Friday, November 05, 2004
GAME 2: SUPERSONICS 106, HAWKS 85
I'm bored on a Friday night in Bremerton with the Puget Sound Tomahawks out of town, so I figured I'd take some game notes on tonight's Atlanta Hawks/Seattle SuperSonics game.
Now that the Sonics' season is in full swing, Brian Davis' new gig is fully realized. He is now basically what Rich Waltz is to the Mariners. Davis is hosting the pregame show for the Sonics, and gets the weekly Sonics All-Access show on Thursday nights. One thing I saw the other night on FSNNW was the unveiling of FSN Live, which had a tricked-out studio as well as the introduction of Campus Cams at the four Pac-10 colleges in Oregon and Washington. Unfortunately, it still had Angie Mentink and Brad Adam. How those two have avoided the revolving door at the Bellevue Bunker for all these years is beyond me. I wish the revolving door would push Cameron Wong out, though. Also, though I don't doubt his football knowledge, Dave Wyman is mind-numblingly boring as the FSNNW Seahawk contributor (i.e., Seahawk counterpart to Bill Krueger). It's like listening to Stephen Wright except it isn't funny, and you don't want or expect it to be funny.
Oh man, I'm sitting here watching the opening introductions, and I realized that former KJR update guy and current KOMO update guy Matt Pittman is the Sonics' PA announcer. The players are being introduced and are coming down the aisles, slapping hands with the fans. It's a noble idea, at least. It wouldn't be a Seattle sporting event without Big Lo getting some camera time, as he did right when the house lights came up. Also, Antoine Walker has to hate life knowing he's playing in Atlanta, and Luke Ridnour isn't going with the curly moptop anymore (in case you didn't notice).
1ST QUARTER
Ray Allen at 11:13 gets the Sonics their first lead of the year by scoring on the first shot of the game
Jerome James went out of bounds and saved a ball, leading to a Ray Allen three? Perish the thought. James just swatted Anderson. And now Walker. This will really tick people off in about three games when James plays 30 minutes, shoots 1-for-9 from the field, and gets one rebound
There's a lot of back-and-forth basketball, but that's not because shots are being made; it's because the Sonics are turning the ball over. Three consecutive turnovers at one point, all leading to Atlanta baskets
Daniels had a nice knife inbetween defenders for a lay-in that rolled on the rim and went in
Crap, Reggie Evans with a nice move and a lay-in, slicing through Al Harrington and Antoine Walker
I just realized Kevin Willis is still playing. I know he's played a lot of years with Atlanta, but I would have gone out on top after the Spurs won it all a couple years ago
Rashard Lewis airballs one from downtown just inside three minutes to play in the quarter
There's been a Peja Drobnjak sighting! "Victory for Hawks!!"
Josh Smith just fouled Lewis in the paint to contest a shot...but man, did he Smith have some hops on that play, one of those deals where he didn't quite get all ball. It would have been an awesome rejection
Hey, Lewis just missed a dunk
Jon Barry is down after plowing into a Danny Fortson screen. Replay shows that Fortson sort of set the pick on Barry, rather than having Barry move into the pick. Barry is right back in on the next possession. Trooper
Fortson at :33 has his first Sonic basket
Ray Allen hits one from the left side for the last Sonic shot of the quarter, and he's officially feelin' it. He's 5-for-6 with 13 points in the first quarter
SuperSonics 26, Hawks 23
2ND QUARTER
OH MAN! Damien Wilkins with the slam, and Gerald is in the house. He was fed after Vlad Radmanovic picked off the inbounds pass
10:34 Drobnjak had a niiiice spin move on Fortson for the basket plus one. Kevin Calabro just plugged Drobnjak's old Sonic website
9:28 Vlad Rad misses wide-open three
9:17 Wilkins tips away a crosscourt pass
Anne Donovan is in the house tonight
8:08 Wilkins intercepts an outlet pass after he misses a three
7:34 There's a sighting of the 'fro of Josh Childress, rookie from Stanford
6:49 Off a turnover, Wilkins put too much juice on the fastbreak pass to Lewis
6:33 Allen cuts off the crosscourt pass and jams at the other end
5:53 Lewis fed in the paint by Allen for a jam
5:13 Allen off-balance three
4:20 Ridnour nicely feeds Lewis for a jam
3:44 Lewis fed by Ridnour just inside the three-point line
3:15 Al Harrington up and under with a nice basket...Lewis left James with the defensive assignment
2:40 Harrington lets a pass go through his fingers and out of bounds
2:22 Ridnour finally hits his first shot of the season
1:51 James stuffs Smith...Sonics have seven blocks
:57.1 Walker travels...10th Atlanta turnover
31.5 Walker off a turnover sinks a three
14.9 Lewis tip jam; that's some elevation
SuperSonics 53, Hawks 46
Okay, I think that Dartfish's whole StroMotion thing was a worthwhile addition to Mariner telecasts, as we were able to see the path of curveballs and other off-speed pitches versus fastballs. What it could possibly bring to a basketball game, however, is beyond me.
