Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

2016-17 Season Awards

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return


1st Round Playoff Preview

April 13th, 2017

By Vonny Lee


The 2016-17 NBA season brought us plenty of action, but the postseason is shaping up to be even better. Here's a look at the 1st round.



1. Sonics vs. 8. Spurs

Going 63-19 is nothing to sneeze at, especially considering the Sonics had to rely on a rookie point guard to lead their team for a month while Brandon Jennings recovered from an injury. Jennings' reinsertion back into the lineup went as smoothly as you could think and Seattle finished a win short of tying the franchise's best every regular season record (belonging to the 95-96 Sonics, who went 64-18).

But they face one of the toughest matchups in recent memory in the 8th seeded Spurs, who have had trouble adapting to life without Duncan and Ginobli after their retirements. The Spurs not only finished short of 50 wins (going 43-39 this season) for the first time in forever, they also don't have a very good defense. Don't expect Coach Pop to let that stop him from making this a very tough series.

Prediction: The Sonics don't have a lot of room for error, as they split the season series with the Spurs. I expect this to go the full five games, with Seattle winning and moving on.


4. Rockets vs. 5. Warriors

The Rockets have managed to make the playoffs with a record of 47-35, sporting a defense that regularly holds opponents under 100 points and an offense that has found a groove of late with James Harden. Harden, as per usual, is the key to this series -- after Houston's upset loss last season at the hands of the Pelicans, the Rockets need to make a statement.

Unfortunately, they drew the Warriors. Finishing the year 45-37, Golden State managed to survive a slew of injuries to key role players over the season. They haven't set the league on fire, but they're still as deadly as ever.

Prediction: Houston is suffering from the curse of Dwight Howard and faces a healthy Warriors squad. Golden State in four.


2. Thunder vs. 7. Blazers

The Thunder reached up and stole the 2nd seed from the Clippers, though it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Finishing the season at 56-26, OKC wants to see the Sonics again and can only do that if they meet in the WCF. Both teams would like a rematch of last season's series, and the Thunder have a lot to prove.

But the Blazers are equally hungry, perhaps more so. After missing the playoffs last season, Lillard and co. have gotten the Blazers back in the conversation as a playoff team. But can this roster truly threaten the Thunder?

Prediction: OKC lets one slip away against the Blazers, but only one. Thunder in four.


3. Clippers vs. 6. Pelicans

The Clippers let the 2nd seed slip through their hands at the end, playing only .500 ball over the last 10 games. Despite that, they find themselves facing a difficult opponent in Anthony Davis. Davis' talent is off the charts, and that always makes him a threat.

But the Pelicans had a chance to put themselves in much better position than the one they're in now -- they've gone 1-9 over the last 10 games, dropping the last four and the mood in NOLA isn't fun. Getting past the Clippers will be tough, but not impossible.

Prediction: Clippers in five. Anthony Davis is good, but the Clippers are a better team.

Out East ...

1. Raptors vs. 8. Magic

The Raptors held onto their conference-leading best record and now sit in a very unfamiliar position: that of the 1st seed. Never in franchise history have they had the 1st seed, nor have they ever won 50 games. They've done both this year but have yet to advance past the 1st round of the playoffs in over a decade.

The Magic are back in the playoffs after a long, long drought. The last time a Magic team made the playoffs was when they had Dwight -- which seems like decades ago. Orlando nearly slipped out of the playoffs at the end of the season with their poor play (2-8 in their last 10), but that's mostly been due to the loss of Aaron Gordon to injury (expected to return this series). Can the scrappy team pull off an upset?

Prediction: The Raptors are by far the better team here and they need to take this series. I see them winning in four.

4. Heat vs. 5. Pistons

Miami didn't finish this year as well as last year, but injuries have derailed them. First to Wade, then to Dragic, then to their replacement point guard in Ronnie Price. The move to pick up the waived Trey Burke paid off, but Miami has drawn a matchup with a person who knows them: Stan-Van Gundy.

SVG and the Pistons looked to be dead after the ASB, and rightly so -- but after the break, they went 19-11 and somehow, someway, ended up in the playoffs in a very winnable matchup. Drummond vs. Jefferson isn't a contest and the Piston's youth will be a boon here.

