Tip-off: A very good crowd is here for the finale of the NBA Summer League, at least here in Cox Pavilion (the game at Thomas & Mack tips off a half-hour after us, making it the very final game here). The Sonics and Blazers are both on the court and getting ready to square off.
Jermaine Jackson is in street clothes, so it looks like the Sonics point guard will not be able to go tonight because of his strained hamstring.
Portland 13-8, 5:10 first: The Sonics opened this game with Brandon Heath and Kevin Durant in the backcourt, Jeff Green and Kenny Adeleke at forward and Johan Petro in the middle. Petro has picked up three early fouls as the Sonics have not had crisp defensive rotations.
Jeff Green has the early play of the game, exploding through traffic for a dunk that caught the Blazers defense off guard.
There are a number of Portland fans in the house, and they are generally applauding each basket with more intensity than is probably appropriate for a summer-league game. Back in the crowd tonight: Gary Payton, who walked in with a group led by the Goodwin brothers, his agents who also represent Kevin Durant.
Portland 20-11, 2:43 first: Martell Webster and Joel Freeland have six points apiece to lead all scorers in the early going. Kevin Durant started out on Webster, which is another good challenge for him. If Durant is to log time at the two during the regular season - and it's starting to look that way - the biggest challenge for him will be chasing through off-ball screens on defense, something he presumably wasn't asked to do at Texas.
Jeff Green had another nifty dunk in traffic. He plays with a smoothness about him, if that makes sense.
Portland 26-17, end first: Durant leads all scorers with seven points after one quarter. He's 2-for-4 from the field and has made three of his four tries from the free-throw line. Durant drew a shooting foul on a call that the Blazers faithful in attendance vehemently disagreed with. They were probably right.
Sergio Rodriguez has been very good thus far for the Blazers, creating open shots with his dribble penetration. Rodriguez has four assists and four points.
Chris Ellis has checked in for the Blazers. You may know the Wake Forest product better as the son of Sonics 40th Anniversary Team member Dale Ellis.
Portland 30-27, 5:27 second: Little bit of a run here for the Sonics to get back within three on a Kevin Durant dunk. Durant now has 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting. He's defending 6-0 Blazers guard Taurean Green, which has to be one of the biggest size mismatches I have ever seen. Durant and Jeff Green have combined for 19 of Seattle's 27 points.
Portland 38-28, 2:44 second: The Blazers have successfully quelled the uprising after getting their starters back in the game.
If you're outside the Seattle area and unable to get the FSN feed, you can check out the webcast via NBA.com. Also see some other live blogs from The News Tribune's Eric Williams, OregonLive.com's Casey Holdahl and Dave from the Blazer's Edge blog. Phew. That's a lot of links.
Portland 42-34, halftime: A familiar story for the Sonics. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green have been strong in the scoring column, combining for 24 points (12 apiece), but haven't gotten much help from their teammates. Zabian Dowdell is the only other player on the roster with more than one field goal.
The Sonics have been very good on the glass, outrebounding Portland 29-17. Green is leading the charge with eight boards. Johan Petro has five in 11 minuts and Kenny Adeleke had four in his early stint. On the Blazers side, nice first halves for Joel Freeland and Petteri Koponen, a pair of late first-round picks from Europe who probably won't be with Portland next season but figure into the team's future plans.
Portland 54-41, 5:26 third: After the Sonics made a push, the Blazers have answered to lead now by 13 points. Kevin Durant has flashed the breadth of his skills in this quarter, including a three-pointer and a slithering drive to the basket for a southpaw finish.
During halftime, Franklin High product Aaron Brooks was presented with an award for winning T-Mobile Rookie of the Month honors, as we blogged about earlier.
Portland 56-47, 2:47 third: It continues to be the Kevin Durant and Jeff Green show. Together, they have 37 points on 11-of-24 shooting (with 14 free throws), but the rest of the team is shooting 5-for-21 (23.8%). That's not going to get it done.
Portland 63-56, end third: A night that was supposed to be about Kevin Durant and Greg Oden has been taken over by Jeff Green. The No. 5 overall pick has 23 points and 12 rebounds, both game highs, and did it all during the third quarter. Not to be outdone, Durant has 21 points on 7-of-21 shooting through three quarters.
Still, that hasn't been enough to make much of a dent in the Blazers lead, which still stands at seven entering the final quarter.
Portland 66-65, 6:10 fourth: Here come the Sonics. They've outscored Portland 9-3 here in the period to get within one point on a Jeff Green dunk in transition. Green now is up to 30 points on the evening, two shy of Durant's total on Friday. Is it too late to re-cast the votes for the NBA Summer League All-Star Team?
Portland 75-73, 1:39 fourth: We've got us a game. Olu Famutimi is headed to the free-throw line with a chance to tie the game. He's joined by Brandon Heath in the backcourt. Durant and Green are the forwards with Johan Petro in the middle.
The Blazers fans in attendance - and there are plenty of them - are cheering like this was at least a regular-season game.
Portland 84-76, final: The Blazers take this one, thrilling their fans in attendance. Zendon Hamilton and Stefano Mancinelli made big plays down the stretch, while the Sonics had a couple of costly turnovers. As I've been saying since day one, summer league is not about wins and losses. What it is about is a glimpse of the future, and what we're seeing with Kevin Durant and Jeff Green is very impressive indeed. Green finished with 32 points and 13 boards, both game highs, while Durant had 28 points. They scored 60 of Seattle's 78 points.