3RD QUARTER
11:39 Luke transition layup
11:00 Allen's pass low, but James can't pick it up
10:45 Ridnour stuffed Harrington from behind...yikes
9:48 Reggie Evans just airballed a free-throw attempt
7:56 James stays with his own missed shot...Ridnour did a nice job creating
7:26 Ridnour finds wide-open Evans for slam
6:43 Evans uses force to drice through Diow for the basket and one
6:21 great solo defense by Evans on Walker
6:20 Ridnour picks an inbound pass
5:58 Ridnour drives to the basket and hits two free throws
5:05 Ridnour too quick on the fast break
4:57 James hustles all the way back to goaltend a shot in transition
4:22 Drobnjak hook
3:34 all five Sonics touch ball on possession, ending in an Allen three
2:35 Lewis hits a three...with all the three-balls he's been throwing up, he was bound to hit one
1:27 Daniels drives a wide-open lane after the Sonics set up post-turnover
:02.3 Allen on break fed nicely for a lefthanded layup
SuperSonics 79, Hawks 64
Okay, I've changed my mind. They used the StroMotion a little better this time, comparing the ball rotation on different jumpers by Ray Allen.
I also just realized that the appearance of the new FSN Live shows means that the Northwest Sports Report no longer exists.
4TH QUARTER
11:35 Fortson finds Vlad for three
10:14 Fortson puts one back
9:33 Collison misses wide-open 15-footer
7:41 Calabro says Vlad Rad "outhustling" Antoine Walker
7:30 Allen finger-roll through lane
6:58 After missing free throws, Evans still at 11 and 9
4:01 Allen finds Lewis for a three
3:45 Lewis comes in with a block on Harrington
3:39 Lewis sinks free throws for 23 pts, 7-for-8 from line
2:46 Ridnour weasels way through lane and misses layup, but Fortson puts back to put Sonics at 100 points
2:19 Robert Swift and Wilkins in
1:58 Cleaves in (Murray on injured list)
1:53 Ridnour running teardrop goes in...and one (9 pts, 6 ast)
:57.6 Swift splits free throws, his first NBA point
SuperSonics 106, Hawks 85
Reality shows are better when they're 30 seconds long. Thank you, GEICO, for making that promo for the fake reality show, Tiny House.
Well, this is exactly what the Sonics needed on the heels of Wednesday's embarrassment against the Clippers. They shot well from the field, but most importantly, their defensive intensity was great. They blocked quite a few shots (even with meaningful contributions from Jerome James with four blocks) and forced a lot of turnovers (intercepting passes). I must say that I also saw a bright spot in the creating ability of Luke Ridnour, who ended up with 9 points and 6 assists on the night. His jumper isn't anywhere close to fine-tuned yet, but his line for tonight is still quite respectable. The Sonics' scoring leaders: 25 for Allen, 23 for Lewis, double figures each for Evans and Daniels.
