True Hoop

It seems the Sonics have more fans than we thought!

Henry Abbott, who's written for HOOP, Inside Stuff, and Men's Journal (!), gives The Soul some love over at his excellent basketball site, True Hoop.

TV "journalism" at it's finest

It seems as though the dimwits at KARE-11 in Minnesota can't count to seven.

Thanks to Wayne for the tip!

We can still win this

I know what you're thinking:

"It was a good run, but this series is over."

"The Sonics just got lucky in games 3 and 4."

"The Spurs are an unstoppable force of unstoppableness."

Well, cheer up, sour-puss. This series is far from over.

When the Sonics got off to another fast start this season, everyone expected them to collapse by December again. They didn't. When the Sonics limped into the playoffs, everyone thought they would lose to the veteran Sacramento Kings. They won. When the Sonics got blown out the first two games against the Spurs, everyone thought the Sonics would get swept. They won the next two.

The fact is, the Sonics have defied expectations all season. Just when you're ready to sell your lucky Ray Allen bobblehead on eBay, they do something amazing to pull you back on the bandwagon.

I can't tell you how many times during this series I turned off the TV or radio because the Sonics were getting beaten soundly, and then, out of morbid curiosity, checked back in only to see they'd tied the game.

Could the Sonics use a big boost from Rashard in Game Six? Absolutely. Will the Sonics positively get thrashed without him? No, because if there's one thing I've learned from watching the Supes this year, it's to expect the unexpected.

Street Fighter

Yes, it's going to be a street fight in San Antonio tonight. David vs. Goliath. Ali vs. Foreman. Us against the world. Will there be blood spilled? Probably. Will Danny Fortson sit on Manu Ginobili? Hopefully.

You've seen the stats. You've done the math. Homework is over - it's game time.

3 Is the Magic Number

The more I analyze this series, the more I realize that the Sonics hold their fate in their hands. Conventional wisdom dictates San Antonio is the superior team, and that they lost games 3 and 4 more than the Sonics won them. However, that just isn’t true. For proof, let’s look at some numbers (did you really expect anything else?) from the Spurs-Sonics season series, including the playoffs:

Sonic Wins
FG%: 47
PPG: 102
3PM: 6
3P%: 36

Sonic Losses
FG%: 41
PPG: 83
3PM: 3
3P%: 27

Spurs Wins
FG%: 49
PPG: 101
3PM: 6
3P%: 38

Spurs Losses
FG%: 42
PPG: 93
3PM: 6
3P%: 35

Can you believe the Sonics average 20 points a game more in wins than losses? And that they shoot nearly 10 percentage points higher from beyond the arc in wins? If you throw out the Sonics’ fluky win over SA in game 3, where we can all agree the Spurs threw the game away at the foul line, the differences are even more extreme. In their 3 other wins over the Spurs this year, Seattle shot 43% from 3-point range, a deadly figure by any stretch. Conversely, the Spurs play the same regardless of a win or loss, a testament to their steadiness.

So, you ask, what does this mean? I’ll tell what I think it means. It means the Spurs are at the mercy of the Sonics’ 3-point shooters. If Seattle is on target – by which I mean, if Ray Allen is on target – the Sonics will win. If Allen is off, then the Sonics have little or no chance. That’s great news for Seattle fans if you ask me, as Ray Allen has decided to show the world he’s every bit the money player as any other superstar.

That being said, here’s my fearless pick: Sonics 103 – Spurs 97.

Idiotville

On the internet, you're bound to find stupid things. Writers these days are forced to come up with clever angles on boring stories, and we're as guilty as anyone else.

Still, Lang Whitaker's article at si.com today is unbelievably bad. Go, take a read, then come back.

Finished?

Okay, here's some of his logic on why the Spurs will win:

Peace: The Spurs have it, the Sonics don't. Huh? The Sonics had exactly 3 days of conflict in the entire season. Not exactly the '04 Lakers.

Desire: The Spurs have it. Really? Where was it yesterday? Did they leave it in Brent Barry's hotel room?

Understanding: The Spurs edge the Sonics again, since they “know their roles.” Give me a break. If any team in the history of this league understands understanding it’s these Sonics. Has anyone complained about minutes the whole year? Other than Ray Allen a few times, no one has bitched about anything.

Then there’s this classic: “When the Spurs lose, they either lose by a few points right at the end, or they get behind early and just kind of pack it in. They did the former in Game 3 and the latter in Game 4.” So, the Spurs either lose by a couple of points, or they get blown out. Um, Lang, what other way to lose is there?

