Game Night # 19

It's been a heckuva long time since a regular season game had this much intrigue for Sonic fans. The Spurs are clearly the best team in the West, yet if Seattle wins, it'll be the Sonics with the best record in the league, not San Antonio. Add in a 20-point whipping the Sonics laid on the Spurs a month ago, and you've got yourself a wonderful early Christmas present. Having seen the Spurs play at least four times on t.v. this year, I have to say they are one of the best teams I've seen in some time. San Antonio possesses the ability to turn it on seemingly at will, a characteristic of all championship teams. The key, of course, is holding Tim Duncan in check, which Seattle was successful at doing on Nov. 7th. While Duncan won't score 40 against the Sonics, I'd have to imagine he'll do better this time around.

Good Sign: Seattle had 6 players in double figures in the first meeting.
Bad Sign: San Antonio is undefeated at home this season, and has won 21 straight on their own court.

Questions: Is Duncan ready for the multiple defenders Seattle will throw at him? Can the Sonics keep it close in an unfriendly environment? Is this where the wheels begin to come off the cart for Seattle?

Notes: Brent Barry missed 17 consecutive 3's before connecting against Chicago on Monday. He's shooting 30% beyond the arc this year ... Tony Parker went for 21 back on Nov. 7 in Seattle, but Ridnour has really improved his defense since then ... The Spurs' 5 of Parker-Ginobili-Bowen-Duncan-Nesterovic is rated as 3rd-best in the league by 82games.com. Seattle's best 5 of Daniels-Allen-Lewis-Radmanovic-Fortson is rated 10th ... San Antonio is holding opponents to 40% shooting and only 24 FTA per game ... San Antonio's ratio of jumpers to close shots is 64% to 36%, while Seattle's is 70% to 30% ... Watch out for Devin Brown. The 4th-year SG has hit 11 of his last 18 3's and has scored in double figures in 5 of his last 6 games. It appears he has replaced Barry on the team's depth chart. ... I hate plugging people who give themselves nicknames, and I think he's a crappy, new-age type writer, but if you like reading about the Sonics on major websites, read Eric Neel's column.

Vegas line: Spurs by 10
Over/Under: 185 1/2
Prediction: Spurs 95 - Sonics 88
Record Against the Spread: 7-3

What do you want for Christmas?

Totally not Photoshopped at all. Much.

So, wondering what to get the Sonics fan who has everything? How about some official Supersonicsoul merchandise, designed by our very own Chunkstyle 23? The kids on the street are calling it both "phat" and "dope".

As for me, I'm still holding out for that free iPod. I only need two more people to "complete their offers" and that sweet little bit of digital goodness shall be MINE! BUH-HA-HA-HA!

What the duck?

That's one of my favorite Sam Perkins expressions, uttered in response to a strange question from a reporter. It is well applied to the Sonics' season so far, and is the subject of this article at hoopsanalyst.com by author Ed Weiland, wherein he looks at possible reasons for Seattle's success. Of course, he could have just read what I had written a month ago, but, well, that would just be petty, now, wouldn't it?

Sonics bag Blazers, 99-89

"Now it's your turn, girl, to cry..."

The Sonics are MINT, baby!

SEATTLE (AP) -- While many wait for the Seattle SuperSonics' great start to fizzle out, they're finding new ways to win.

With Ray Allen struggling from the field, Vladimir Radmanovic came off the bench to score 20 points and gather 10 rebounds as the SuperSonics defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 99-89 Saturday night.

Rashard Lewis added 20 points for Seattle, which improved to 15-3 -- tied with San Antonio for the best record in the NBA.

from Yahoo!

Random Crap© from last night's game:

• The Sonics are a perfect 9-0 at home this year.
• Last night was the second straight sell-out at the Key.
• Rad-man lead the team with 10 rebounds. No, I'm not kidding.

Game Night #18: Blazers

And you thought Squatch sucked!

Revenge is a dish best served cold. Like ice cream!

The Supersonics are looking for a double-scoop of payback tonight against arch-rival Portand, who robbed the Supes of a win last week.

If you're looking to get your hate on too, check out Blazersuck.com for some goodtime Blazer-bashing.