This last week has been a blast. Someday I'll be telling people about witnessing the first dominant performances (of many) by Durant and Green. The Sonics continue on to Utah for the Rocky Mountain Revue, but I'm headed home tomorrow. I want to thank everyone at the Sonics who helped get me down here (most notably my boss, Ron Matthews) as well as everyone who's been reading over the last week.
Showing posts with label liveblog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label liveblog. Show all posts
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Friday, July 13, 2007
Sonics-Warriors Live Blog
Tipoff: Another night, another starting five for the Sonics. Brandon Heath and Kevin Durant are in the backcourt with Jeff Green and Kenny Adeleke at power forward. Johan Petro, the lone player with NBA regular-season experience in the starting five, is at center.
As expected, Jermaine Jackson will sit out due to a hamstring injury. Mickael Gelabale also remains sidelined with a sprained ankle.
Looks like Durant will defend high-scoring Warriors rookie Marco Belinelli (and vice versa), at least to start.
11-9 Golden State, 4:57 first: Another slow shooting start for Durant, who has missed his first four shot attempts. He got to the free-throw line on the first Sonics possession, fouled in the act by Bellinelli. Kenny Adeleke is doing yeoman's work underneath but having a hard time finishing second chances. Johan Petro is very active in the early going and Jeff Green hit an impossible turnaround.
A huge roar goes up in the crowd as LeBron James has rolled in with a large group of youngsters. One phenom here to see another?
15-14 Golden State, 2:57 first: Durant headed back to the line after a nice play. As the only man back on defense, he read the ballhandler and stayed back, deflecting and stealing a crosscourt pass. Durant took the ball the other direction and was fouled as he went up for a layup. Julius Hodge is getting backup minutes at point guard right now with Jackson injured.
22-19 Sonics, end first: Mouhamed Sene had his best play of the summer late in the first quarter. The Warriors ran a gorgeous pick-and-roll that seemed sure to end in a layup, but Sene flew in from the weakside to send the shot attempt away harmlessly.
Professional Basketball Club, LLC Chairman Clayton Bennett is here, sitting with NBA legend (and one-time Sonics head coach) Bill Russell.
26-25 Golden State, 6:45 second: Kevin Durant has his first field goal of the evening on a three-point play. He was bumped on his cut and shot after receiving the ball, drawing the foul and hitting the shot. He hit the free throw to complete the play and give him six points.
29-25 Golden State, 5:56 second: The Warriors are led by the eight points of Toby Bailey. If you're an NCAA fan, surely you remember Bailey's name. It's been more than a decade - 12 years, in fact - since Bailey played a key role in UCLA winning the National Championship at the now-long-departed Kingdome. A teammate of Sonics guard Earl Watson when he was a senior and Watson a freshman, Bailey is giving the NBA another chance, having last played in the league in 1999-00 with Phoenix. So far, so good - Bailey has had a very nice NBA Summer League.
33-28 Golden State, 3:59 second: Let me make sure I get a link in here to the NBA.com scoreboard, where you can watch the webcast of this game.
37-30 Golden State, 2:49 second: Tonight it's Jeff Green that is creating a lot of contact. He's had some close calls go in his favor and, a moment ago, was called for an offensive foul on what looked like a Carlos Powell flop from this vantage point. Green is 3-of-6 at the free-throw line and has hit both of his attempts from the field, giving him seven points to go with his four rebounds.
41-36 Golden State, halftime: Sonics done five at the break. They shot just 29% from the field, but attempted a whopping 28 free throws to stay in it. Golden State, by contrast, had only seven free-throw attempts. The Sonics also have an incredible 31-16 advantage on the glass, led by six from Kenny Adeleke.
Let me tell you, you have to watch Marco Belinelli at all times because you never know when he is going to pull the trigger. Has there ever been a player who has been such a perfect fit for his team's style of play? (Um, yes. Steve Nash and Phoenix. But I digress.) Belinelli has gotten Durant off balance at times and made him look a little silly, but Durant has done an excellent job guarding a perimeter shooter. His size and length give him the opportunity to recover even when he gets beat initially. Durant also used his long arms in the passing lanes, picking up three steals. He turned one of them into a dunk that could get him going.
Johan Petro's activity also deserves a mention. Officially, he's got four boards and a block in 11 minutes, but I think I saw him swat a second shot as well. Mouhamed Sene has a pair of blocks off the bench and Jeff Green has added one of his own.
An amazingly entertaining matchup of young kids during halftime has drawn cheers from the crowd.
54-47 Golden State, 5:18 third: Gary Payton has joined Clay Bennett and Bill Russell, only adding to the star power watching the Sonics tonight. And what they're watching is Kevin Durant's best performance in Green and Gold. He's hit two of his three shots since halftime and has nine points, giving him 21 for the game. Marco Belinelli (11 points on 5-of-15 shooting) has been left in the rear-view mirror, though the Warriors continue to lead.
Just a cameo for Payton, who appears to be headed out. I swear, by the way, that Bill Simmons of ESPN.com is sitting behind Payton.
56-54 Golden State, 2:44 third: Gorgeous tip dunk by Jeff Green, who has been quiet in this half. Not as nice as his dunk over Nate Robinson on Monday that Henry Abbott of TrueHoop called his highlight of the NBA Summer League, but nice nonetheless.