Danny O'Neil, Percy Allen, and Frank Hughes are now compiling their articles for tomorrow's print editions as I write this. I'll take a gander at two of the three articles (the Tribune refreshes too late) later tonight.
Now that the Sonics' season is in full swing, Brian Davis' new gig is fully realized. He is now basically what Rich Waltz is to the Mariners. Davis is hosting the pregame show for the Sonics, and gets the weekly Sonics All-Access show on Thursday nights. One thing I saw the other night on FSNNW was the unveiling of FSN Live, which had a tricked-out studio as well as the introduction of Campus Cams at the four Pac-10 colleges in Oregon and Washington. Unfortunately, it still had Angie Mentink and Brad Adam. How those two have avoided the revolving door at the Bellevue Bunker for all these years is beyond me. I wish the revolving door would push Cameron Wong out, though. Also, though I don't doubt his football knowledge, Dave Wyman is mind-numblingly boring as the FSNNW Seahawk contributor (i.e., Seahawk counterpart to Bill Krueger). It's like listening to Stephen Wright except it isn't funny, and you don't want or expect it to be funny.
Oh man, I'm sitting here watching the opening introductions, and I realized that former KJR update guy and current KOMO update guy Matt Pittman is the Sonics' PA announcer. The players are being introduced and are coming down the aisles, slapping hands with the fans. It's a noble idea, at least. It wouldn't be a Seattle sporting event without Big Lo getting some camera time, as he did right when the house lights came up. Also, Antoine Walker has to hate life knowing he's playing in Atlanta, and Luke Ridnour isn't going with the curly moptop anymore (in case you didn't notice).
1ST QUARTER
Ray Allen at 11:13 gets the Sonics their first lead of the year by scoring on the first shot of the game
Jerome James went out of bounds and saved a ball, leading to a Ray Allen three? Perish the thought. James just swatted Anderson. And now Walker. This will really tick people off in about three games when James plays 30 minutes, shoots 1-for-9 from the field, and gets one rebound
There's a lot of back-and-forth basketball, but that's not because shots are being made; it's because the Sonics are turning the ball over. Three consecutive turnovers at one point, all leading to Atlanta baskets
Daniels had a nice knife inbetween defenders for a lay-in that rolled on the rim and went in
Crap, Reggie Evans with a nice move and a lay-in, slicing through Al Harrington and Antoine Walker
I just realized Kevin Willis is still playing. I know he's played a lot of years with Atlanta, but I would have gone out on top after the Spurs won it all a couple years ago
Rashard Lewis airballs one from downtown just inside three minutes to play in the quarter
There's been a Peja Drobnjak sighting! "Victory for Hawks!!"
Josh Smith just fouled Lewis in the paint to contest a shot...but man, did he Smith have some hops on that play, one of those deals where he didn't quite get all ball. It would have been an awesome rejection
Hey, Lewis just missed a dunk
Jon Barry is down after plowing into a Danny Fortson screen. Replay shows that Fortson sort of set the pick on Barry, rather than having Barry move into the pick. Barry is right back in on the next possession. Trooper
Fortson at :33 has his first Sonic basket
Ray Allen hits one from the left side for the last Sonic shot of the quarter, and he's officially feelin' it. He's 5-for-6 with 13 points in the first quarter
SuperSonics 26, Hawks 23
2ND QUARTER
OH MAN! Damien Wilkins with the slam, and Gerald is in the house. He was fed after Vlad Radmanovic picked off the inbounds pass
10:34 Drobnjak had a niiiice spin move on Fortson for the basket plus one. Kevin Calabro just plugged Drobnjak's old Sonic website
9:28 Vlad Rad misses wide-open three
9:17 Wilkins tips away a crosscourt pass
Anne Donovan is in the house tonight
8:08 Wilkins intercepts an outlet pass after he misses a three
7:34 There's a sighting of the 'fro of Josh Childress, rookie from Stanford
6:49 Off a turnover, Wilkins put too much juice on the fastbreak pass to Lewis
6:33 Allen cuts off the crosscourt pass and jams at the other end
5:53 Lewis fed in the paint by Allen for a jam
5:13 Allen off-balance three
4:20 Ridnour nicely feeds Lewis for a jam
3:44 Lewis fed by Ridnour just inside the three-point line
3:15 Al Harrington up and under with a nice basket...Lewis left James with the defensive assignment
2:40 Harrington lets a pass go through his fingers and out of bounds
2:22 Ridnour finally hits his first shot of the season
1:51 James stuffs Smith...Sonics have seven blocks
:57.1 Walker travels...10th Atlanta turnover
31.5 Walker off a turnover sinks a three
14.9 Lewis tip jam; that's some elevation
SuperSonics 53, Hawks 46
Okay, I think that Dartfish's whole StroMotion thing was a worthwhile addition to Mariner telecasts, as we were able to see the path of curveballs and other off-speed pitches versus fastballs. What it could possibly bring to a basketball game, however, is beyond me.