Prediction: Rajon Rondo and SVG, both guys with axes to grind against the Heat (for different reasons), pull out a five game win over Miami, scoring a minor upset.

2. Bulls vs. 7. 76ers

The Bulls nearly stole the 1st seed from the Raptors, falling just short, and now have their best shot at the Finals in many, many years. Rose is playing superb, the team is clicking on all cylinders, and it really seems as though Chicago is ready to make a leap.

Standing in their way are the 76ers, who haven't seen the postseason since 2012 (when half this team was still in high school) and who eliminated the Bulls during that lockout shortened season. Philly is just glad to be here.

Prediction: Bulls take the young 76es behind a woodshed and gore them to death. Chicago in a three game sweep.

3. Cavs vs. 6. Wizards

It has not been an easy year for Cleveland. The trade of Kevin Love was supposed to free up minutes and time for Tristan Thompson, and it has but it hasn't resulted in a different story; Cleveland still relies too much on LeBron and Kyrie. With Mosgov out for another 2-4 weeks with a torn hamstring, the Cavs are playing a small-ball lineup.

That is the opposite of how the Wizards are playing. Washington went on a tear, winning 8 straight games to make the playoffs. Led by the eruption of John Wall, human fireball, the Wizards are one of the hottest squads in the postseason.

Prediction: The Wizards present a matchup issue for the Cavs, as Cleveland has no one on their roster who can match the height and play of Brook Lopez. If Washington can take advantage of that, they win. I'm calling it: Wizards in five in a big upset.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

As discussed a few pages back, I seem to be really killing the CPU. I could raise the difficulty, but HOF feels cheap to me, so I'm going to go ahead and institute the "every other playoff game" rule. I will play all the odd number playoff games (only exception being the closeout game of the Finals -- I want that trophy ceremony). The rest will be simmed, either via the engine or Simcast.

[JazzMan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

That new home court looks beautiful.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



Everyone take a deep breath.

Release. Breathe in. Release.

Good. If you're like me, you're stunned that Seattle won tonight. The team did not play like a defending champion and the Spurs came out and gave their absolute best shot, falling just short at the end.

In the first, we had the usual trading of blows between these two squads. The Spurs were without Danny Green (who suffered a bad ankle sprain in practice and is out for the next 4-6 weeks) and Patty Mills (who's been out for the last month and will be out no matter what happens), but that didn't stop San Antonio from scoring. No, sir, Greg Poppovich is the best coach in the NBA (and, arguably, modern sports) for a damned good reason.

He played a wack lineup the Sonics were not prepared for off the bench. He put Kyle Anderson (Slow Mo formerly of UCLA) at the point, threw out Jonathan Simmons (undrafted guard from Houston), and played Boris Diaw at the four with Marjanovic at the five, and Leonard at the four. At all times, no matter what bench unit the Spurs had out there, there was one of Parker, Leonard, or Aldridge.

And it worked. The Spurs bench unit ran roughshod over the Sonics second-team, who were completely unprepared for the weirdo-bizarro lineup they saw, and gave up a seven-point lead midway through the first. A quick adjustment by Lionel Hollins (reinserting Noel) helped slow the bleeding, but the Spurs climbed out to a five-point lead after one.

In the second, the chess match between coaches and players continued. Pop put Parker in, rotated Anderson to the three, put Leonard at the four, and stuck Diaw at the five, putting in a Spurs version of the small-ball "Death" lineup the Warriors like to roll out. The Sonics weren't so thrown this time around, going back to their original bench squad lineup of Lin, Crawford, Bogdanovic, Landry, and Sanders. The two groups battled to a near-stalemate before the starters began to rotate back in; that's when Seattle began to make some headway and a clutch Brandon Jennings triple at the end of the half cut the Spurs lead to just one, 57-56.

In the third, the game became a massive back and forth affair. It seemed liked every minute the lead changed hands. Dunks, triples, fadeaway twos, steals ... the quarter had everything. It was just as exhausting for the fans as it was for the announcers (poor guys lost count of the lead and they stopped trying to guess). The Sonics eeked out a three point lead at the end of the quarter and it looked like they might pull away.