Great exchange involving Golden State summer Head Coach Keith Smart. A call went against the Warriors and a fan yelled to Smart to tell the referee he blew the call. Smart responded that the fan had to tell the ref because Smart already was called for a technical in the first half.
61-58 Golden State, end third: Dominant third quarter for Kevin Durant, his first extended superstar period of the NBA Summer League. Durant made four of his six shots and was 7-of-9 at the free-throw line for 16 points in the quarter and 28 in the game. I really liked a running banker off glass from the right side of the lane that showed deft touch.
71-64 Golden State, 5:59 fourth: The Warriors went on a 6-0 run to start the period before Ralph Lewis got Durant and Green back in, and that may doom the Sonics. They trail by seven with a little less than six minutes left.
As impressive as anything Durant has done on offense has been his anticipating and timing on D. He picked Belinelli clean for a fast break that ended in a Ronnie Burrell dunk (showing some unselfishness from Durant, who easily could have finished the break himself). Don't overlook Jeff Green either. He has 15 points and eight rebounds and has made some very difficult shots.
76-70 Golden State, 2:32 fourth: The Sonics are going to need a rally to get their first win of the NBA Summer League. A Brandon Heath layup got them within six, but Josh Powell was cherry-picking at the other end. A good foul by Kenny Adeleke sends him to the line for two.
I keep neglecting to mention it, but check out Eric Williams' live blog at TheNewsTribune.com as well.
80-72 Golden State, 1:21 fourth: Time may be running out on the Sonics. They'll have possession after a timeout.
85-74 Golden State, final: The Sonics can't rally, but that's ultimately of little importance. What is important is that we saw the future of the Sonics tonight in the performance of Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, and it looks very bright indeed.
As expected, Jermaine Jackson will sit out due to a hamstring injury. Mickael Gelabale also remains sidelined with a sprained ankle.
Looks like Durant will defend high-scoring Warriors rookie Marco Belinelli (and vice versa), at least to start.
11-9 Golden State, 4:57 first: Another slow shooting start for Durant, who has missed his first four shot attempts. He got to the free-throw line on the first Sonics possession, fouled in the act by Bellinelli. Kenny Adeleke is doing yeoman's work underneath but having a hard time finishing second chances. Johan Petro is very active in the early going and Jeff Green hit an impossible turnaround.
A huge roar goes up in the crowd as LeBron James has rolled in with a large group of youngsters. One phenom here to see another?
15-14 Golden State, 2:57 first: Durant headed back to the line after a nice play. As the only man back on defense, he read the ballhandler and stayed back, deflecting and stealing a crosscourt pass. Durant took the ball the other direction and was fouled as he went up for a layup. Julius Hodge is getting backup minutes at point guard right now with Jackson injured.
22-19 Sonics, end first: Mouhamed Sene had his best play of the summer late in the first quarter. The Warriors ran a gorgeous pick-and-roll that seemed sure to end in a layup, but Sene flew in from the weakside to send the shot attempt away harmlessly.
Professional Basketball Club, LLC Chairman Clayton Bennett is here, sitting with NBA legend (and one-time Sonics head coach) Bill Russell.
26-25 Golden State, 6:45 second: Kevin Durant has his first field goal of the evening on a three-point play. He was bumped on his cut and shot after receiving the ball, drawing the foul and hitting the shot. He hit the free throw to complete the play and give him six points.
29-25 Golden State, 5:56 second: The Warriors are led by the eight points of Toby Bailey. If you're an NCAA fan, surely you remember Bailey's name. It's been more than a decade - 12 years, in fact - since Bailey played a key role in UCLA winning the National Championship at the now-long-departed Kingdome. A teammate of Sonics guard Earl Watson when he was a senior and Watson a freshman, Bailey is giving the NBA another chance, having last played in the league in 1999-00 with Phoenix. So far, so good - Bailey has had a very nice NBA Summer League.
33-28 Golden State, 3:59 second: Let me make sure I get a link in here to the NBA.com scoreboard, where you can watch the webcast of this game.
37-30 Golden State, 2:49 second: Tonight it's Jeff Green that is creating a lot of contact. He's had some close calls go in his favor and, a moment ago, was called for an offensive foul on what looked like a Carlos Powell flop from this vantage point. Green is 3-of-6 at the free-throw line and has hit both of his attempts from the field, giving him seven points to go with his four rebounds.
41-36 Golden State, halftime: Sonics done five at the break. They shot just 29% from the field, but attempted a whopping 28 free throws to stay in it. Golden State, by contrast, had only seven free-throw attempts. The Sonics also have an incredible 31-16 advantage on the glass, led by six from Kenny Adeleke.
Let me tell you, you have to watch Marco Belinelli at all times because you never know when he is going to pull the trigger. Has there ever been a player who has been such a perfect fit for his team's style of play? (Um, yes. Steve Nash and Phoenix. But I digress.) Belinelli has gotten Durant off balance at times and made him look a little silly, but Durant has done an excellent job guarding a perimeter shooter. His size and length give him the opportunity to recover even when he gets beat initially. Durant also used his long arms in the passing lanes, picking up three steals. He turned one of them into a dunk that could get him going.