Finally, gander at this: “All season [Seattle has] been Phoenix-lite, a run-and-gun team with fewer outside threats than the Suns but more interior depth and hustle.” In reality, all season experts have been calling the Sonics a run-and-gun team, but they’re completely wrong. This team doesn’t run and gun. If they get a shot early, they’ll take it, but McMillan has gotten this team to sit on the ball until late in the clock if their shot isn’t there. Take a look at 82games.com, and you’ll see that the Sonics take a higher than average number of shots late in the shot clock.

I have no problem with people saying the Spurs are going to win. Heck, if I was wagering $100 on this series, I’d probably take SA, because they’ve got 1) home court advantage, and 2) Tim Duncan. What I have a problem with is people being lazy and not bothering to research their articles before forming an opinion. Lang, if you want to say the Spurs will win, great. But next time spend more than 10 minutes researching something before you throw it out there.

We can win this.

Antonio Daniels: "Read my jersey, punk!"

Does anyone doubt the Sonics can win this series now?

The Seattle Supersonics crushed the San Antonio Spurs 101-89 Sunday night to tie their second round playoff series 2-2. Even without their second and third leading scorers (Rashard Lewis and Vladimir Radmanovic, who were out with injuries), the Sonics scored over a hundred points (including 36 in the third period alone) against the best defense in the league.

Ray Allen had yet another incredible playoff performance, scoring 32 points on a bum ankle. Antonio Daniels (19 pts/7 ast/1 stl) and Luke "Frodo" Ridnour (20 pts/6 ast/3 stl) had their best games of the series.

The Sonics once again got a huge lift off the bench from Damien "The Omen" Wilkins (15pts/6 reb/ 5stl), who is looking more and more like Desmond Mason with a jump shot ever time he plays.

The national media will try to make this into another playoff collapse by San Antonio, but the truth is, the Sonics are the better team. The Sonics can win this series. The Sonics will win this series.

sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!

Baby, I haven't been this hyped up since the Mariners signed Pete O'Brien as a free agent. Would 4 pm hurry and get here for crying out loud?

Here are the questions upon which I expect tonight's game to turn: (my picks in parenthesis)

Can Ray Allen hit his shots? (Yes)
Will Rashard play more than a token role with his bum toe? (No)
Can TD and the Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight hit more than 60% of their FTs? (Yes)
Will Tony Parker & Manu Divac rediscover the magic from games 1 and 2? (No)
Will JJ continue to throw down monster dunks? (No)
Who will take the offensive slack left from Vlade and Rashard? (AD and Collison)

And, finally, who's going to win? (Sonics, 101-93)

Vegas says Spurs by 6, with a 186 over/under. I'm not embarrassed to say that my pick has absolutely nothing to do with logic, and absolutely everything to do with blind, unabashed love of the green and gold.

Let's go, Sonics!

Kill and Kill Again!

We're back. And this time, it's personal.

Our Seattle Supersonics once again face another "must-win" game tonight against the San Antonio Spurs, and, once again, we're throwing out sports clichés like old Macarena records.

Let's do this thing.

Pro v Con

Hey, we’re living large. The Sonics are back in it, or are they? Here’s 5 reasons for and against continued euphoria:

FOR
1. Ray Allen has to play better than he did in Game 3. He’s a better shooter than what he showed, and that bodes well for the Sonics.
2. Nick Collison’s offensive skills are a more than adequate replacement for Fortson’s. Early this year, the Sonics thrived because of Fortson’s ability to score in the paint. Now, they’re living off the youngster’s abilities.
3. Barry, Horry and Manu are all shooting way above their season averaged from beyond the arc. None of them hit 40+% during the year; through 3 games they all are.
4. The entire Spurs team is shooting over its head. They hit 45% during the season, 44% against the Nuggets, and nearly 50% against the Sonics. The law of averages says this must go down (and that includes you, Manu, unless you think the Argentinian can continue hitting 61% of his shots against the Sonics).
5. The Spurs are going to have to choose between continuing to slack off the big man in the pick and roll – allowing JJ to continue throwing down – or switch off, enabling Ray, Shard, et al to get some open jumpers.

AGAINST
1. Jerome James will not – repeat – will not go 7-for-7 from the field in Game 4.
2. The Spurs, while a bad FT shooting team, are not as bad as they showed in the 2nd half.
3. The Sonics did not score a point in the final 1:50 of Game 3.
4. I love AD, but I can’t imagine he’ll continue averaging 16 ppg for the rest of the series.
5. Rashard Lewis has apparently gone on early vacation.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

SONICS WIN! SONICS WIN!

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.

Game Three: Kill or Be Killed!

This is it. It's now time. The time is now. (Insert sports cliché here)

Everyone knows how much the Sonics need to win this one, so let's just drink up and enjoy the show, shall we?