Friday, May 13

SONICS WIN! SONICS WIN!

Seattle SuperSonics forward Reggie Evans (30) gestures after scoring in front of San Antonio Spurs forward Robert Horry, left, in the third quarter, Thursday, May 12, 2005, in Game 3 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs in Seattle.<br />(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Who says these guys can't play defense?

The Seattle Supersonics made big stops in the fourth quarter to defeat the San Antonio Spurs Thursday night, 92-91 in the NBA Playoffs. San Antonio wilted under pressure down the stretch, missing clutch free throws and wide-open shots, including a five-footer by Tim Duncan that would have won the game.

Seattle, meanwhile, overcame a bad night from Ray Allen (6-23 from the field/ 0 points in the fourth) and a nightmarish one from Rashard Lewis (3-10/0-3 from 3pt Range) to come away with a much-needed win. The Sonics showed the kind of tough, swarming defense that helped them blow out San Antonio two times during the regular season. They also got clutch performances from Nick Collison, Antonio Daniels, and "Big Game" Jerome James, who was 7-7 from the field.

The most amazing stat from this game? The Sonics were only 2-16 (.125) from three-point range. The Spurs were 8-19 (.421). Yes, the Sonics won the game without relying on threes, and without a star performance by either of the big two. This game was won by sheer force of will.

Let us enjoy this victory, my friends: It's a whole new series.

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