But the Spurs weren't done. Their starters gave Seattle a run for its money and, with less than three minutes to go, the game wasn't a lock for either side. More buckets and steals, more blocks (San Antonio dominated that stat and the boards) happened, and the Sonics finally managed a six point lead with under a minute to play.

Then Gary Neal happened. Yes, Gary Neal, who was traded for Lin (and that trade is still a sore subject for some fans), nearly became the dagger stabbed through the Sonics heart. The Spurs fouled the Sonics and the Sonics made some, missed some, and managed to let the Spurs jack up not one, but two decent triples in the final ten seconds: both by Neal, both good.

Unfortunately for Neal, his last triple came from just past half court with under two seconds to play and it went in as time expired. He got the points, but there was no more time on the clock for another play and San Antonio, who has been a problem for the Sonics since their revival, just barely missed a chance to steal Game 1 on the road.

Seattle has to be thanking its lucky stars that Nerlens Noel played as well as he did. Noel kept Aldridge and Hill in check, neither player eclipsing 16 points. Noel gobbbled up boards, hit some big shots, and got some players in foul trouble -- exactly what you want from your big man.

He was named player of the game.

Whew. Go Sonics.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

That new home court looks beautiful.

Thanks!

I really like it, too. Gonna be tough to top this design in the future. We might be looking at a Lakers/Celtics thing here, where I only update the main design here and there rather than full do it new. We'll see.

[BlindSideNZ]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Congrats on the first game. Little closer than you may have liked but I have faith. Excited to see if you can pull the Westbrook thing off too. He's a guy I've always coveted on 2k

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Congrats on the first game. Little closer than you may have liked but I have faith. Excited to see if you can pull the Westbrook thing off too. He's a guy I've always coveted on 2k

Yeah, Game 1 was WAYYY to close. We'll see how the sim handles game 2.

As for Westbrook -- I think I have a good shot. But there's a looming contender for his services on the horizon ... the Rockets.

They tried to unite Harden with Dwight, but that hasn't really worked. But Harden's been shown to play well with Westbrook and the two guards might compliment one another better than Westbrook/Durant. Houston will have the money (thanks to the expirings of Lawson and Dwight), and grabbing a defensive center is easy at this point. Definitely could see Houston.

New York is also a threat -- the Knicks love chasing stars and will have TONS of cap space, they could grab Westbrook and vault themselves as conference title contenders in that one signing alone. Don't think Jackson will do it (they seem committed to the rebuild) but never count out New York.

Have some other dark horses in mind, depending on how things go. But Westbrook will be highly sought after. I don't think he's heading back to OKC (he needs his own team) but he's not going to go to some garbage team, either. He has tons of options.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

ROUND 1 UPDATE

Sonics take Game 2, 97-85

Seattle now leads the series 2-0 as they head to San Antonio. Jennings named player of the game with 20 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists.

Rockets win Game 2, 105-102

The series is now tied as it heads to Oracle Arena. Houston had a big game from Terrence Jones, who finished with 20 points and 8 boards.

Blazers win Game 2, 99-87

Portland steals a game on road to tie the series. Mason Plumlee led all players with 24 points and 10 boards in just under 23 minutes.

Clippers beat Pelicans, 110-105

They now hold a 2-0 lead heading to NOLA. JJ Redick lit up the Pelicans with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting.


Out East ...

Raptors win Game 2, 98-94

Toronto leads the series 2-0. DeMar DeRozan scored 36 points (22 in the second half) to lead the comeback.

Pistons take Game 2, 100-77

Series is all tied up heading back to Auburn Hills. Detroit demolished Miami in every facet of the game after a close Game 1 loss.

Sixers take Game 2, 100-90

The 76ers now lead 2-0. Chicago -- and the NBA -- is in shock. Derrick Rose is playing exceedingly well, but Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol are both non-factors.

Wizards take Game 2, 104-101

The series is all tied up heading back to DC. Washington nearly let this one slip away, but the steady play of Marcus Smart off the bench helped seal the deal.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



The SuperSonics have completed the sweep of the Spurs, exercising a demon from the last time these two teams met in the playoffs (way back in 2005, when the Spurs knocked the Sonics out in Round 2). The last remaining member of that Spurs team, Tony Parker, had a great game (31 points, nine assists).

