from security guards to ushers, smiling broadly as he disappeared behind the door to the Chicago Bulls locker room.
-
| Jan 8, 2002
They were supposed to beat the league's worst team, and the Sonics did.
-
| Jan 8, 2002
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Gary Payton forced things early, eager to exploit Chicago's no-name guards.
-
| Jan 8, 2002
Even with Chicago at full strength, the once-proud franchise remains the butt of jokes, garnering trite yet hard-to-resist descriptions like horri-bull and terri-bull, which counter whatever bull that General Manager Jerry Krause uses to explain his plan.
-
| Jan 7, 2002
When Seattle SuperSonics rookie Vladimir Radmanovic played Sunday in his team's 89-77 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, he matched the most games he had played in any season in his brief professional career - 33.
-
| Jan 7, 2002
The Seattle SuperSonics' 89-77 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon wasn't so much a case of Seattle taking control as it was the Sonics simply stepping out of the way and allowing the Grizzlies to fall all over themselves.
-
| Jan 7, 2002
HIGHLIGHTS: Vladimir Radmanovic going 3-for-4 on his 3-pointers as the Sonics hit 10 of 18 overall.
-
| Jan 7, 2002
Three weeks ago, the rookie wasn't even playing because of a sprained ankle.
-
| Jan 7, 2002
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Gary Payton got off to a slow start against the tough defense of rookie Shane Battier.
-
| Jan 7, 2002
When: Today, 5:30 p.
-
| Jan 7, 2002
The Sonics looked like they were still shedding cobwebs in only their second game in a week.
-
| Jan 6, 2002
They're going to Louisville.
-
| Jan 6, 2002
If you look back through the Seattle SuperSonics' team pictures, all the way back to 1985-86, you will see a young boy in them, goofy-looking at best, feathered hair parted in the middle, skinny arms, cheshire cat grin.
-
| Jan 6, 2002
More proof that the Bulls are a mess: Jake Voskuhl barely received minutes in Chicago last season.
-
| Jan 6, 2002
1.
-
| Jan 6, 2002
When an NBA assistant is named an interim coach, it's like getting a dream job but under nightmare conditions that make the stint a short one.
-
| Jan 6, 2002
When: Today, noon.
-
| Jan 5, 2002
With the Seattle SuperSonics activating center Jerome James before the game Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers, coach Nate McMillan felt he needed to pre-emptively talk to some players about what are sure to become decreased minutes.
-
| Jan 5, 2002
Even before the Seattle SuperSonics played their last game of 2001, coach Nate McMillan lamented that the team had five days off between that contest and the one Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.
-
| Jan 5, 2002
HIGHLIGHTS: In the first quarter, Gary Payton hit a three to cap a Sonics fast break started by Vladimir Radmanovic's rejection of Allen Iverson's shot from the lane.
-
| Jan 5, 2002
Unfortunately for the Sonics, last year's Philadelphia 76ers reappeared last night, rolling to an 87-77 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 17,072 at KeyArena.
-
| Jan 5, 2002
Player of the game: Allen Iverson led all scorers with 22 points.
-
| Jan 5, 2002
A quirk in the schedule gave the Sonics five days without a game.
-
| Jan 4, 2002
Frank Hughes of the Tacoma News-Tribune reports: Seattle SuperSonics point guard Shammond Williams has not come right out and said he is demanding a trade, but he does say just enough to let you know he is unhappy with his current situation in Seattle.
-
| Jan 4, 2002
You can start calling him Calvin Boot.
-
| Jan 4, 2002
The team that went to the NBA Finals last year is 13-18.
-
| Jan 4, 2002
When: 7, tonight.
-
| Jan 4, 2002
While teammates went through a spirited practice, Calvin Booth watched glumly from the sideline, wearing a black walking boot that went up to his lower right calf.
-
| Jan 2, 2002
When the Seattle SuperSonics play the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, in all likelihood they will have both their centers available for the second time this season.
|