Johan Petro's activity also deserves a mention. Officially, he's got four boards and a block in 11 minutes, but I think I saw him swat a second shot as well. Mouhamed Sene has a pair of blocks off the bench and Jeff Green has added one of his own.
An amazingly entertaining matchup of young kids during halftime has drawn cheers from the crowd.
54-47 Golden State, 5:18 third: Gary Payton has joined Clay Bennett and Bill Russell, only adding to the star power watching the Sonics tonight. And what they're watching is Kevin Durant's best performance in Green and Gold. He's hit two of his three shots since halftime and has nine points, giving him 21 for the game. Marco Belinelli (11 points on 5-of-15 shooting) has been left in the rear-view mirror, though the Warriors continue to lead.
Just a cameo for Payton, who appears to be headed out. I swear, by the way, that Bill Simmons of ESPN.com is sitting behind Payton.
56-54 Golden State, 2:44 third: Gorgeous tip dunk by Jeff Green, who has been quiet in this half. Not as nice as his dunk over Nate Robinson on Monday that Henry Abbott of TrueHoop called his highlight of the NBA Summer League, but nice nonetheless.
Great exchange involving Golden State summer Head Coach Keith Smart. A call went against the Warriors and a fan yelled to Smart to tell the referee he blew the call. Smart responded that the fan had to tell the ref because Smart already was called for a technical in the first half.
61-58 Golden State, end third: Dominant third quarter for Kevin Durant, his first extended superstar period of the NBA Summer League. Durant made four of his six shots and was 7-of-9 at the free-throw line for 16 points in the quarter and 28 in the game. I really liked a running banker off glass from the right side of the lane that showed deft touch.
71-64 Golden State, 5:59 fourth: The Warriors went on a 6-0 run to start the period before Ralph Lewis got Durant and Green back in, and that may doom the Sonics. They trail by seven with a little less than six minutes left.
As impressive as anything Durant has done on offense has been his anticipating and timing on D. He picked Belinelli clean for a fast break that ended in a Ronnie Burrell dunk (showing some unselfishness from Durant, who easily could have finished the break himself). Don't overlook Jeff Green either. He has 15 points and eight rebounds and has made some very difficult shots.
76-70 Golden State, 2:32 fourth: The Sonics are going to need a rally to get their first win of the NBA Summer League. A Brandon Heath layup got them within six, but Josh Powell was cherry-picking at the other end. A good foul by Kenny Adeleke sends him to the line for two.
I keep neglecting to mention it, but check out Eric Williams' live blog at TheNewsTribune.com as well.
80-72 Golden State, 1:21 fourth: Time may be running out on the Sonics. They'll have possession after a timeout.
85-74 Golden State, final: The Sonics can't rally, but that's ultimately of little importance. What is important is that we saw the future of the Sonics tonight in the performance of Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, and it looks very bright indeed.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Sonics vs. Milwaukee Live Blog
Pregame: Just about ready to tip off. We're at Thomas & Mack Center, the home of UNLV men's basketball (and the 2007 NBA All-Star Game), across from Cox Pavilion. The crowd seems small in this big building, but from my perspective this is better. The media seating has a good view of the court (and that's what really counts, isn't it), plus now there may be replays.
Another game, another lineup for the Sonics. Mouhamed Sene gets the nod in the middle, with Jeff Green (the only player to start all three games) and Kenny Adeleke in the backcourt and Jermaine Jackson and Olu Famutimi (yet to see action for the Sonics) at guards.
Sonics 4, Milwaukee 4: As I'm sure you know, Kevin Durant is not playing tonight for the Sonics because of his earlier commitment to attend the ESPY Awards in L.A. Mickael Gelabale is also sitting out tonight because of the sprained ankle suffered in practice last week.
In the early going, the Sonics are featuring Green and Sene.
Milwaukee 10, Sonics 8: Experience is hugely important in summer action. You can tell a major difference between players who have played in the NBA and those who have not. The Bucks have a lot of vets - their point guards are Lynn Greer and two-time Sonics callup Randy Livingston, who have both been around. Awvee Storey and Noel Felix (another former Sonics players) don't have as much NBA time, but have been pros for a while, as has Billy Thomas. That makes this game a good test for the Sonics.
Milwaukee 12, Sonics 9: Credit Sonics PR guy Kurt Fedders with a nice catch at the scorers' table on a ball tipped out of bounds that Ralph Lewis was unable to corral. Way to go Kurt!
Sonics 22, Milwaukee 18, end 1st: Nice finish to the quarter for the Sonics, who lead by four. Olu Famutimi has six points and has knocked down a couple of outside shots. Zabian Dowdell came in late in the period and did a fine job of running the team. He assisted Famutimi on an inbounds play, then got to the basket and banked in a runner on the last full possession of the period. Look for my feature on Dowdell tomorrow on SUPERSONICS.COM.
Sonics 35, Milwaukee 24: The run continues with a lineup of Dowdell, Julius Hodge, Antywane Robinson, Ronnie Burrell and Johan Petro on the floor. Dowdell, Robinson and Famutimi have combined for 19 points.
Sonics 36, Milwaukee 29: Is it possible to be kicked out of an NBA Summer League game? Bucks Head Coach Tony Brown might be. The Milwaukee bench has been unhappy with a couple of iffy block calls that went against the Bucks, amongst other transgressions. Brown did get a T between the quarters.
