Friday, May 20, 2005
GAME 6: SPURS 98, SUPERSONICS 96
Spurs 98, SuperSonics 96 (San Antonio wins best-of-seven series 4-2)
(final part of post tacked on at noon)
...And so ends the ride. Given how they lost this game, I want so badly to be totally be mad about this loss and mad that there isn't a Game 7. This team was too special though. Considering where this team was, and considering where they were after training camp and through the first game against the Clippers, making the playoffs alone was crazy in itself. Everything else was gravy. Beating the Kings, well, that was good since the Sonics were obviously the better team.
But I remember how I felt after Game 1. Vladimir Radmanovic had the horrible ankle injury, and I pretty much thought that sealed the outcome of the series. Ray Allen's ankle was tweaked not long after that, and I'd wondered if the Sonics could win a single game in this series. Frankly, without Rashard Lewis in Game 5 and Game 6, it's amazing they didn't get the crap pounded out of them. I didn't forget how the Sonics stumbled into the playoffs and how the Nuggets almost caught up to them. That team without Vladimir Radmanovic was hobbled in itself, but without Radmanovic and Lewis, it was dead meat.
Ultimately, the absence of Vladimir Radmanovic arguably did seal the outcome of the series. Rashard Lewis being out the final two games didn't help either. When Radmanovic -- the key floor-spreader and the indicator for most of the year in terms of how well the Sonics' offense was clicking -- was out of the series, it was sad. It's a shame that the Sonics weren't able to be at full strength against the Spurs, it really is. Not just because we didn't get any more Radmanovic hair stories either. The Spurs were like a farmer that got kicked multiple times by a horse before being able to put it down.
What am I trying to say? It might be bitterness and postgame homerism, but I've all but convinced myself that the Sonics win this series if Vladimir Radmanovic and Rashard Lewis are healthy. I'm not just saying this because the Sonics twice spanked the Spurs at full strength during the regular season. Granted, Rashard would never have been 100% due to the knee tendinitis (and no bad big toe, of course), but if the tendinitis was no worse than it was for most of the season, then the Sonics win this series. The Spurs looked very beatable for each of the last two games.
Granted, a good team knows how to fight off adversity, and the Spurs did exactly that, but the Sonics did some things in this series and in particular Game 6. The way the Sonics played in Game 3, the way they made the game physical and grinded it out, was a team going back to its roots in a way, though the circumstances basically forced them into that style of play. Tony Parker basically did a disappearing act after Game 2, though Luke Ridnour apparently can't guard the chair that Jay Bilas was sitting in (yes, I know other people were on Parker too). After going nuts in Game 5, Manu Ginobili was limited to a line of 13/6/7, and also turned the ball over five times.
Really, though, Tim Duncan may never go nuts again from the free-throw line the way he did in Game 4 and Game 6. Fouling him when it looks like he might have an easy basket is a chance you still have to take, and only the planets could align to have him go nuts at the line once again, which is sad since the Sonics held him to 6-for-21 shooting while trying to stave off elimination.
Okay, I'd better get to the game action.
Manu Ginobili blew a layup off the opening tip and Antonio Daniels cashed in at the other end with the runner from the top of the key to open the scoring. The Spurs weren't sharp in the first few minutes, with Nazr Mohammed receiving a nice pass from Tim Duncan and then blowing a dunk attempt. Duncan also lost the ball to Luke Ridnour, and Daniels laid one up over Duncan on the other end. Ray Allen hit a reverse to make it a 6-0 game-opening run by the Sonics and forcing the Spurs to call timeout with 8:58 to go in the opening quarter.
The Sonics kept the Spurs a couple of possessions away for most of the rest of the first quarter. The Sonics had their largest lead of the quarter when Reggie Evans hit a couple of free throws with 6:02 to go to make it 14-6. Robert Horry provided some grizzled-veteran scoring for the Spurs, tipping in a Parker miss to answer the Evans free throws. The Sonics had the ball and Ridnour did that thing where he dribbles under the basket and comes out the other side, except he apparently stepped on the baseline. Horry hit a straightaway three on the next possession to cut the lead to 14-11 with 5:18 to go.
With 3:54 to go in the quarter, Nick Collison ran a pick-and-roll with Ray Allen and was fouled by Brent Barry, sending the Spurs over the limit (quite early to be over the limit). Almost as rare as Reggie Evans hitting a pair of free throws, Collison snugged in a pair as well, making it 18-13. Allen hit a fader from the left elbow with 2:23 to go in the quarter to take the lead out to 22-15.
Then came something that greatly hampered the Sonics. Nick Collison did his best Danny Fortson impression. He fouled Ginobili hard on a drive with 2:06 remaining. Allen missed a three and Collison was called for a foul in pursuit of the offensive board with 1:51 left. Finally, with 1:39 to go, Collison fouled Horry down low. Three fouls, 27 seconds. That'll be some foul trouble.