3RD QUARTER
11:39 Luke transition layup
11:00 Allen's pass low, but James can't pick it up
10:45 Ridnour stuffed Harrington from behind...yikes
9:48 Reggie Evans just airballed a free-throw attempt
7:56 James stays with his own missed shot...Ridnour did a nice job creating
7:26 Ridnour finds wide-open Evans for slam
6:43 Evans uses force to drice through Diow for the basket and one
6:21 great solo defense by Evans on Walker
6:20 Ridnour picks an inbound pass
5:58 Ridnour drives to the basket and hits two free throws
5:05 Ridnour too quick on the fast break
4:57 James hustles all the way back to goaltend a shot in transition
4:22 Drobnjak hook
3:34 all five Sonics touch ball on possession, ending in an Allen three
2:35 Lewis hits a three...with all the three-balls he's been throwing up, he was bound to hit one
1:27 Daniels drives a wide-open lane after the Sonics set up post-turnover
:02.3 Allen on break fed nicely for a lefthanded layup
SuperSonics 79, Hawks 64
Okay, I've changed my mind. They used the StroMotion a little better this time, comparing the ball rotation on different jumpers by Ray Allen.
I also just realized that the appearance of the new FSN Live shows means that the Northwest Sports Report no longer exists.
4TH QUARTER
11:35 Fortson finds Vlad for three
10:14 Fortson puts one back
9:33 Collison misses wide-open 15-footer
7:41 Calabro says Vlad Rad "outhustling" Antoine Walker
7:30 Allen finger-roll through lane
6:58 After missing free throws, Evans still at 11 and 9
4:01 Allen finds Lewis for a three
3:45 Lewis comes in with a block on Harrington
3:39 Lewis sinks free throws for 23 pts, 7-for-8 from line
2:46 Ridnour weasels way through lane and misses layup, but Fortson puts back to put Sonics at 100 points
2:19 Robert Swift and Wilkins in
1:58 Cleaves in (Murray on injured list)
1:53 Ridnour running teardrop goes in...and one (9 pts, 6 ast)
:57.6 Swift splits free throws, his first NBA point
SuperSonics 106, Hawks 85
Reality shows are better when they're 30 seconds long. Thank you, GEICO, for making that promo for the fake reality show, Tiny House.
Well, this is exactly what the Sonics needed on the heels of Wednesday's embarrassment against the Clippers. They shot well from the field, but most importantly, their defensive intensity was great. They blocked quite a few shots (even with meaningful contributions from Jerome James with four blocks) and forced a lot of turnovers (intercepting passes). I must say that I also saw a bright spot in the creating ability of Luke Ridnour, who ended up with 9 points and 6 assists on the night. His jumper isn't anywhere close to fine-tuned yet, but his line for tonight is still quite respectable. The Sonics' scoring leaders: 25 for Allen, 23 for Lewis, double figures each for Evans and Daniels.
Danny O'Neil, Percy Allen, and Frank Hughes are now compiling their articles for tomorrow's print editions as I write this. I'll take a gander at two of the three articles (the Tribune refreshes too late) later tonight.
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