The rest of the Spurs (minus LaMarcus Aldridge, who scored six points in the last two minutes of the blowout to finish with 20 points) were complete non-factors. Parker tried to win the game single-handedly, but couldn't do it. Maybe ten years ago he might have been able to, but not today.

It wasn't Parker's fault that his big men couldn't stop a cold in the post, let alone Nerlens Noel. Noel was a beast in the paint all night long, scoring 17 points in the first half alone as he dominated the Spurs. Brandon Jennings dutifully passed the ball to him (and continued to struggle to find his shot, shooting 4-of-13 the entire game but finishing with a double-double) and Noel gladly finished.

The Sonics bench also did serious damage, as Jeremy Lin, Jamal Crawford, and Bojan Bogdanovic were 5-of-7 from deep, four of those triples coming in the second quarter. The Spurs bench was annihilated in the second. Poppovich tried his best to cover their weaknesses, but he simply didn't have the talent left.

The fourth quarter was a blowout all the way -- the Spurs managed to close the lead to 11 at a few points in the final frame, but the Sonics calmly pushed them back. Towards the end of the game, things got heated between LaMarcus Aldridge and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson; Aldridge took exception to the way RHJ was guarding him and fouled him, resulting in two free points since the Spurs were in the bonus.

It was an ugly game and loss for San Antonio, so much so that the a few boos could be heard coming from the home fans (virtually unheard of in SA).

"We lost our composure and we got our *sses kicked," said Coach Pop after the game. "We deserved to be booed. I deserved it, LaMarcus deserved it, Tony deserved it, everyone does, period. There are consequences for all actions, for things done and not done, and we're paying those consequences now. Hopefully we learn something here."

Pop was heated after the game, but that's to be expected after such a disheartening loss on your homecourt.

Seattle now awaits the winner of the Rockets/Warriors series, grabbing some valuable rest in the process.

Go Sonics.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

The First Round Postmortem

April 23rd, 2017

By Vonny Lee




The NBA's first round has now ended and multiple championship contenders have fallen. Eight teams go home with a lot on their mind.

1. The Spurs

San Antonio went out unceremoniously in the playoffs, losing at home big and being booed by some of their fans for their play. Banged up and missing key pieces, the fact the Spurs made it this far shouldn't be overlooked. More concerning is the play of LaMarcus Aldridge, who continues to struggle in the playoffs with the Spurs. His unnecessary foul against Hollis-Jefferson encapsulated his series.

San Antonio has to be wondering if signing him two seasons ago was really the best course of action. He was the biggest free agent acquisition in Spurs history, but hasn't seemed to fit in as well as either side would have liked. He'll be entering the last year of his contract next season (with a PO the year after that), so keep an eye on the situation. Rumors of Poppovich retiring also swirl and where's there's smoke, there's usually fire.


2. The Rockets

Once again were eliminated in the first round, this time by the Warriors. Houston lost Game 2 by four points and Game 4 by three points, and were blown out in the other games. This likely marks the end of the Dwight Howard/James Harden pairing, and Harden himself has many questions to answer -- in the last two games of the series he went a combined 13-of-34 from the field, scoring only 38 points.

Howard, by comparison, scored 45 points in the last two games (but he was missing in the first two). Even Ty Lawson scored more than Harden in the last game. The common narrative of "James Harden doesn't have enough help" has worn out its welcome now -- Harden has to own up to his poor postseason performances. He and his team were close in two of their losses, but his shooting leaves much to be desired. Expect Houston to make some serious changes around Harden in the offseason.

3. The Blazers

They managed to steal Game 2 from the Thunder, but lost Damian Lillard to a back injury. Lillard was ruled out for the rest of the series and the Blazers subsequently plummeted back to Earth. They returned back home to get blown out HUGE in Game 3, 144-100, in a win that destroyed their confidence. Game 4 was a slightly less emphatic win for the Thunder, only 114-77, and the Blazers were mercifully sent home.

Portland's injury luck continues to haunt the franchise, but this season should still count as a success. Despite playing with a roster many would consider to be mediocre at best, Portland got into the playoffs, stole a road game against a superior opponent, and gave the fans some playoff games. It's a small victory, but one the franchise is fine with. Look for them to make moves in the offseason to improve their squad and try to advance to the next round.