Danny Fortson fouled Duncan on a one-hander attempt from the baseline, and Duncan hit the free throws for his first two points of the game (yes, it's true). The Sonics finished the quarter with a flourish, with Evans finishing off a pick-and-roll with Daniels with 13.6 seconds remaining. Ginobili had the ball and drove just inside the arc, ramming into Damien Wilkins. Daniels tipped the ball away and kept the Spurs from getting off a final shot. Ginobili limped afterward, but stayed in the game and might have been faking it for all we know. The Sonics led 25-20 at the end of one quarter.
The Sonics opened the second quarter with a 6-2 mini-run. Damien Wilkins hit a driving double-pump layup to open up the quarter, and Bruce Bowen's leaning baseline jumper was sandwiched with Allen blowing past everyone for a layup. Daniels penetrated and kicked to Fortson, who finished with a layup to give the Sonics a 31-22 lead, their largest of the night with 10:19 left in the half. Wilkins hit a right-side midrange jumper with 7:01 before the half to put the Sonics up 38-31
Then the Spurs went on a 21-7 run, putting them up 52-45 with 43.2 seconds to go before the half. The Spurs took their first lead of the night when Allen missed and Jerome James was called for a loose-ball foul trying to get the rebound. This put Seattle over the limit very early, with 4:28 left before halftime. Amazingly, the Spurs only took advantage of this fact three times for the rest of the half. Yes, I did think that the Damien Wilkins offensive basket interference call was crap. Frankly, I don't care if he gets T'd up at that point as long as the basket counts. That occurred with 4:03 to go, and would have put the Sonics up 42-41. Give the Spurs a T shot on the other end, and the game is tied at 42. All I'm asking for is a single point here. That run was capped off by the ever-inexcusable Bruce Bowen corner three.
Luke Ridnour hit a runner to account for the halftime score of 52-47. Horry led the Spurs with 11 points. The ball movement stopped for the Sonics in the second quarter, and the Spurs led 13-5 at halftime in the assist department. Allen had 14, Daniels had 11, James and Evans had 5 apiece, and Wilkins had 4.
The Sonics were 0-for-2 from beyond the arc in the first half. A Reggie Evans dunk highlight was shown on FSNNW during halftime, and in the crowd there was a guy wearing a Sam Perkins shirt. I almost wept. The Sonics sure could have used someone like Big Smooth in this series.
Ridnour opened the second-half scoring with a pop from the left elbow. Ginobili was called for an offensive foul, and Daniels hit a fallaway baseline jumper to beat the shot clock and bring the Sonics within one at 52-51 (10:59). The Sonics had lapses against Nazr Mohammed again, who laid one in after getting a nice feed from Ginobili.
Then Daniels drove and missed a shot, and somehow no foul was called. Daniels doesn't just get tech'd for the hell of it, and he got the T right here with 10:02 left in the third. Reggie Evans shot a ball from the right elbow at 8:41 for some unknown reason. He missed, of course.
Tim Duncan got the rebound with 7:22 after Jerome James and Reggie Evans had about four or five chances at the basket. I have a hard time believing there was no non-ball shot-impeding contact by the Spurs in that sequence, and Nate McMillan did as well, as he also got T'd up. Moments later, Mohammed grabbed an offensive board (he had 4 at that point and had 12 and 7) and the ball found its way to Ginobili, who hit a three.
No matter how valid the fight and how crappy the calls or non-calls were, the Spurs had just rattled off a 9-2 run, giving them their largest lead of the night and making it 61-53 with 6:49 left in the third. After Collison was nailed for his fourth foul, the Sonics scored five quick points (James three-point play, Ridnour midrange) to make it 67-64 and force the Spurs to call timeout.
Right after the timeout, Mohammed operated down low with James on him and walked with the ball. Ginobili through an Horry-bound pass out of bounds for the sixth Spur turnover of the quarter. On the other end, Ray Allen appeared, tying the game with a three-pointer, making it 67-67 with 3:07 left in the quarter. Fortson put back a Ridnour miss and completed a three-point play to put the Sonics back into the lead, 70-67 with 2:01 to go.
Then came the bullcrap offensive foul call on Damien Wilkins. He was called at the 1:45 mark on a fast break when he fended off Ginobili with his left arm at the basket even though said arm did not come in contact with Ginobili. Never mind the free throws that could have made it a five-point Sonic lead at that point. Collison blew a layup after stripping the ball from Beno Udrih. Fortson was called for flagrantly fouling Duncan, though I've got no qualms about that. Though the arms did hit the head, it was close enough, and it was from behind.
Ray Allen answered a Duncan miss in the final minute with a three-ball, widening the Sonic lead to four points at 73-69 with 51.4 ticks remaining in the third.