Signs this is, after all, only summer league: Awvee Storey's name is misspelled "STORY" on the back of his jersey.
Sonics 41, Milwaukee 33: Question of the first half right now: Who's Olu Famutimi? Famutimi was supposed to play for the Knicks in Vegas and join the Sonics only in Utah, but for whatever reason those plans changed. With Mickael Gelabale's injury, some minutes opened up and Famutimi has taken full advantage. He averaged 11.5 ppg last year for Arkansas in the D-League. He's looked automatic from about 20 feet, but only hit four three-pointers all of 2006-07, so his range must be a little limited.
Sonics 44, Milwaukee 39 (halftime): Strong first half for the Sonics. They didn't shoot the ball tremendously well (36.6%), but committed just five turnovers, which is incredible for a summer-league game. They also beat Milwaukee on the glass and got to the free-throw line more often.
One of the challenges with non-roster guys in the summer league is making sure they are playing as the teams needs them to instead of worrying only about "getting theirs." This Sonics unit has done a great jof of that tonight, sharing the ball and moving it around. Kudos to all of these guys.
I wanted to make sure I throw in a link to the NBA.com scoreboard so anybody who had missed it can watch the webcast. Just click on "Watch" under the score of this game.
Sonics 50, Milwaukee 46: On the Bucks side, a big game tonight for former Sonics forward Noel Felix. Felix has 18 points to lead all scorers on 7-for-10 shooting, four rebounds and a couple of blocks. He has looked incredibly athletic tonight and has been the best player on the court.
This is summer league, part two: Milwaukee just tried to take the ball when the Sonics were inbounding on their end of the court. Everybody was lined up as if the Sonics were inbounding, but a Bucks player (didn't see who) went over and got the ball from the ref before another ref noticed the mistake.
Milwaukee 58, Sonics 55: This game has begun to get away from the Sonics a little bit here in this third quarter. Turnovers and penetration have both caused problems. After committing just five turnovers in the first half, the Sonics have six thus far in the period. Meanwhile, the Bucks got good looks and scored 19 points in the first six and a half minutes of the period. Lynn Greer looks like a veteran running the Milwaukee offense.
Milwaukee 61, Sonics 59: Looks like we should get a close fourth quarter tonight. The Bucks will enter with a two-point lead. The Sonics will go to the final period with the lineup of Dowdell, Heath, Hodge, Burrell and Petro that was very effective in the first half.
Sonics 64, Milwaukee 63: Last game I talked about Kevin Durant's ability to draw fouls. That's to be expected for a player of Durant's ability, but some guys just have a knack for drawing them. Julius Hodge is one of them. He's taken nine free throws tonight in 16 minutes.
Sonics 69, Milwaukee 67: This being summer league, wins and losses aren't hugely important, but I still think the Sonics coaching staff would like to finish this game out with a win. With 5:53 left, the Green and Gold is clinging to a two-point lead. Milwaukee clearly cares as well: The Bucks have now been called for not one but two technical fouls.
By the way, if Jeff Green has been conspicuous by his absence from this blog, it's because he hasn't played since early in the game. Green tweaked an ankle and, with no good reason to push him, he hasn't played since.
Update: Green said after the game he sprained his ankle previously and it was a little tight when he tried to go tonight.
Sonics 75, Milwaukee 67: The Bucks take timeout in response to a 6-0 Sonics run since the last break. Julius Hodge has the last two buckets, both transition layups after steals. Hodge has a team-high 12 points.
Milwaukee 81, Sonics 79: With 1:53 left, the Bucks have taken a two-point lead on a three-pointer from Damir Markota. The Sonics finish with Jackson, Famutimi, Hodge, Burrell and Adeleke.
Milwaukee 87, Sonics 82: Looks like the Bucks will take this one. Milwaukee has made its free throws, while Olu Famutimi has missed a couple of three-point attempts that could have been big for the Sonics. With 41.9 seconds left, it's a five-point deficit.
Milwaukee 92, Sonics 85, final: That's a wrap from the Thomas & Mack Center. The Bucks finished this one with a 14-6 run to take it from the Sonics, who didn't have the go-to scorer they needed down the stretch. Still, they have to feel good about how well they played without their two leading scorers in the NBA Summer League, Kevin Durant and Jeff Green (eight minutes).
Julius Hodge led the Sonics with 15 points and has posted a bizarre line this summer: 14 field-goal attempts and 29 free-throw attempts. Olu Famutimi (12) and Kenny Adeleke (10) were the other two Sonics who scored double-figures.
The Sonics will be back in action Friday, taking on the Golden State Warriors right here at 7:30 p.m.
Another game, another lineup for the Sonics. Mouhamed Sene gets the nod in the middle, with Jeff Green (the only player to start all three games) and Kenny Adeleke in the backcourt and Jermaine Jackson and Olu Famutimi (yet to see action for the Sonics) at guards.
Sonics 4, Milwaukee 4: As I'm sure you know, Kevin Durant is not playing tonight for the Sonics because of his earlier commitment to attend the ESPY Awards in L.A. Mickael Gelabale is also sitting out tonight because of the sprained ankle suffered in practice last week.
In the early going, the Sonics are featuring Green and Sene.