4. The Pelicans

Anthony Davis could only do so much. He managed to get a Game 3 win, at home, for NOLA but they fell just two points shy of getting to OT in Game 4, a 98-96 loss. Noah and Joe Johnson looked overmatched by their Clippers counterparts, and Evans and Holiday both were middling throughout the entire series.

Davis is frustrated, as you'd expect, after all the moves they made to make their team better. It looked like the Pelicans would be a threat to return to the WCF, but their team faltered late in the regular season and in the playoffs. NOLA will have cap space to address the issues at point and shooting guard, but it's likely Evans isn't back ... Holiday's fate remains a mystery.

5. The Magic

They almost pulled it off. They lost Game 2, but the Raptors also lost Kyle Lowry to a broken leg -- he's out for the rest of the playoffs and the Magic capitalized, blowing out the Raptors in Game 3 and 4 behind the hot shooting of Gallinari and Hezonja. The Raptors were reeling and the 1st seed was in prime position to be upset.

Toronto answered the bell, in a big way, with a 106-84 home win behind DeMar DeRozan's 41 points (on 17-of-30 shooting) and a double-double (16 points, 11 boards) from Jonas Valanciunas. The Magic didn't stand a chance, but the season has to be seen as a success. Developmentally, their younger players made strides and Elfrid Payton looks to have found himself.

6. The Heat

Miami got this thing to five games, but simply couldn't buy a shot in Game 5, losing 90-72. Wade and Bosh were largely ineffective, their shooting percentages complete trash. Miami got so desperate in the first quarter, they activated Dragic -- just recently returned from injury and still not fully up to speed -- and even he finished better than Bosh and Wade.

Miami has serious questions to ask itself after this loss, primarily among them: is Wade done? He looked done in this series. Bosh had a bad series as well, but that was due more to jacking up shots in trying to bring Miami back than anything. The franchise has a big decision to make with Wade and must convince him to take a serious pay cut so they can address the age of the roster with younger, more athletic players. If Wade refuses, we could see him sadly move on.

7. The Bulls

Chicago is stunned and so are the Bulls players. Ben Simmons, Jahill Okafor, and Victor Oladipo played the best basketball of their young NBA careers this series and swept the Bulls in convincing wins.

Chicago only has itself to blame and only two names, in particular, to really blame: Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol. Butler effectively shot the Bulls out of Games 2 and 3, putting up a combined 12-of-32 shooting, scoring only 23 points. Gasol was worse, going 4-of-24 for 11 points. The team needed just a little more out of both of those two, and instead got garbage.

Gasol is as good as gone this offseason. Butler's likely not going anywhere, but Chicago has to be extremely hesitant to hand him the keys to the franchise after how poorly he played in the postseason, compared to how steady Rose was. What Chicago does between the two, who they decide to trust going forward, will be one of the biggest story lines in the offseason.

8. The Cavs

Cleveland was thoroughly dispatched in four games in this series, and the lack of a big man to defend Brook Lopez was the biggest problem. Lopez had his way inside and Washington thrived on the inside-out game, lighting up Cleveland from deep.

The Cavs go home and rumblings are that David Blatt has coached his last game there. Tyron Lue is expected to be named head coach if Blatt is removed and Mosgov, oft-injured, is expected to be shipped off somewhere else as Cleveland attempts to find a more reliable big man. Where they find that big man is a question no one is sure of, as Cleveland remains in a dire cap situation, but they'll have a little room to play with. Changes are coming for LeBron's team and that might not be a good thing.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Second Round Preview

April 23rd, 2017

By Vonny Lee





1. Sonics vs. 5. Warriors

The SuperSonics face the 2014-15 NBA Champions nearly two years after their incredible playoff run, and the West's two most recent champions are facing off for the first time in the playoffs. In the regular season, Seattle took the season series, 3-1, but that was with a banged up Warriors team.

This Warriors squad is fully healthy for the first time since their title and are hungry to get back to the Finals. With the upsets out East, any team from the West in the Finals has very good odds of winning the NBA title against a weaker Eastern Conference opponent.