The final crap call in the quarter came after Ginobili missed the second of a pair of free throws; Fortson grabbed the rebound and was shoved out of bounds with 6.9 seconds left. The Sonics led 73-72 after three quarters of play.
Fortson drove to the key and bowled over Fortson on the first Sonic possession of the fourth quarter, and Sonic fans know that at least one of those fouls is coming from Fortson per game, so no biggie. The first points of the quarter came when Duncan put back a Mohammed airball with 10:44 remaining, giving the Spurs a 74-73 lead. With ten minutes remaining, Wilkins drove and drew the fifth foul on Brent Barry, though Fortson made contact with Ginobili's face and threw him to the ground in backcourt and the refs didn't see it. Though I won't deny that it was a pretty violent occurrence, the devil in me was glad that Ginobili fell to the floor due to actual contact for once. And no, that non-call didn't offset the Sonics' penchant to not get calls in the third quarter.
Collison didn't finish off a pick-and-roll with Allen (8:59), and though Collison came down with the ball, he was tied up by Mohammed and lost the subsequent jump ball. Not long after, Daniels found Collison wide open under the basket for a slam, giving the Sonics a 77-76 lead with 8:23 left.
Duncan rolled to the basket with 8:08 to go and Collison was called for his fifth foul on the block. Duncan tweaked his left foot on the play and sat on the ground grabbing it afterward. Some fans cheered the injury, and though I'll grant you that such an occurrence is classless, I have the feeling some were cheering for the hard play of Collison as well and the fact that Duncan didn't hit a basket. Of course, afterward when Duncan walked to the other end of the floor -- that's delay of game. The Spurs have to at least call a 20-second timeout in that situation, I don't care if it's Tim Duncan, Ray Allen, or Robert Swift. Needless to say, Duncan kept up the free-throw anomaly game, hitting both and putting the Spurs back into the lead at 78-77.
Allen answered with a three from the left side to get the Sonics the lead once again, 80-78 with 7:56 to go. After Duncan answered with a straightaway midrange jumper, Allen hit another shot, an off-balance jumper from the top of the key to regain the lead once again, 82-80 with 6:39 to go. Brent Barry went out with a bang, hitting a three to put the Spurs back into the lead before fouling Allen off the ball with 6:03 remaining -- Barry had fouled out after 14 minutes of play.
One thing I won't make an argument for when it comes to the Sonics -- shot-clock violations. Wilkins was left on the perimeter with the ball with four ticks left on the shot clock and didn't end up hitting rim, but the ball should have been in someone else's hands to begin with (5:48). Ridnour tied the game at 84 with a fallaway jumper from the right side (5:16), but Duncan made a nice play on the other end. He worked down low and despite James reaching in, he somehow hit the shot. Though he missed the ensuing free throw (only one of the three he missed all night), the Spurs were back up 86-84 with 4:57 left.
Tony Parker made a rare appearance with a runner from the right side to put the Spurs up 88-84 (4:26). The Sonics scored the next five points. Collison slammed to finish a give-and-go with Ridnour (4:09) and then Wilkins was wide open for a three from the left corner, which he sank to put the Sonics back into the lead, 89-88 with 3:28 to go. Parker walked under the basket with 3:02 to go, but the Sonics didn't take advantage on the next possession, with Ridnour missing a three from the corner, though there was decent ball movement on the play. Parker answered by hitting a midrange jumper to put the Spurs back into the lead (90-89, 2:27).
This of course made it a good time for another shot-clock violation. Allen was out beyond the perimeter and was way short on his shot with two minutes remaining. Every possession is valuable in the playoffs, yet the Sonics had two very crippling shot-clock violations in the fourth quarter. Horry answered that with a three, and the game looked grim for the Sonics, now down 93-89 with 1:48 to go. Daniels hit a jumper from the top of the key to get the Sonics within two (93-91, 1:36).
Then Duncan traveled in the key, which of course wasn't called, hit a layup, and was fouled. Though he missed the free throw, the Spurs were up 95-91 with 1:23 to go. Daniels answered with a driving layup with 1:18 to go (95-93, 1:18). Ginobili drove and drew the 6th and final foul on Jerome James, but split the pair of free throws (96-93, 58.4 seconds left). Collison answered by tipping in a Daniels miss to bring the Sonics within one, 96-95 with 37.9 seconds left.
Duncan missed a midrange jumper, and Horry was called for a loose-ball foul for contact with Antonio Daniels. Daniels missed the first free throw as the words "OH, FOR F*&@'S SAKE!!" came out of my mouth. Daniels hit the second free throw to tie the game at 96 apiece with 14.4 seconds left. The Spurs called the requisite timeout.