Milwaukee 10, Sonics 8: Experience is hugely important in summer action. You can tell a major difference between players who have played in the NBA and those who have not. The Bucks have a lot of vets - their point guards are Lynn Greer and two-time Sonics callup Randy Livingston, who have both been around. Awvee Storey and Noel Felix (another former Sonics players) don't have as much NBA time, but have been pros for a while, as has Billy Thomas. That makes this game a good test for the Sonics.
Milwaukee 12, Sonics 9: Credit Sonics PR guy Kurt Fedders with a nice catch at the scorers' table on a ball tipped out of bounds that Ralph Lewis was unable to corral. Way to go Kurt!
Sonics 22, Milwaukee 18, end 1st: Nice finish to the quarter for the Sonics, who lead by four. Olu Famutimi has six points and has knocked down a couple of outside shots. Zabian Dowdell came in late in the period and did a fine job of running the team. He assisted Famutimi on an inbounds play, then got to the basket and banked in a runner on the last full possession of the period. Look for my feature on Dowdell tomorrow on SUPERSONICS.COM.
Sonics 35, Milwaukee 24: The run continues with a lineup of Dowdell, Julius Hodge, Antywane Robinson, Ronnie Burrell and Johan Petro on the floor. Dowdell, Robinson and Famutimi have combined for 19 points.
Sonics 36, Milwaukee 29: Is it possible to be kicked out of an NBA Summer League game? Bucks Head Coach Tony Brown might be. The Milwaukee bench has been unhappy with a couple of iffy block calls that went against the Bucks, amongst other transgressions. Brown did get a T between the quarters.
Signs this is, after all, only summer league: Awvee Storey's name is misspelled "STORY" on the back of his jersey.
Sonics 41, Milwaukee 33: Question of the first half right now: Who's Olu Famutimi? Famutimi was supposed to play for the Knicks in Vegas and join the Sonics only in Utah, but for whatever reason those plans changed. With Mickael Gelabale's injury, some minutes opened up and Famutimi has taken full advantage. He averaged 11.5 ppg last year for Arkansas in the D-League. He's looked automatic from about 20 feet, but only hit four three-pointers all of 2006-07, so his range must be a little limited.
Sonics 44, Milwaukee 39 (halftime): Strong first half for the Sonics. They didn't shoot the ball tremendously well (36.6%), but committed just five turnovers, which is incredible for a summer-league game. They also beat Milwaukee on the glass and got to the free-throw line more often.
One of the challenges with non-roster guys in the summer league is making sure they are playing as the teams needs them to instead of worrying only about "getting theirs." This Sonics unit has done a great jof of that tonight, sharing the ball and moving it around. Kudos to all of these guys.
I wanted to make sure I throw in a link to the NBA.com scoreboard so anybody who had missed it can watch the webcast. Just click on "Watch" under the score of this game.
Sonics 50, Milwaukee 46: On the Bucks side, a big game tonight for former Sonics forward Noel Felix. Felix has 18 points to lead all scorers on 7-for-10 shooting, four rebounds and a couple of blocks. He has looked incredibly athletic tonight and has been the best player on the court.
This is summer league, part two: Milwaukee just tried to take the ball when the Sonics were inbounding on their end of the court. Everybody was lined up as if the Sonics were inbounding, but a Bucks player (didn't see who) went over and got the ball from the ref before another ref noticed the mistake.
Milwaukee 58, Sonics 55: This game has begun to get away from the Sonics a little bit here in this third quarter. Turnovers and penetration have both caused problems. After committing just five turnovers in the first half, the Sonics have six thus far in the period. Meanwhile, the Bucks got good looks and scored 19 points in the first six and a half minutes of the period. Lynn Greer looks like a veteran running the Milwaukee offense.
Milwaukee 61, Sonics 59: Looks like we should get a close fourth quarter tonight. The Bucks will enter with a two-point lead. The Sonics will go to the final period with the lineup of Dowdell, Heath, Hodge, Burrell and Petro that was very effective in the first half.
Sonics 64, Milwaukee 63: Last game I talked about Kevin Durant's ability to draw fouls. That's to be expected for a player of Durant's ability, but some guys just have a knack for drawing them. Julius Hodge is one of them. He's taken nine free throws tonight in 16 minutes.
Sonics 69, Milwaukee 67: This being summer league, wins and losses aren't hugely important, but I still think the Sonics coaching staff would like to finish this game out with a win. With 5:53 left, the Green and Gold is clinging to a two-point lead. Milwaukee clearly cares as well: The Bucks have now been called for not one but two technical fouls.
By the way, if Jeff Green has been conspicuous by his absence from this blog, it's because he hasn't played since early in the game. Green tweaked an ankle and, with no good reason to push him, he hasn't played since.
Update: Green said after the game he sprained his ankle previously and it was a little tight when he tried to go tonight.
Sonics 75, Milwaukee 67: The Bucks take timeout in response to a 6-0 Sonics run since the last break. Julius Hodge has the last two buckets, both transition layups after steals. Hodge has a team-high 12 points.
Milwaukee 81, Sonics 79: With 1:53 left, the Bucks have taken a two-point lead on a three-pointer from Damir Markota. The Sonics finish with Jackson, Famutimi, Hodge, Burrell and Adeleke.
Milwaukee 87, Sonics 82: Looks like the Bucks will take this one. Milwaukee has made its free throws, while Olu Famutimi has missed a couple of three-point attempts that could have been big for the Sonics. With 41.9 seconds left, it's a five-point deficit.