Prediction: The Warriors have prioritized offense over defense during this postseason, starting Spencer Hawes at the five while bringing in Bogut off the bench. Hawes' spacing will present Seattle with problems, as neither Gortat or Sanders will be able to stick with the shooting big; but the bully ball Seattle plays will be the difference in the series. Sonics dictate the pace and take it in six games to advance back to the WCF.

2. Thunder vs. 3 Clippers

OKC took care of business against Portland, and did so in lopsided, blowout wins that the NBA hasn't seen in decades. They come in hungry, healthy, and seeking revenge against Seattle for last season's postseason exit. The play of Westbrook and Durant remains top notch and the rest of the Thunder are doing their part to chip in.

The Clippers are no jokes, however. They lost the second seed to OKC on the last day of the season and the two teams are sore at one another over a tightly contested regular season series, where both squads won two games apiece. With Defensive Player of Year DeAndre Jordan on the floor, the Clippers will want to force OKC to shoot.

Prediction: The Thunder have, arguably, the two most dominant players in the league on the same team. The Clippers have one of the most balanced starting five in the NBA -- both teams have bench issues, but the Thunder look hungrier. OKC in a tight seven games.

1. Raptors vs. 5. Pistons

Toronto survived the injury to Kyle Lowry and avoided a major upset in the first round; now the question becomes if they can dispatch a Pistons team that is playing its best basketball of year. The Raptors are going to have to get big games out of Corey Joseph and DeMar DeRozan to make the ECF.

Detroit is licking its chops, though. Drummond, Jackson, Ryan Anderson, and Stanley Johnson are all playing great. Rondo is doing the things he's good at and staying away from the things he's bad at, and SVG has his best chance to get back to the Finals.

Prediction: The Pistons entered the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league and they continue to rack up the wins, taking the Raptors in six. Toronto makes a valiant effort, but without Lowry they simply can't do enough.

6. Wizards vs. 7. 76ers

It's a bizzaro world playoff series, as two teams predicted to miss the playoffs face off in a matchup that will send one of them to the ECF. Washington toppled LeBron and the Cavs, getting superb play from Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez, and John Wall; the trade that brought Lopez to DC nearly two years ago was exactly for this.

But they face a young, hungry, and confident 76ers. Their sweep of the Bulls was completely out of the blue and Philly may surprise yet again; they cannot be underestimated. Ben Simmons and Jahill Okafor have both looked the part of stars and even Oladipo, who hasn't been great, played exceedingly well in the previous series.

Prediction: The 76ers are so young and the Wizards have been here before. Lopez, Wall, and Beal have things to prove and getting past the second round will get at least one monkey off their collective backs. Expect the series to be closer than most would predict, but the Wizards advance to the ECF in six.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



For the better part of three quarters, the Sonics beat the Warriors at their own game. Seattle used spacing, picks, screens and timely shot making to bury the Warriors early, so much so that they led the game by 20 at one point in the third quarter.

If someone had told me that at the beginning of the game, I wouldn't have believed it. The Warriors made the Sonics play their way through most of the first, but over the last two minutes of the quarter Bogdanovic and Lin both sunk triples to give Seattle a nine-point lead heading into the second. Seattle maintained that lead till halftime, then exploded in the third with a bench beatdown, led by Bogdanovic.

Bogdog was a beast this game as Lin struggled. He got inside, he posted up, he even unleashed a post fadeaway. His play energized the bench and the team, and Bogdog continues to endear himself to the fans with his happy-go-lucky attitude on the court.

The fourth arrived and with it, the real Warriors finally showed up. Klay Thompson was scorching hot from the floor and Golden State outscored the Sonics 34-23 in the quarter, but Seattle had built up far too large a lead to make a comeback possible. Curry was held to only 17 points (4-of-13 shooting) while Harrison Barnes was completely absent, missing every shot he took and he finished the game with a goose-egg.

The Sonics lead the series 1-0.

Go Sonics.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return



Revenge is a dish best served cold and Seattle served it downright frozen to the Warriors. After losing Game 2 at the PAC (in a 124-101 beatdown), the Sonics entered into hostile territory. Steve's Kerr's Game 2 adjustments -- namely, starting Andrew Bogut over Hawes and Iggy over Barnes -- had made the difference for one game. Would it do the same for two?