For the final play, Ginobili wore down the clock beyond the perimeter. He drove, and drew Vitaly off of Duncan, who raced to the other side of the key. Ginobili hit Duncan with the perfect pass, and Duncan banked one in before Vitaly could get back and just before the help (Ridnour) could get there. All of 0.5 seconds remained on the clock for the Sonics to get off a final shot, down 98-96. Allen got the ball in the left corner and tried a turnaround three over Duncan (yikes), but it went off the front rim.
End of season.
PEEK AT THE BOXSCORE
starters
Ray Allen 25 pts/4 reb/2 ast (11-25 FG, 3-9 3pt, 44 min), Antonio Daniels 22 pts/3 reb/5 ast (7-13 FG, 8-10 free throws, 43 min), Luke Ridnour 10 pts/4 reb/4 ast (4-10 FG, 2-2 free throws, 42 min), Reggie Evans 4 pts/9 reb (1-6 FG, 23 min)
bench
Damien Wilkins 10 pts/4 reb (3-4 FG, 3-6 free throws, 27 min), Nick Collison 8 pts/1 reb (3-5 FG, 17 min), Danny Fortson 5 pts/4 reb (2-2 FG, 11 min), Vitaly Potapenko 2 pts/1 reb (1-1 FG, 6 min)
Jerome James Watch
10 pts/8 reb/2 stl/1 blk (4-9 FG, 2-3 free throws, 2 turnovers, fouled out, 27 min)
team
shot 36-for-75 (48.0%) from the field, shot 4-for-11 (36.4%) from downtown, shot 20-for-26 (76.9%) from the line, outrebounded Spurs 38-31, turned ball over 14 times (Spurs 15), won 5-4 on the break and 46-42 in the paint, bench outscored San Antonio bench 25-24 (outrebounded them 10-5)
Well, what a ride, huh? Was it a little concerting to see the Sonics lose despite holding Tim Duncan to 6-for-21 shooting? Sure it was. Did I hate the calls or non-calls that went against them in the third quarter? Sure I did. Was I ticked off after the crucial shot-clock violations in the fourth quarter? Of course. Could I believe it when Nick Collison drew the three quick fouls toward the end of the first quarter? Definitely.
But it definitely was a good game. I'm glad the Sonics went down fighting instead of putting up what we saw in either of the first two games of the series. The way that the Sonics bounced back from being down 2-0 in this series was incredible. They were written off for dead in Game 1, and it looked like it'd be a short series, but this team surprised us once again.
However, the surprises had to end somewhere, and they ended as Ray Allen's three-point attempt inside the final second clanged off the front rim. The lack of scoring depth had caught up with the Sonics. How long could we reasonably expect the Sonics to survive when Vladimir Radmanovic was out for the entire series after the first quarter of Game 1 and Rashard Lewis was out for the final two games? Those were were only the second- and third-leading scorers on the team during the season. Lewis averaged 20.5 points and Radmanovic averaged 11.8. That's 32 points missing right there. Granted, you can't just plug-and-play and add those points (some would inevitably be subtracted from the other players), but the Sonics dearly missed Lewis in the last two games, and have really missed Radmanovic for not just the series, but ever since he came down with the wrist injury, let alone the stress fracture.
Mark my word, this team of Sonics would have won 57 games (at least) if Radmanovic was healthy down the stretch. The guy meant and did so much for this team. He was the X-factor all year when he was in the game. They badly missed him. I know the Spurs were very adept at preventing three-point shooting in general, but if we would have seen Radmanovic, Lewis, and Allen all along the arc in the final two games...you would have liked your chances if you were a Sonic fan. Have those three guys on the court and any sort of inside offensive presence from Jerome James, and that mixture would be absolutely lethal.
You can't blame any one thing for a loss like this, but I've got to single out Nick Collison's foul trouble in both Game 5 and Game 6 as one of many killers for the Sonics. The team was way better with him on the floor than say, a Reggie Evans.
But rather than bitch for the rest of my life about Collison's foul trouble, shot-clock violations, bad calls in the third quarter, and the fact that Ray Allen didn't get to the free-throw line even once, I'll just remember that back in the beginning of November, anyone that said the Sonics would have taken the Spurs to six games in the second round of the playoffs would have been told they were on crack or some sort of mind-altering substance.
I hope everyone out there was able to enjoy the season and soak it up for all it was worth, because this team's going to look very very different next season.
Three cheers for the 2004-2005 Seattle SuperSonics, the first pro (male) team to greatly exceed expectations since the 1995 Seattle Mariners (or if you want to be picky, the regular season 2001 Seattle Mariners). They were also a great follow-up to the Husky basketball teams of the last two years as well. A toast to the green and gold.
See you next November (or later).
I asked Jinkies if he'd enjoyed this season for the Sonics even though his owner wasn't a Sonic anymore and was stuck playing in Atlanta instead. His reply: "No MEOWING way! Get out of my town." I guess that's fierce loyalty or something.