Notes

Too lazy to write a coherent column about why the Sonics continue to confound me by winning, so here's some interesting news in Larry King-style format:

Nate McMillan has been named coach of the month. Nate's also moving up the charts historically. He now ranks fourth all-time in coaching wins for the Sonics. Can you name the top 3? ... The Nuggets could look at Ibo Kutluay as a replacement for the injured Voshon Lenard. The league has given Denver a $1.625 "disabled player exemption" for the cap, and Kutluay - among a host of other similar guards - would fill the role nicely for the Nuggets. I can't see it happening, though, as Kutluay is signed through next season and Lenard will be back by then. We can always hope, though. Lord, that Ibo move was a bone-headed one. ... Up to this point in the season, the best 5 for the Sonics, statistically, has been Daniels-Allen-Lewis-Radmanovic-Fortson. According to 82games.com, that group beats the other team more than 80% of the time. The ususal 5 of Ridnour-Allen-Lewis-Evans-James only wins 53%. ... As much as Fortson has been a godsend for this team, Radmanovic's efforts are as, if not more, important. Strangely, his stats are mirror images of last season's, yet he has had more of an impact statistically on the team's success than anyone else - including Ray Allen. ... Believe it or not, Seattle's making fewer 3's per game this year (8.52), than last year (8.82) ... Anyone else worried that Ray Allen is only shooting 38% from the field over the last 10 games? ... And finally, has anyone else gotten sucked into the hype surrounding the Next Great Artist, Katie Melua? The BBC has been hyping her album and people are expecting her to be the next Norah Jones. Well, I listened to about half of it, and the whole thing is a bunch of oversweetened treacle. I normally hate it when people say that music was better in the old days, but I'd rather listen to my scratched-up LP of Aretha Live at the Fillmore anyday. Melua isn't a poor man's Norah Jones, she's a paraplegic crack addict's Norah Jones.

Antonio Daniels: 24/7

Antonio Daniels, has his own website. No, I'm not making this up.

New Alt. Uni Poll

"New Yeller. Come back, yeller! Best doggone team in the West..."

In an informal poll of ESPN Page 2 readers, almost 60% of 74,000+ respondents thought the Sonics' new alternate uniforms were better than their "old" ones.

Having participated in all 5 polls for the teams with new alt unis, I have decided that yellow is the new teal.

chunkstyle23
supersonicsoul fashion correspondent

Don't call it a comeback: Sonics top Utah in OT

The Sonics keep on figuring out new ways to win:

SEATTLE (AP) -- The Seattle SuperSonics' confidence is growing game by game.

With the way they've been playing lately, it certainly should.

After Vladimir Radmanovic's 3-pointer with 10.5 seconds left sent the game into overtime, the surprising Sonics improved to 14-3 with a 129-119 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.

``We've won lots of different games lots of different ways,'' Ray Allen said. ``A lot of different guys have stepped up and played big for us.''

Allen scored a season-high 38 points, including nine in overtime, as the Sonics overcame Carlos Boozer's career-high 36-point performance.

from Yahoo!

Some interesting things from last night:

• The Sonics not only have the best record in the NBA (14-3), but they are (dare I say) a perfect 8-0 at home.
• Ray Allen scored a season-high 38 points. Big deal, right? Well, he only had nine points at the half!
• Luke Ridnour tied his career-high with 17 points. Little Frodo was 3-4 from three-point range and had 10 assists for the second game in a row.

Game Night #17: Utah

The Canadian Mounties just informed me that Nussbaum was too high to write tonight's Supersonicsoul Pre-Game Show©, so I'm going to have to make this a Supersonicsoul Pre-Fourth Quarter Show© :

At the end of the third, Sonics lead the Jazz 85-82.

Big Prediction of the Night: Carlos Boozer is going to score at least 40 points (because he already has 32 points!).

Fortson: Friend or Foe?

"I think it's time for an intervention, Fort."

It's no secret that the Supersonicsoul Crew© has got much love for Danny Fortson. Da Fort has added muscle and toughness to the otherwise wallflower Sonics. Kinda like that "My Bodyguard" movie. And, like the bodyguard in that movie, Fort is a little bit nuts, and some of his teammates have taken notice:

PORTLAND — The Sonics pride themselves on their unselfishness and team unity, but in the wake of blowing a double-digit fourth-quarter lead, several players expressed a growing disdain toward Danny Fortson and his antics, which might have cost them a game they believed they should have won.

They love his defensive aggressiveness and the way he gobbles up rebounds, but it's times like last night, when Fortson gets drawn into a verbal confrontation with the opposition and refuses to walk away, that his teammates shake their heads in disgust.

Read the rest of Percy Allen's column in The Seattle Times.

So, what do you think? Is Da Fort worth the risk, like a Bulls-era Rodman? Or is he a team-busting cancer, like a Lakers-era Rodman?

Sonics slip in Portland, 100-94

Damn you, Portland!

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Shareef Abdur-Rahim methodically stayed with his game and didn't let the theatrics get to him.

Abdur-Rahim scored 25 points and was 10-for-10 from the free-throw line to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a come-from-behind 100-94 victory over Seattle SuperSonics on Tuesday night.

The Sonics, who entered with a league-best 13-2 record and a four-game winning streak, but unraveled after taking a 13-point lead in the second half. Trash talk, technicals and a couple of key flagrant fouls aided the disintegration, and Danny Fortson was ejected.

All the while, Abdur-Rahim kept his cool.

Read the rest at Yahoo!