Early in the first, the Sonics were struggling -- and so were the Warriors, as neither team scored a bucket in the first three minutes. But after the shaky beginnings, Seattle promptly found its groove ... thanks, in part, to its second-unit. The Sonics bench mob has been one of the league's best the last two seasons and they continued that trend in this game, eviscerating the Warriors bench unit. Jeremy Lin got going early and hit a triple as time expired at the end of the first to put Seattle up 27-23.

But the Warriors responded with triples of their own, mainly from Klay Thompson, and Seattle went into the half down by one point. Something got into the team in the second half, because they played ON FIRE. Noel was an absolute monster in the second half, scoring 23 of his 31 points there and his play (along with Gortat and Bogdanovic) allowed the Sonics to bury the Warriors. Seattle only had a five point lead heading into the final frame, but all the work inside finally paid off as the Warriors got worn down.

They missed shots, they committed desperation fouls, and they came apart at the end of the game. Bogut and Iggy were largely ineffective and Coach Kerr will have to look into his crystal ball and come up with another lineup change to counter Seattle's counter to their original counter.

And who said basketball was simple.

Seattle got a great night from most of its starters ... minus Brandon Jennings, who continues to struggle with his shot. His passing is spot on, but Jennings is becoming very Jarrett Jack-like with his box scores. His shooting stroke has abandoned him despite good looks. One has to wonder if Jennings returned from injury too soon, but time will tell.

The Sonics lead 2-1 now ... and a critical Game 4 at Oracle awaits.

Go Sonics.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return


The Warriors are officially done with their NBA season, but they didn't make it easy. Not at all. Seattle was behind the eight-ball from the beginning of the game as Golden State came out determined to rectify the 112-96 smackdown Seattle gave them in Oracle. Coming into the game down 3-1 in the series, the Warriors left nothing on the floor.

Except a few, precious open jumpers that ultimately gave Seattle the win.

In the first, the Sonics and Warriors came out trading blows. Once again Steve Kerr shifted his lineup, playing Marreese Speights at center (who finished with an impressive 13 points and 14 boards), sticking Iggy at the three, and playing Harrison Barnes off the bench as anything 1-4. It was a switch that threw the Sonics early and the Warriors eeked out a one-point lead heading into the second.

But the second quarter once more showed how superior Seattle's bench unit is as Jeremy Lin, Jamal Crawford, and Bojan Bogdanovic took over the game. The three headed monster kept the Warriors on their toes as the Sonics built a small two-point lead and held onto it till halftime, thanks to hot shooting from Crawford and deadly passing from Lin.

In the third, the Warriors came out and ran. They throttled the Sonics on the fast break and the first three minutes of the quarter was a rushed mess for the home team. A timeout by Coach Hollins managed to get the Sonics under control, but the Warriors had built a small lead that they would eventually get up to eight-points towards the end of the quarter.

Seattle's second unit again stepped up, led by Crawford and Landry, they would erase the majority of that lead and make it so that Golden State led by only two-points heading into the final frame.

And that's when Seattle's strategy of timely triples and brutal bullyball paid off, as it often does. Gortat, who was doing well in the game up to that point, decided to end things and took it inside early and often against the Warriors front line. Golden State, with foul trouble (specifically Steph Curry, who picked up four fouls by the fourth quarter), desperately tried to wall off the paint.

In doing so, they let Brandon Jennings finally find his stroke. Jennings hit a triple and a fadeaway two (with Klay Thompson all over him) and that provided the momentum Seattle needed to end the Warriors season. Jennings passes were finding their spots and his distribution was contagious. Both Lance (in Good Lance mode tonight, with 15 points, four boards, and seven assists) and RHJ (16 points, nine boards) dished out at least five assists.

The Warriors got close near the end. They got within four and began to foul, sending Jennings to the line three straight times, where he made 5-of-6. Golden State had a chance at the end with 2.3 seconds left, but could not get a good shot and their tying triple missed the hoop by a mile.

Seattle now awaits the winner of the Thunder-Clippers series (the Thunder lead 3-2 ... boo).

Go Sonics.