(final part of post tacked on at noon)
...And so ends the ride. Given how they lost this game, I want so badly to be totally be mad about this loss and mad that there isn't a Game 7. This team was too special though. Considering where this team was, and considering where they were after training camp and through the first game against the Clippers, making the playoffs alone was crazy in itself. Everything else was gravy. Beating the Kings, well, that was good since the Sonics were obviously the better team.
But I remember how I felt after Game 1. Vladimir Radmanovic had the horrible ankle injury, and I pretty much thought that sealed the outcome of the series. Ray Allen's ankle was tweaked not long after that, and I'd wondered if the Sonics could win a single game in this series. Frankly, without Rashard Lewis in Game 5 and Game 6, it's amazing they didn't get the crap pounded out of them. I didn't forget how the Sonics stumbled into the playoffs and how the Nuggets almost caught up to them. That team without Vladimir Radmanovic was hobbled in itself, but without Radmanovic and Lewis, it was dead meat.
Ultimately, the absence of Vladimir Radmanovic arguably did seal the outcome of the series. Rashard Lewis being out the final two games didn't help either. When Radmanovic -- the key floor-spreader and the indicator for most of the year in terms of how well the Sonics' offense was clicking -- was out of the series, it was sad. It's a shame that the Sonics weren't able to be at full strength against the Spurs, it really is. Not just because we didn't get any more Radmanovic hair stories either. The Spurs were like a farmer that got kicked multiple times by a horse before being able to put it down.
What am I trying to say? It might be bitterness and postgame homerism, but I've all but convinced myself that the Sonics win this series if Vladimir Radmanovic and Rashard Lewis are healthy. I'm not just saying this because the Sonics twice spanked the Spurs at full strength during the regular season. Granted, Rashard would never have been 100% due to the knee tendinitis (and no bad big toe, of course), but if the tendinitis was no worse than it was for most of the season, then the Sonics win this series. The Spurs looked very beatable for each of the last two games.
Granted, a good team knows how to fight off adversity, and the Spurs did exactly that, but the Sonics did some things in this series and in particular Game 6. The way the Sonics played in Game 3, the way they made the game physical and grinded it out, was a team going back to its roots in a way, though the circumstances basically forced them into that style of play. Tony Parker basically did a disappearing act after Game 2, though Luke Ridnour apparently can't guard the chair that Jay Bilas was sitting in (yes, I know other people were on Parker too). After going nuts in Game 5, Manu Ginobili was limited to a line of 13/6/7, and also turned the ball over five times.
Really, though, Tim Duncan may never go nuts again from the free-throw line the way he did in Game 4 and Game 6. Fouling him when it looks like he might have an easy basket is a chance you still have to take, and only the planets could align to have him go nuts at the line once again, which is sad since the Sonics held him to 6-for-21 shooting while trying to stave off elimination.
Okay, I'd better get to the game action.
Manu Ginobili blew a layup off the opening tip and Antonio Daniels cashed in at the other end with the runner from the top of the key to open the scoring. The Spurs weren't sharp in the first few minutes, with Nazr Mohammed receiving a nice pass from Tim Duncan and then blowing a dunk attempt. Duncan also lost the ball to Luke Ridnour, and Daniels laid one up over Duncan on the other end. Ray Allen hit a reverse to make it a 6-0 game-opening run by the Sonics and forcing the Spurs to call timeout with 8:58 to go in the opening quarter.
The Sonics kept the Spurs a couple of possessions away for most of the rest of the first quarter. The Sonics had their largest lead of the quarter when Reggie Evans hit a couple of free throws with 6:02 to go to make it 14-6. Robert Horry provided some grizzled-veteran scoring for the Spurs, tipping in a Parker miss to answer the Evans free throws. The Sonics had the ball and Ridnour did that thing where he dribbles under the basket and comes out the other side, except he apparently stepped on the baseline. Horry hit a straightaway three on the next possession to cut the lead to 14-11 with 5:18 to go.
With 3:54 to go in the quarter, Nick Collison ran a pick-and-roll with Ray Allen and was fouled by Brent Barry, sending the Spurs over the limit (quite early to be over the limit). Almost as rare as Reggie Evans hitting a pair of free throws, Collison snugged in a pair as well, making it 18-13. Allen hit a fader from the left elbow with 2:23 to go in the quarter to take the lead out to 22-15.
Then came something that greatly hampered the Sonics. Nick Collison did his best Danny Fortson impression. He fouled Ginobili hard on a drive with 2:06 remaining. Allen missed a three and Collison was called for a foul in pursuit of the offensive board with 1:51 left. Finally, with 1:39 to go, Collison fouled Horry down low. Three fouls, 27 seconds. That'll be some foul trouble.