Milwaukee 92, Sonics 85, final: That's a wrap from the Thomas & Mack Center. The Bucks finished this one with a 14-6 run to take it from the Sonics, who didn't have the go-to scorer they needed down the stretch. Still, they have to feel good about how well they played without their two leading scorers in the NBA Summer League, Kevin Durant and Jeff Green (eight minutes).
Julius Hodge led the Sonics with 15 points and has posted a bizarre line this summer: 14 field-goal attempts and 29 free-throw attempts. Olu Famutimi (12) and Kenny Adeleke (10) were the other two Sonics who scored double-figures.
The Sonics will be back in action Friday, taking on the Golden State Warriors right here at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Live Blog - Sonics vs. Knicks
Tip: The Sonics come out tonight with two different players from their starting lineup on Friday. A healthy Mickael Gelabale has replaced Julius Hodge at shooting guard, while Jermaine Jackson gets the start at the point. Jackson is a veteran who knows how to run an offense, so this move should help the Sonics get off to a quicker start on offense.
... You know, like Kevin Durant hitting a three-pointer on the team's first possession. Silky.
9-8 Knicks: A three from Nate Robinson from the left wing gives New York the lead.
17-15 Sonics: Not a lot of defense in the first quarter, which is surprisingly atypical for these games (actually, it's probably sloppy offense). Jeff Green and Kevin Durant have five points and a three-pointer apiece for the Sonics; Wilson Chandler's six points lead New York. Green and Durant have had their shots blocked a combined three times -- this could be an issue for Durant as a rookie, though I doubt it will be in the long run.
Durant is out now with two early fouls.
20-19 Knicks: Huskies in the house. As we've mentioned, Nate Robinson and Tre Simmons are on the floor for New York. There are three Huskies in the stands watching them - Will Conroy, playing for the Clippers; Brandon Roy, not playing for the Blazers after winning Rookie of the Year; and rookie Spencer Hawes, playing for the Kings. Bobby Jones may join them at some point and Stanford's Mitch Johnson, another Seattle product, is sitting with the Huskies in the stands.
I would never have believed there would be so many Huskies in the NBA when I started at UW a little less than seven years ago and the team's star player was Will Perkins. Crazy.
25-21 Knicks: The scoring has slowed since the second units got involved. I don't think we've had a score in the first minute and a half of the second quarter. Kevin Durant is currently 2-for-7 from the field. Right now, he's able to create good shots but hitting them consistently has not yet come. He's got a pretty good matchup with Renaldo Balkman, an excellent defender with length, working against him.
32-24 Knicks: Consider Jeff Green as having announced his presence with authority, to borrow from Marv Albert. He was fouled while going up in the middle of the lane and powered straight through for a hard slam dunk that drew oohs and ahs from the crowd. My favorite part: With his teammates talking to him as he was at the free-throw line to complete the three-point play, Green laughed a little bit, as if to admit, "That was nice."
45-28 Knicks: This second quarter has been all New York, with the Knicks outscoring the Sonics 20-7. Right now, we're seeing the young Sonics try to do a lot of things one-on-one as opposed to running through the offense. Kevin Durant is 2-for-10 from the field; in fact, it's the other No. 35, New York second-round pick Demetris Nichols, that leads all scorers with 11 points.
51-35 Knicks, halftime: Jeff Green is the leading Sonics scorer at the midway point with 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting. Kevin Durant finishes the first half with seven points on 2-for-11 shooting. Not a whole lot of scoring outside of that. For New York, Nate Robinson has eight points and three assists. Tre Simmons has four points but has yet to hit from the field, missing all three of his shot attempts.
57-43 Knicks, 5:02 3rd: We've seen a more active Sonics team come out for the second half, particularly at the defensive end of the floor. Johan Petro has at least one and maybe two blocks and the Sonics have stemmed the tide. Now to get some offensive rhythm, possibly by turning defense into offense.
59-45 Knicks, 3:17 3rd: Right now, it seems Kevin Durant's strength - at least in the summer setting - is drawing fouls. When the Sonics get him the ball on the wing with his back to the basket, he is able to turn quickly and get into the body of his defender, who often still has his hands on Durant - which becomes illegal. He's also very quick with his first step.
76-64 Knicks, 6:02 4th: Good run for Zabian Dowdell as the backup point guard. He had three points and an assist in seven minutes after a poor outing on Friday as the starter.
This game is perfectly tailor-made for Nate Robinson, who has put on a highlight clinic. He had a goregous up-and-under move against Johan Petro in the first half, along with a 360 move for a layup in transition in the third quarter. On defense, he got way up and blocked a shot in transition, though he was called for a foul. The crowd - thinning as the night goes on - appreciated it. One fan shouted out, "Go Huskies!" as Robinson was shooting a free throw.
87-74 Knicks, final: A tough night for the Sonics and for Kevin Durant as the Knicks win this one by double-digits.
Durant finishes the night with 18 points on 4-of-19 shooting. We saw some similar things to his first game. Other teams are going to be very physical in defending him and Durant will have to take a lot of contested shots. Right now, those aren't going in. It will be interesting to see how Durant adjusts during the course of the summer. He showed some positive signs in a fourth quarter that saw him play his best basketball. The positive is he hasn't appeared to get frustrated and he hasn't gotten down on defense - even taking a charge in the first half.
