Game Night # 10

This could be Vince Carter's last appearance in Toronto - or he might be traded before tip-off, so who knows what will happen tonight in Hogtown (Did you know that that's Toronto's nickname? Jesus, what kind of bet do you have to lose to get stuck with that monicker?). It would appear the smart money is on the Sonics, with all the turmoil surrounding Carter's rumored departure for Portland, not to mention his insistence on playing the soundtrack to "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" over the clubhouse speakers after the NBA banned him from using his iPod.

Good Sign: For crying out loud, they've won 8 straight!
Bad Sign: The Raptors hung in tough with the Sonics last week before losing by a point in Seattle.

Questions: Will Ray Allen find his shot again tonight? Will Carter and Jalen Rose be with the team? Again, why call yourself Hogtown?

Notes: The Raptors outscored Seattle 28-18 in the 3rd quarter of last week's game, nearly eclipsing the Sonics' 14-point halftime lead ... Carter's 15 ppg is the worst of his career. Not to mention his 38% FG percentage ...

Vegas line: Pick 'em
Over/Under: 200 1/2
Prediction: Sonics 97-Raptors 89.
Record Against the Spread: 3-2

The Sports Guy Scouts Supes

The ever-quotable Bill Simmons had a little blurb on our beloved SuperSonics. An excerpt:

But here's what they do have: Radmanovic and Lewis can shoot the lights out. So can Allen, who's in a contract year (and we know what that means). Luke Ridnour looked nervous on opening night, but he gives them a classic slash-and-kick point guard, like the kind that always gives USA teams trouble in international games. Antonio Daniels has evolved into one of the better bench guys in the league. So why not gear everything around those five guys and try to shoot the lights out every game? For instance, they made a whopping 18 threes in Philly Tuesday night ... you're not losing many games when that happens.

He then goes on to outline some interesting trade scenarios, none of which include Ray Allen?! The tidbit about the Suns was intriguing too--haven't caught them on TV yet, but they sound like a fun squad.

Sonics cut down Nets, 79-68.

It wasn't pretty, but the Sonics won their eighth in a row tonight in New Jersey, 79-68.

The Sonics only scored 36 points in the first half, but luckily the Nets only scored 29. Ray Allen struggled against Richard Jefferson, but in the end it was defense that won the game. Danny Fortson was a beast again, knocking Alonzo Mourning around down low (watch the kidneys!) and taking up space in the paint.

The Sonics won another hard-nosed, east-coast basketball game on the road. Who says they're just a bunch of shooters?