Danny Fortson fouled Duncan on a one-hander attempt from the baseline, and Duncan hit the free throws for his first two points of the game (yes, it's true). The Sonics finished the quarter with a flourish, with Evans finishing off a pick-and-roll with Daniels with 13.6 seconds remaining. Ginobili had the ball and drove just inside the arc, ramming into Damien Wilkins. Daniels tipped the ball away and kept the Spurs from getting off a final shot. Ginobili limped afterward, but stayed in the game and might have been faking it for all we know. The Sonics led 25-20 at the end of one quarter.
The Sonics opened the second quarter with a 6-2 mini-run. Damien Wilkins hit a driving double-pump layup to open up the quarter, and Bruce Bowen's leaning baseline jumper was sandwiched with Allen blowing past everyone for a layup. Daniels penetrated and kicked to Fortson, who finished with a layup to give the Sonics a 31-22 lead, their largest of the night with 10:19 left in the half. Wilkins hit a right-side midrange jumper with 7:01 before the half to put the Sonics up 38-31
Then the Spurs went on a 21-7 run, putting them up 52-45 with 43.2 seconds to go before the half. The Spurs took their first lead of the night when Allen missed and Jerome James was called for a loose-ball foul trying to get the rebound. This put Seattle over the limit very early, with 4:28 left before halftime. Amazingly, the Spurs only took advantage of this fact three times for the rest of the half. Yes, I did think that the Damien Wilkins offensive basket interference call was crap. Frankly, I don't care if he gets T'd up at that point as long as the basket counts. That occurred with 4:03 to go, and would have put the Sonics up 42-41. Give the Spurs a T shot on the other end, and the game is tied at 42. All I'm asking for is a single point here. That run was capped off by the ever-inexcusable Bruce Bowen corner three.
Luke Ridnour hit a runner to account for the halftime score of 52-47. Horry led the Spurs with 11 points. The ball movement stopped for the Sonics in the second quarter, and the Spurs led 13-5 at halftime in the assist department. Allen had 14, Daniels had 11, James and Evans had 5 apiece, and Wilkins had 4.
The Sonics were 0-for-2 from beyond the arc in the first half. A Reggie Evans dunk highlight was shown on FSNNW during halftime, and in the crowd there was a guy wearing a Sam Perkins shirt. I almost wept. The Sonics sure could have used someone like Big Smooth in this series.
Ridnour opened the second-half scoring with a pop from the left elbow. Ginobili was called for an offensive foul, and Daniels hit a fallaway baseline jumper to beat the shot clock and bring the Sonics within one at 52-51 (10:59). The Sonics had lapses against Nazr Mohammed again, who laid one in after getting a nice feed from Ginobili.
Then Daniels drove and missed a shot, and somehow no foul was called. Daniels doesn't just get tech'd for the hell of it, and he got the T right here with 10:02 left in the third. Reggie Evans shot a ball from the right elbow at 8:41 for some unknown reason. He missed, of course.
Tim Duncan got the rebound with 7:22 after Jerome James and Reggie Evans had about four or five chances at the basket. I have a hard time believing there was no non-ball shot-impeding contact by the Spurs in that sequence, and Nate McMillan did as well, as he also got T'd up. Moments later, Mohammed grabbed an offensive board (he had 4 at that point and had 12 and 7) and the ball found its way to Ginobili, who hit a three.
No matter how valid the fight and how crappy the calls or non-calls were, the Spurs had just rattled off a 9-2 run, giving them their largest lead of the night and making it 61-53 with 6:49 left in the third. After Collison was nailed for his fourth foul, the Sonics scored five quick points (James three-point play, Ridnour midrange) to make it 67-64 and force the Spurs to call timeout.
Right after the timeout, Mohammed operated down low with James on him and walked with the ball. Ginobili through an Horry-bound pass out of bounds for the sixth Spur turnover of the quarter. On the other end, Ray Allen appeared, tying the game with a three-pointer, making it 67-67 with 3:07 left in the quarter. Fortson put back a Ridnour miss and completed a three-point play to put the Sonics back into the lead, 70-67 with 2:01 to go.
Then came the bullcrap offensive foul call on Damien Wilkins. He was called at the 1:45 mark on a fast break when he fended off Ginobili with his left arm at the basket even though said arm did not come in contact with Ginobili. Never mind the free throws that could have made it a five-point Sonic lead at that point. Collison blew a layup after stripping the ball from Beno Udrih. Fortson was called for flagrantly fouling Duncan, though I've got no qualms about that. Though the arms did hit the head, it was close enough, and it was from behind.
Ray Allen answered a Duncan miss in the final minute with a three-ball, widening the Sonic lead to four points at 73-69 with 51.4 ticks remaining in the third.