The star of the night for the Sonics was Jeff Green, who scored 17 points and shot 5-for-12 from the field. Green scored in several different ways tonight, hitting the jumper, getting out in transition and scoring off the dribble.
Mickael Gelabale had a solid night, scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Johan Petro also had seven boards in 23 minutes, which is nice to see. And Mouhamed Sene put up six points and four rebounds in 14 minutes of action.
While the score might not reflect it, I think we saw some progress for the Sonics tonight. After a day of practice, they'll play Milwaukee on Wednesday.
... You know, like Kevin Durant hitting a three-pointer on the team's first possession. Silky.
9-8 Knicks: A three from Nate Robinson from the left wing gives New York the lead.
17-15 Sonics: Not a lot of defense in the first quarter, which is surprisingly atypical for these games (actually, it's probably sloppy offense). Jeff Green and Kevin Durant have five points and a three-pointer apiece for the Sonics; Wilson Chandler's six points lead New York. Green and Durant have had their shots blocked a combined three times -- this could be an issue for Durant as a rookie, though I doubt it will be in the long run.
Durant is out now with two early fouls.
20-19 Knicks: Huskies in the house. As we've mentioned, Nate Robinson and Tre Simmons are on the floor for New York. There are three Huskies in the stands watching them - Will Conroy, playing for the Clippers; Brandon Roy, not playing for the Blazers after winning Rookie of the Year; and rookie Spencer Hawes, playing for the Kings. Bobby Jones may join them at some point and Stanford's Mitch Johnson, another Seattle product, is sitting with the Huskies in the stands.
I would never have believed there would be so many Huskies in the NBA when I started at UW a little less than seven years ago and the team's star player was Will Perkins. Crazy.
25-21 Knicks: The scoring has slowed since the second units got involved. I don't think we've had a score in the first minute and a half of the second quarter. Kevin Durant is currently 2-for-7 from the field. Right now, he's able to create good shots but hitting them consistently has not yet come. He's got a pretty good matchup with Renaldo Balkman, an excellent defender with length, working against him.
32-24 Knicks: Consider Jeff Green as having announced his presence with authority, to borrow from Marv Albert. He was fouled while going up in the middle of the lane and powered straight through for a hard slam dunk that drew oohs and ahs from the crowd. My favorite part: With his teammates talking to him as he was at the free-throw line to complete the three-point play, Green laughed a little bit, as if to admit, "That was nice."
45-28 Knicks: This second quarter has been all New York, with the Knicks outscoring the Sonics 20-7. Right now, we're seeing the young Sonics try to do a lot of things one-on-one as opposed to running through the offense. Kevin Durant is 2-for-10 from the field; in fact, it's the other No. 35, New York second-round pick Demetris Nichols, that leads all scorers with 11 points.
51-35 Knicks, halftime: Jeff Green is the leading Sonics scorer at the midway point with 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting. Kevin Durant finishes the first half with seven points on 2-for-11 shooting. Not a whole lot of scoring outside of that. For New York, Nate Robinson has eight points and three assists. Tre Simmons has four points but has yet to hit from the field, missing all three of his shot attempts.
57-43 Knicks, 5:02 3rd: We've seen a more active Sonics team come out for the second half, particularly at the defensive end of the floor. Johan Petro has at least one and maybe two blocks and the Sonics have stemmed the tide. Now to get some offensive rhythm, possibly by turning defense into offense.
59-45 Knicks, 3:17 3rd: Right now, it seems Kevin Durant's strength - at least in the summer setting - is drawing fouls. When the Sonics get him the ball on the wing with his back to the basket, he is able to turn quickly and get into the body of his defender, who often still has his hands on Durant - which becomes illegal. He's also very quick with his first step.
76-64 Knicks, 6:02 4th: Good run for Zabian Dowdell as the backup point guard. He had three points and an assist in seven minutes after a poor outing on Friday as the starter.
This game is perfectly tailor-made for Nate Robinson, who has put on a highlight clinic. He had a goregous up-and-under move against Johan Petro in the first half, along with a 360 move for a layup in transition in the third quarter. On defense, he got way up and blocked a shot in transition, though he was called for a foul. The crowd - thinning as the night goes on - appreciated it. One fan shouted out, "Go Huskies!" as Robinson was shooting a free throw.
87-74 Knicks, final: A tough night for the Sonics and for Kevin Durant as the Knicks win this one by double-digits.
Durant finishes the night with 18 points on 4-of-19 shooting. We saw some similar things to his first game. Other teams are going to be very physical in defending him and Durant will have to take a lot of contested shots. Right now, those aren't going in. It will be interesting to see how Durant adjusts during the course of the summer. He showed some positive signs in a fourth quarter that saw him play his best basketball. The positive is he hasn't appeared to get frustrated and he hasn't gotten down on defense - even taking a charge in the first half.
The star of the night for the Sonics was Jeff Green, who scored 17 points and shot 5-for-12 from the field. Green scored in several different ways tonight, hitting the jumper, getting out in transition and scoring off the dribble.
Mickael Gelabale had a solid night, scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Johan Petro also had seven boards in 23 minutes, which is nice to see. And Mouhamed Sene put up six points and four rebounds in 14 minutes of action.
While the score might not reflect it, I think we saw some progress for the Sonics tonight. After a day of practice, they'll play Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Contact Kevin
Sonics Beat RSS