The final crap call in the quarter came after Ginobili missed the second of a pair of free throws; Fortson grabbed the rebound and was shoved out of bounds with 6.9 seconds left. The Sonics led 73-72 after three quarters of play.
Fortson drove to the key and bowled over Fortson on the first Sonic possession of the fourth quarter, and Sonic fans know that at least one of those fouls is coming from Fortson per game, so no biggie. The first points of the quarter came when Duncan put back a Mohammed airball with 10:44 remaining, giving the Spurs a 74-73 lead. With ten minutes remaining, Wilkins drove and drew the fifth foul on Brent Barry, though Fortson made contact with Ginobili's face and threw him to the ground in backcourt and the refs didn't see it. Though I won't deny that it was a pretty violent occurrence, the devil in me was glad that Ginobili fell to the floor due to actual contact for once. And no, that non-call didn't offset the Sonics' penchant to not get calls in the third quarter.
Collison didn't finish off a pick-and-roll with Allen (8:59), and though Collison came down with the ball, he was tied up by Mohammed and lost the subsequent jump ball. Not long after, Daniels found Collison wide open under the basket for a slam, giving the Sonics a 77-76 lead with 8:23 left.
Duncan rolled to the basket with 8:08 to go and Collison was called for his fifth foul on the block. Duncan tweaked his left foot on the play and sat on the ground grabbing it afterward. Some fans cheered the injury, and though I'll grant you that such an occurrence is classless, I have the feeling some were cheering for the hard play of Collison as well and the fact that Duncan didn't hit a basket. Of course, afterward when Duncan walked to the other end of the floor -- that's delay of game. The Spurs have to at least call a 20-second timeout in that situation, I don't care if it's Tim Duncan, Ray Allen, or Robert Swift. Needless to say, Duncan kept up the free-throw anomaly game, hitting both and putting the Spurs back into the lead at 78-77.
Allen answered with a three from the left side to get the Sonics the lead once again, 80-78 with 7:56 to go. After Duncan answered with a straightaway midrange jumper, Allen hit another shot, an off-balance jumper from the top of the key to regain the lead once again, 82-80 with 6:39 to go. Brent Barry went out with a bang, hitting a three to put the Spurs back into the lead before fouling Allen off the ball with 6:03 remaining -- Barry had fouled out after 14 minutes of play.
One thing I won't make an argument for when it comes to the Sonics -- shot-clock violations. Wilkins was left on the perimeter with the ball with four ticks left on the shot clock and didn't end up hitting rim, but the ball should have been in someone else's hands to begin with (5:48). Ridnour tied the game at 84 with a fallaway jumper from the right side (5:16), but Duncan made a nice play on the other end. He worked down low and despite James reaching in, he somehow hit the shot. Though he missed the ensuing free throw (only one of the three he missed all night), the Spurs were back up 86-84 with 4:57 left.
Tony Parker made a rare appearance with a runner from the right side to put the Spurs up 88-84 (4:26). The Sonics scored the next five points. Collison slammed to finish a give-and-go with Ridnour (4:09) and then Wilkins was wide open for a three from the left corner, which he sank to put the Sonics back into the lead, 89-88 with 3:28 to go. Parker walked under the basket with 3:02 to go, but the Sonics didn't take advantage on the next possession, with Ridnour missing a three from the corner, though there was decent ball movement on the play. Parker answered by hitting a midrange jumper to put the Spurs back into the lead (90-89, 2:27).
This of course made it a good time for another shot-clock violation. Allen was out beyond the perimeter and was way short on his shot with two minutes remaining. Every possession is valuable in the playoffs, yet the Sonics had two very crippling shot-clock violations in the fourth quarter. Horry answered that with a three, and the game looked grim for the Sonics, now down 93-89 with 1:48 to go. Daniels hit a jumper from the top of the key to get the Sonics within two (93-91, 1:36).
Then Duncan traveled in the key, which of course wasn't called, hit a layup, and was fouled. Though he missed the free throw, the Spurs were up 95-91 with 1:23 to go. Daniels answered with a driving layup with 1:18 to go (95-93, 1:18). Ginobili drove and drew the 6th and final foul on Jerome James, but split the pair of free throws (96-93, 58.4 seconds left). Collison answered by tipping in a Daniels miss to bring the Sonics within one, 96-95 with 37.9 seconds left.
Duncan missed a midrange jumper, and Horry was called for a loose-ball foul for contact with Antonio Daniels. Daniels missed the first free throw as the words "OH, FOR F*&@'S SAKE!!" came out of my mouth. Daniels hit the second free throw to tie the game at 96 apiece with 14.4 seconds left. The Spurs called the requisite timeout.
For the final play, Ginobili wore down the clock beyond the perimeter. He drove, and drew Vitaly off of Duncan, who raced to the other side of the key. Ginobili hit Duncan with the perfect pass, and Duncan banked one in before Vitaly could get back and just before the help (Ridnour) could get there. All of 0.5 seconds remained on the clock for the Sonics to get off a final shot, down 98-96. Allen got the ball in the left corner and tried a turnaround three over Duncan (yikes), but it went off the front rim.
End of season.
PEEK AT THE BOXSCORE
starters
Ray Allen 25 pts/4 reb/2 ast (11-25 FG, 3-9 3pt, 44 min), Antonio Daniels 22 pts/3 reb/5 ast (7-13 FG, 8-10 free throws, 43 min), Luke Ridnour 10 pts/4 reb/4 ast (4-10 FG, 2-2 free throws, 42 min), Reggie Evans 4 pts/9 reb (1-6 FG, 23 min)
bench
Damien Wilkins 10 pts/4 reb (3-4 FG, 3-6 free throws, 27 min), Nick Collison 8 pts/1 reb (3-5 FG, 17 min), Danny Fortson 5 pts/4 reb (2-2 FG, 11 min), Vitaly Potapenko 2 pts/1 reb (1-1 FG, 6 min)
Jerome James Watch
10 pts/8 reb/2 stl/1 blk (4-9 FG, 2-3 free throws, 2 turnovers, fouled out, 27 min)
team
shot 36-for-75 (48.0%) from the field, shot 4-for-11 (36.4%) from downtown, shot 20-for-26 (76.9%) from the line, outrebounded Spurs 38-31, turned ball over 14 times (Spurs 15), won 5-4 on the break and 46-42 in the paint, bench outscored San Antonio bench 25-24 (outrebounded them 10-5)
Well, what a ride, huh? Was it a little concerting to see the Sonics lose despite holding Tim Duncan to 6-for-21 shooting? Sure it was. Did I hate the calls or non-calls that went against them in the third quarter? Sure I did. Was I ticked off after the crucial shot-clock violations in the fourth quarter? Of course. Could I believe it when Nick Collison drew the three quick fouls toward the end of the first quarter? Definitely.
But it definitely was a good game. I'm glad the Sonics went down fighting instead of putting up what we saw in either of the first two games of the series. The way that the Sonics bounced back from being down 2-0 in this series was incredible. They were written off for dead in Game 1, and it looked like it'd be a short series, but this team surprised us once again.
However, the surprises had to end somewhere, and they ended as Ray Allen's three-point attempt inside the final second clanged off the front rim. The lack of scoring depth had caught up with the Sonics. How long could we reasonably expect the Sonics to survive when Vladimir Radmanovic was out for the entire series after the first quarter of Game 1 and Rashard Lewis was out for the final two games? Those were were only the second- and third-leading scorers on the team during the season. Lewis averaged 20.5 points and Radmanovic averaged 11.8. That's 32 points missing right there. Granted, you can't just plug-and-play and add those points (some would inevitably be subtracted from the other players), but the Sonics dearly missed Lewis in the last two games, and have really missed Radmanovic for not just the series, but ever since he came down with the wrist injury, let alone the stress fracture.
Mark my word, this team of Sonics would have won 57 games (at least) if Radmanovic was healthy down the stretch. The guy meant and did so much for this team. He was the X-factor all year when he was in the game. They badly missed him. I know the Spurs were very adept at preventing three-point shooting in general, but if we would have seen Radmanovic, Lewis, and Allen all along the arc in the final two games...you would have liked your chances if you were a Sonic fan. Have those three guys on the court and any sort of inside offensive presence from Jerome James, and that mixture would be absolutely lethal.
You can't blame any one thing for a loss like this, but I've got to single out Nick Collison's foul trouble in both Game 5 and Game 6 as one of many killers for the Sonics. The team was way better with him on the floor than say, a Reggie Evans.
But rather than bitch for the rest of my life about Collison's foul trouble, shot-clock violations, bad calls in the third quarter, and the fact that Ray Allen didn't get to the free-throw line even once, I'll just remember that back in the beginning of November, anyone that said the Sonics would have taken the Spurs to six games in the second round of the playoffs would have been told they were on crack or some sort of mind-altering substance.
I hope everyone out there was able to enjoy the season and soak it up for all it was worth, because this team's going to look very very different next season.
Three cheers for the 2004-2005 Seattle SuperSonics, the first pro (male) team to greatly exceed expectations since the 1995 Seattle Mariners (or if you want to be picky, the regular season 2001 Seattle Mariners). They were also a great follow-up to the Husky basketball teams of the last two years as well. A toast to the green and gold.
See you next November (or later).
I asked Jinkies if he'd enjoyed this season for the Sonics even though his owner wasn't a Sonic anymore and was stuck playing in Atlanta instead. His reply: "No MEOWING way! Get out of my town." I guess that's fierce loyalty or something.
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